How many times can I reload fireformed,necksized fedral factory cases? Is there a majic number, or are there signs to look for?

quote:

Originally posted by AS64:
How many times can I reload fireformed,necksized fedral factory cases? Is there a majic number, or are there signs to look for?

There is no magic number. There is no formula. We do have a LOT of opinions but most are based on hear-say, not evidence. A major factor in case life has to do with how you set up your sizing die.

If you size excessively, by "adjusting the sizer down until it touches the shell holder", etc., cases won't last nearly as long as they will if you just size them until they barely fit back into your chamber.

If you are not shooting excessive loads, just load until you get a split neck then toss the whole batch. Split necks are NOT dangerous.

If your loads are too hot the primer pockets will loosen fairly quickly - 3 to 6 loads - even if you see no other signs of over pressure.

Like Jim says, there is no cut & dry answer. The size of the chamber, amount of resizing the die does, brass thickness, hardness, load, all contribute to case life. I keep a eye out for loose primer pockets, splits at the neck or just toss them after around 5 trimmings to be safe. (If you need to trim at all when neck sizeing).
I use a neck sizer, either a Lee collet or Redding on most of my brass, and dump them at a dozen loads weather they are bad or not. I normally don`t load to primer pocket expanding pressures and rarely ever need to trim a case that hasn`t been FL sized though.

quote:

If you size excessively, by "adjusting the sizer down until it touches the shell holder", etc., cases won't last nearly as long as they will if you just size them until they barely fit back into your chamber.

If you are not shooting excessive loads, just load until you get a split neck then toss the whole batch.

If you "partially full length resize", that is use a FL die and size only a couple of thousandths under your once fired case dimensions, this method is as good as any.

I generally use brass until carbon buildup is noticeable on the neck/shoulder area which is an indication of brass being work-hardened sufficiently to allowing gas blowby. Split necks follow shortly unless brass is annealed.

I don't think annealing is worth the extra effort, so discard the whole lot at this stage. JMO

Regards,
hm

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If you "partially full length resize", that is use a FL die and size only a couple of thousandths under your once fired case dimensions, this method is as good as any.

hm - no argument at all but a matter of semantics?

Our chambers have dimensions with a minus tolerance and our ammo (dies) have a maximum tolerance. Anything within those ranges is "correct" and it allows for a given die to be a perfect match of some chambers. BUT, some others are signficantly mismatches. The routine but simplistic advise to "touch the shell holder with the bottom of the FL die" guarantees that many of us are overly sizing our brass.

Consider this, if we size brass from a large chamber completely down with a minimum die, we have actually "over resized" the case. That creates excess headspace where none properly existed before we "FL" sized the brass!

Converseley, if we adjust the die so it is a comfortable fit but not undersized it's not "partially" FL sized at all, it's in fact properly "Fully Resized" FOR THAT CHAMBER. That's what I strive for with all my rifle loading.

It seems to me that the term "partial FL sizing" would/should correctly only apply to attempts to neck size with an FL die, not less than a jam fit between the any common die and shellholder.

????

quote:

Originally posted by Jim C. <><:

quote:

Originally posted by AS64:
How many times can I reload fireformed,necksized fedral factory cases? Is there a majic number, or are there signs to look for?

There is no magic number. There is no formula. We do have a LOT of opinions but most are based on hear-say, not evidence. A major factor in case life has to do with how you set up your sizing die.

If you size excessively, by "adjusting the sizer down until it touches the shell holder", etc., cases won't last nearly as long as they will if you just size them until they barely fit back into your chamber.

If you are not shooting excessive loads, just load until you get a split neck then toss the whole batch. Split necks are NOT dangerous.

If your loads are too hot the primer pockets will loosen fairly quickly - 3 to 6 loads - even if you see no other signs of over pressure.

What are the signs of a loose primer pocket other than the primer falling out?

quote:

What are the signs of a loose primer pocket other than the primer falling out?

being seated waaaay too easily.. I always knock the case on the bench a few times to see if the primer will fall out.. putting some nail polish over the primer and the bottom of the case will help it stay in there if one is that "economical"....

I find case necks last much longer by lubing the inside of the case necks, by using a bore brush and squirting any type of lube on it, even WD 40 works just fine...this makes brass last much longer and causes less split necks due to the inside neck dragging over the expander ball...

using lower pressure loads also helps quite a bit in extending case life... if one can get pass the stigma that they handload to try and make a 7 Rem Mag out of a 7/08....

neck sizing also works wonders... on a full length die, crank her down all the way until she touches the shell holder with the ram lowered... then back the die off one to 1.25 full term and that should neck size the die without touching the shoulder...

my cases are averaqing 4 to 5 reloads of just doing this.. before needing to full length resize the case...

all of my brass is stored in zip lock freezer bags, and a 3 x 5 card inserted and the load history recorded...

I am still in the middle of doing personal tests on brass to see how to stretch out case life as much as possible...

I am using 22.250 brass to do so..... normal life in the past has been 8 to 10 reloads...

right now I am up to 20 reloads on the test brass now, ( 5 lots of 10 cases each.. Rem, Federal and Win brass being tested...)

so far the primer pockets are still tight..

I've seen claims on Noslers site of reloading their brass over 37 times...

Lapua is making claims of over 300 times on some of their brass!!!

no matter how "tough" the brass may be, good loading techniques are playing a very important part of this long life.. even if neither company hints about that part of it..