Trimming to short

Be aware tgat Hornady once fired brass is shorter than other brands , especially the stuff used for the FTX ammo . It is VERY short!
However, if you keep an eye on your chamber ypu will be fine .
I have no experience at all with Smokeless and Sharps copies, but can tell you with power coating and soft lead bullets with black powder , I have no really issues.
I try tp keep my brass fairly long with the paper patch bullets, but of I am running a patch through after every shot it's a non issue as well as fat as paper build up is concerned .
Cat
 
There might be something else that someone knows about it, but your chamber is cut with a recess to accommodate the case neck diameter - that is a larger diameter than the bullet - usually well ahead of SAAMI case length - so is important not to go "too long" with your case - otherwise no where for the case mouth to go to - gets "curled in" and pinches against the bullet. I am not sure there is a danger issue with "too short" trim length, although there might be such a danger, that I am not aware of. Virtually every case that I load is either trimmed or checked with the Lee Case Length Gauge trimmer - I have no clue what length those are made to - there are several dozen various calibre and cartridge here.
 
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I’ve got brass as short as 1.970 but I don’t use it. I found an article that said no problem with 2.085 so a lot of my brass is close to that so I just trimmed it down to that. Not a compressed load with 47.5gr of IMR 3031. What think you?
 
Hornady reloading app info for 45-70 325ftx bullets is case trim length of 2.040 which is shortest I've seen. 'Jump' of the bullet to the barrel affects accuracy I am told so maybe only affect your accuracy depending on bullet you use and OAL??
 
I would assume a shorter case would produce higher pressures but don’t know how much. I’m trying for an accurate load in the low 1800 fps area. With the 405 that should take down anything I want to 300yds.
 
moosehunter said:
I would assume a shorter case would produce higher pressures but don’t know how much
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Not at all.........maybe
if you load to the same crimp in the same groove, with the same powder load, short brass makes for less space so yes, more pressure likely

With the same bullet, if you load short and long brass to the same oal, then nothing has changed internally.
Loading for a single-shot, you don't have to crimp so can seat to any spot on the bullet you chose, pick the oal that you want

I found the hard way that seating/crimping short brass to a shorter oal caused feed problems in a lever gun, thats a different kettle
 
Very wise reply. You’re right about the feeding issues. Even in a single feed not crimping can be a problem. Without a tiny little crimp or some kind it’s over chamber dimensions and is hard to feed. Got to find that sweet spot where it’s smooth on the thumb to slide over the brass/lead union if you get my meaning. You had to bell the brass to get a smooth bullet seat now you gotta get that bell out.
 
A lesson to all. If you watched Quiggley down under and bought a Sharps for that reason the first lesson learned is the movie is total bull####. They are beautiful rifles and another lesson you learn is they take you back to the bare basics of shooting. If your loading procedure is a little out in some area, your breathing is out, your trigger pull isn’t perfect, you missed the wind etc etc its not I’m a little off its where the hell did that go.
 
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