I have a coffee can full of fire formed factory 44 magnum ammo brass. I was going to trim it all to the same length. Did some reading, thought it might be better when my turret gets to the lee factory crimp die. However some opinions state that they have never ever trimmed revolver brass. I am shooting this out of a Ruger Super Redhawk and wanted to improve my shooting accuracy and I thought that if they were all the same, then the only thing I could blame my In-accuracy on would be my shooting technique. Lol. What do you guys do? Any thoughts?
Do you trim your revolver brass?
- Thread starter 66spitfire
- Start date
Yes I've had to trim straight walled brass, not because it's gets longer from shooting and resizing, but because of differences in case lengths. I usually trim revolver brass so they are the same length, that way I don't have to keep adjusting my crimp die.
My point exactly Bollox, and 09 outlander. Bollox, do you use a factory crimp die? And are you adjusting it for the various lengths? Can either of you tell me that you have done a comparison of accuracy say, with 50 same size vs50 various lengths with unadjusted crimp die?
I don't. The only place it would benefit me is 357. The crimps are all the way from barely there to buckled. I've loaded some pretty accurate ammo nonetheless, but the obviously mangled ones don't get used for accuracy testing. I'll either get a trimmer some day or just buy new brass so it has consistent lengths.
New brass and once fired brass does not have consistent lengths. Max length is 1.285 and trim to length is 1.275 if I grab a handful of once fired factory ammo I will get 1.276,1.279,1.280,1.278,1.276 etc. That is why I am posing the questions and seeking to find out if anyone has done any real time testing.....
Fast powder and light to mid range loads and the way the Lee FC die works, you can get away with some case length variation and have good accuracy, using a light crimp.
If you are using slow powder and heavy loads, consistent powder burn and pressure is very dependent on consistent heavy crimp and getting a consistent crimp is very dependent on uniform case length. You also need a heavy crimp to keep bullets in the case.
If you are using slow powder and heavy loads, consistent powder burn and pressure is very dependent on consistent heavy crimp and getting a consistent crimp is very dependent on uniform case length. You also need a heavy crimp to keep bullets in the case.
I have trimmed both 44 RM and 357, using Win 296 powder and wanting consistency, as I used the 44 (actually several of them over the years) for silhouette, I trimmed all my brass once to the same length to attain utmost consistency in the crimp, as the crimp is critical to using the slow ball pistol powders. After the initial trimming I would never trim again and any subsequent new brass would be trimmed to the prescribed length prior to use. Same process for 357..........never trimmed 38 or any other pistol cartridge.
Don't know if it helped, but like weighing rifle cases, it made me feel better and believe my loads were more consistent.
Don't know if it helped, but like weighing rifle cases, it made me feel better and believe my loads were more consistent.
Likewise...
..........Worlds Finest Trimmer...............it's advertised in "Rifle" and "Handloader" magazines.
Case length has nothing to do with whether or not you crimp. However, like Spawn says, revolver brass, even big bangenclangers like .44 Mag rarely, if ever, require trimming.
Consistent case lengths matter with bottle necked rifle cartridges, but not so much with revolvers.
What bullet you using put of the Ruger?
Consistent case lengths matter with bottle necked rifle cartridges, but not so much with revolvers.
What bullet you using put of the Ruger?
With a conventional seater/crimp die case length is everything to do with a consistent result.
Please don't drink and text....
I thank you all for your opinions, not so sure if I am any further ahead as I can see that the advice still rests on both sides of the fence. I will order a shell holder plate for my RCBS trimmer, (9bucks) and when it arrives I will trim 50 and do a comparison so that I will be better equipped to form my own opinion, and thus choose which side of the fence I will defend...lol also in answer to a question asked earlier, Hornady xtp 300 grain with 18 grains of H110 to start , working up from there...... 
