First of Many Questions I'm sure

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Static030

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Hey guys, been reading a fair bit and looking to get into reloading this winter. Hoping there is a press under the tree :)
Anyway, I have a bunch of .223 cases that I have fired, most of which are AE. Been farting around measuring them and most of the brass is coming in at 1.74 to 1.744. The book I have has the cases at 1.76 in the drawing and the data is based on a trimmed case length to 1.75.
Now is this something I need to worry about if I am under the 1.75?
I want to load for accuracy so part two of the question is - should I group the case lengths together for size? Right now I have sorted them within the range noted above, keeping the ones under 1.74 aside and anything over the 1.743 are put aside.

Thanks for any input you might have for this newb.
 
Static030 said:
Hey guys, been reading a fair bit and looking to get into reloading this winter. Hoping there is a press under the tree :)
Anyway, I have a bunch of .223 cases that I have fired, most of which are AE. Been farting around measuring them and most of the brass is coming in at 1.74 to 1.744. The book I have has the cases at 1.76 in the drawing and the data is based on a trimmed case length to 1.75.
Now is this something I need to worry about if I am under the 1.75?
I want to load for accuracy so part two of the question is - should I group the case lengths together for size? Right now I have sorted them within the range noted above, keeping the ones under 1.74 aside and anything over the 1.743 are put aside.

Thanks for any input you might have for this newb.
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the reason the brass is short is because you haven't resized them yet, once you do they will "grow" in length, that's when you want to measure. if they are still under the recommended trim length there won't be an issue. you can trim them all to the same length for consistency though.

i'm not an expert by any means but i believe you want to sort by brass weights over trim length, but i assume that is because they should be trimmed to the same length.

what kind of action (bolt or semi) are you shooting them in and what were they shot in?
 
Spawn-Inc said:
the reason the brass is short is because you haven't resized them yet, once you do they will "grow" in length, that's when you want to measure. if they are still under the recommended trim length there won't be an issue. you can trim them all to the same length for consistency though.

i'm not an expert by any means but i believe you want to sort by brass weights over trim length, but i assume that is because they should be trimmed to the same length.

what kind of action (bolt or semi) are you shooting them in and what were they shot in?
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info - I was going to measure after resizing as well but good to know.
They were fired in a remington 700 bolt and the plan will be to shoot them in that rifle again.
 
Static030 said:
Thanks for that info - I was going to measure after resizing as well but good to know.
They were fired in a remington 700 bolt and the plan will be to shoot them in that rifle again.
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then consider getting neck only sizing dies for better accuracy and longer brass life as your working the brass less by sizing the neck only. if you were to use them in a semi though, full length resizing is generally required. and if you get brass fired from a semi you need to full length size first, then you can neck size the next time.
 
I believe the case length listed is a MAX. shorter than that is good, longer is bad. Shorter just means you have less brass holding the bullet. Longer and it can get jammed in the rifling causing higher pressures I believe. I am more of a pistol reloader, but that is the way it was explained to me. Do not quote me on this, but if I remember correctly, you should trim to 10 thousandths shorter than max as the brass will slowly stretch back out as you reload and fire it. May be different for .223, I was doing 308 at the time. This was just meant for theory, google knows everything about actual trim lengths :)
 
Thanks guys. Billythreefeathers - upon closer inspection you are correct. Looks like there will be one additional step I will have to do. I looked at RCBS's website and it says that die is not for use in a progressive press - do you think I can use it in a station (not during the whole progressive reloading proceedure)?
 
If you are looking for accuracy you are better off with a single stage press. Get a FL resizing die, you can always adjust it to only size the neck. You will likely need to swag or deburr the primer pocket and chamfer the case case mouth inside and outside. Since you will need to do this anyway, trimming to the same length after resizing isn't a bad idea. Don't worry about being a few thou short, make them all the same. Then start sorting them and batch them by weight to within .3 gr.
 
if you haven't laid out a bunch of money for a progressive press yet then a single stage would be a good way to start,, I have two single stage presses, one Lee turret and one RCBS and this set up works for me. You'll be suprized how many rounds you can put together on a single stage. Not formalure enough with progressive presses to give any advice on them.
 
I asked for a LNLAP for christmas so hoping it is under the tree. I thought I would go progressive to start as I will be doing pistol loading too. I know a lot of guys with experience can turn out some quantity with a single. Looking for accuracy for the rifle and quantity for the pistol. Hope I'm on the right track. If one doesn't come for Christmas then I will look at a single.
Thanks again.
 
Static030 said:
I asked for a LNLAP for christmas so hoping it is under the tree. I thought I would go progressive to start as I will be doing pistol loading too. I know a lot of guys with experience can turn out some quantity with a single. Looking for accuracy for the rifle and quantity for the pistol. Hope I'm on the right track. If one doesn't come for Christmas then I will look at a single.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Either one will work, I started with a progressive and then got a single stage press which is nice for quality control production and odd ball tasks.
 
"...the reason the brass is short..." One thou doesn't matter.
"...guys with experience can..." Just a matter of technique. Think in terms of a manual manufacturing process. Get two bins. Put one on either side of the press. One side with unprocessed(after cleaning.) cases, the other for completed cases. Move the cases into the shell holder with one hand, operate the ram and out with the other hand, into the bin.
Do one step to all your cases, then change dies and repeat. Once they're ready for powder and bullet, they go into a reloading tray. Depending on how you're putting the powder in, do that, then run 'em through the seating die and into whatever you're storing your loaded ammo in.
Haven't ever used American Eagle brass and I seriously doubt it has crimped primers(that's for MG's and/or milsurp brass you can't get.), but taking out a primer crimp isn't a big deal. It's a one time thing anyway.
 
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