I don't know if it makes a lick of difference, but I generally run a flash hole uniformer in new brass. http://lockstock.com/products.asp?dept=670
Excellent point BK! People will find what works for them, which means there's lots of information that can be shared around!BK said:That's the great thing about reloading... you can do things your way, and have perfectly good results, and I can obsess over every single step, and both of us are happy!
Are you finding with Norma brass you don't need to uniform the flash hole? I suppose with higher end brass it's pretty much ok as is.M700 said:Before I started using Norma brass, I uniformed the flash hole
That's way too funny!M700 said:joo joo prayers over the brass
I've been getting once fired Norma brass for nothing. The brass is excellent, but my Rem 700 didn't like Lapua brass. Federal brass WAS excellent but the last 6-8 years, it's been way too soft and I found that the primer pockets open up too easily.SemperFi said:Are you finding with Norma brass you don't need to uniform the flash hole? I suppose with higher end brass it's pretty much ok as is.M700 said:Before I started using Norma brass, I uniformed the flash hole
Pretty close to what I do. I skip #4, because at step #7 I use the RCBS nylon brush to lube the inside case necks. At #9 I tumble again. #12 I skip. #15, depends on the powder. If I'm using something like H380, I weigh the first five charges thrown from my RCBS powder measure, then every fifth or so, because it doesn't seem to make any difference in charge weights. If I'm loading something like IMR3031, -4350, -4831, or the Hodgdon versions of 4350 and 4831, I weigh all of them. I also tend to use ball powders for stuff I load a lot of (.223 and .22-250) and extruded for stuff I don't load a whole bunch of (6mm Rem, .25-06, 7mm RemMag, .300 WinMag, .35 Whelen). A 'whole bunch' being 200 or more at a time.thornblom said:With new brass, I usually just full length size, de-burr the flash hole, chamfer the case mouth and load.
It is after the fire forming process that I reall go to work.
1: vibratory clean in walnut hull media
2: remove cases from media, empty, and make sure flash holes are clear of media
3: clean primer pockets till bright and shiney
4: clean inside case necks with appropriate size bronze bore brush
5: set sizing die up to clear shell holder 1/4 turn with ram at top of stroke
6: lube inside case neck with q-tip and rcbs lube
7: roll cases on rcbs case lube pad
8: resize
9: clean lube from cases inside and out
10: trim to 2.005"
11: chamfer case mouths inside and out
12: weight each case on electronic scale and arrange in order of lightest to heaviest and put in mtm case guard 50 round box in rows of 5 starting from left and work towards the right
13: now you have 50 near perfect cases in order of 5 shot groups where no case in 5 will vary more than .2 grain
14: prime with your favorite primer
15: charge with your favorite powder charge weight, weigh each charge
16: seat your favorite bullet to the rifles most accurate length
Boy howdy, this sounds like a lot of work. It is! You might ask, with all that work, why didn't you uniform primer pockets. Well, with several calibers I have tried that and have yet to prove to my self that it does any good. Actually, I am almost to the point where weighing and sorting cases in order of weight might be considered busy work, but in my mind it will almost eliminate the occasional flyer.
If you are using cases prepaired like this, 168 grain smk's, fed 210m primers and 43.2 grains of IMR-4064 (weighed) and the bullet seated to 2.800" or longer as your rifle permits, you will be shooting ammo that is potentially more accurate than federal gmm.
It just takes a lot of time and work to get there. I like itty-bitty groups.
Sincerely,
Dave (Bubba) Thornblom
Don't you think that your transferring contaminates to the nylon brush and thus the mica?I skip #4, because at step #7 I use the RCBS nylon brush to lube the inside case necks.