case seperation ??

D

Dave Allen

New member
hello, i had a case seperate yeserday when i ejected the tail end of the brass was all that came out..it came apart at what i think is called the fire ring..the round is 25-06 the brass had been full length resized 5-6 times i was going to discard after one more firing...so here's my question how many times is safe to resize?? i thought a guy could get maybe 8-9 resizes?? maybe it varies caliber to caliber?? by the way the load was moderate 51.2 grains of imr 4831 the bullet wasn't stuffed into the lands either...any thoughts are appreciated...
 
I generally run my 25-06 brass four firings and recycle it after that.
Same with 22-250 and 6mm.
I run my 300 WM brass up to five times.

Each gun's chamber is different and tighter chambers are generally easier on brass.
 
snake is spot-on, the more you work brass, the more it flows, ream the chamber to 25-06 AI 40 degrees and it'll be better on brass, but all rifles are different, I have 2 270 win's, one I have to trim every other reloading, the other I have never trimmed a case.
adjusting your die to fit your chamber will give you max case life and accuracy for your rifle.
RR
 
After the case is fire formed in the rifle you use, no need to full length resize. I use the LEE collet neck sizer. Reloaded 243 and 30-06 12 times no problem. Also very important: have the head space checked also check case length and trim if necessary. Brass flows forward when full length resized. this also hardens the brass making it brittle. I know many reloaders swear by full length resizing. I find it a waste of time. LOL
Frankie B.
 
hello,thanks for the input...it seems that i should discard brass after 3-4 resizes...my rifle is a handi & they don't accept neck sized brass very well...maybe brass life depends on many factors & there is no set in stone rule ??? i"m learning on this one...
 
How quick head separations happen all depends on headspace. If you only push the shoulder back .001" or less than .002" 20 reloads are possible. It is pushing the shoulder back too far causing excessive headspace that causes the brass to stretch and consequently thin just forward of the web. Once it starts to thin it all goes downhill real quick because that is where all the stretching, and further thinning takes place.

Jack
 
thanks for the reply jack, i'm learning so if i understand the headspace is the gap between the shoulder of the brass & the wall of the chamber ?? & if the headspace is excessive it would probably cause pressure towards the rear of the case ?? that sounds resonable...i think...
 
Dave, the headspace is the play between where the shoulder meets the front of the chamber and the base of the case meets the bolt face in your cartridge. Thus, if you keep full length sizing the case you continue to excessively push the shoulder back towards the base of the case which continually causes the case to grow forward with each firing. This causes the thinning of the case wall resulting in head seperation. Once full length sized, and fired it stretches to fit the chamber perfectly. At this point to stop the case from growing, lenghtwise, and thinning the case wall you need to neck size only or throw away the case once it no longer chambers easily. Further, once the case does not chamber anymore comfortably, it is time for other options or disposal as mentioned.....Which brings me to the point of, it is time for you to get a good manual and learn how to bump the shoulder back just enough to fit the chamber again. M.L. Mcphersons reloading book is good, so are the reloading videos that are put out by varmint hunter magazine....I am just looking out for your safety not preaching to you.....That is scary what happened especially with such a mild caliber.
 
Gentlemen... I don't know anything about this subject... But...

I just ordered a set of RCBS X-Dies in .223. They say that the dies restrict the lengthening/growth and extend the life of the cases... Apparently done with a mandrel that pushes everything back down...

That's all I know... And I don't know anywhere near enough about reloading to give the dies a good evaluation... But I did do a web search and found nothing but good reports on them and their effect on brass growth.

I just bought them because trimming and deburring is a p.i.butt.

Thanks for all your discussions on reloading! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif
I read almost every thread and I'm picking up so-o-o much!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

me!
 
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