Adventures in case prep

[HighDesertDrifter]

As mentioned I'm new to handloading and reloading but figured I'd share some observations for anyone else that is getting started and get some feedback from experienced memebers. My first handload I used new brass to see if the load was viable in my gun before sinking the time and effort in case prep.

Now that that box is checked it's time to put some once fired brass into play. I was donated a polisher that came complete with cat litter and a couple pieces of .308 brass. Score! Cat litter was unimpressive, especially for the time the machine was buzzing. Next was walnut shell donated by a jewler but not enough for a full load. Was think about what other media I could use while picking some pomegrantes. So dried the husks, chopped in the blender and mixed with the walnut and added a splash of flitz. Essentially 1 part walnut to 3 parts pom.

Quite pleased with the results. Unsuppressed cases shine like new after about 2hrs and suppressed not a shiny but huge improvement.

Next comes annealing the hornady and ppu brass. As of this moment, I'm not really planning on annealing the nosler and starline as I've seen mentions on here for no need. I'm uncertain on aac cases.

As always any input welcome.

[grayfox]

Walnut shell stuff (lizard cage bottom-filler) you can get bags cheaply at walmart or wherever, that's what I use.
I have the annealer stuff but honestly, and I know there are people on either side of this, even hornady in grendel you maybe would do it after about 4-5 firings... but for me brass today is an expendable, depreciating item, if I can get 6 firings out of it (still fires great at a 5x status) then it's paid for itself. Hornady the primer pocket will loosen by then anyway. But try it all out if you want to satisfy yourself.
I did run into some Sig brass in creedmoor that pooped out at 4 (so, only got to 3x and most 4's at resizing were throwaways) but decided to swap it all over to Starline where it's doing better anyway. PPU brass is cheap enough I wouldn't worry about it, use what you can.
I find that various batches of hornady or something I can't put my finger on, causes it to be a lot more variable/inconsistent than I would like, so I swapped grendel to starline; your preferred brass mfr will make a difference in your shot consistency that "reloading" won't fix. Again, opinions will differ on this. Be at peace for the decisions you make and stick to what helps you in shot consistency.

You are going to need a case trimmer and chamfer tools - you didn't mention that so I bring it up so you won't get unpleasant surprises when cases too long cause you problems.
Reloading is a game of 0.001's. O yeah, and a (digital preferably) a decent caliper that goes to 0.005" resolution.

Plus for ARs I've taken to using a Lee factory crimp die to prevent bullet slide at the bcg slam. These have improved my shot consistency, which is what reloading is all about.
The final thing to be aware of is that a fired case will take a bit less powder to get that same MV as unfired... so keep a reloading log for all your powder loads/bullet choices/MV's etc.
Your resizing the fired cases (I call them 0, 1x, 2x, etc for how many times they've been resized) should set back that shoulder but not as far as it was when new (some set it 0.004" back from its fired shoulder length, I use 0.005 give or take), ... anyway you'll find maybe 0.2 grs less is needed at 1x-+. Like 28.2 Xbr for new unfired becomes 28.0 for 1x, 2x, etc fired case. This has been a 1-time delta for my brass.
Reloading is a great part of shooting, your consistency at the reload bench will pay off at the shooting bench.

[LR1955]

I am not a big one on annealing but after reading the volumes of threads and opinions on the Forum my advice is if you really think you must anneal cases, get the best automatic annealing machine money can buy. I do not think annealing is necessary with AR's but it can make a difference with $10K specialty made bolt rifles that guys use in PRS and F Class. Providing the shooter is good enough to realize the difference.

Unless you are going to process a couple thousand pieces of brass a week, getting a automatic trimmer is a waste of your money. So you will probably get a hand turned trimmer. They work but do look at how fast and surely you can change out brass. I would get one that lets me put in and remove brass without having to tighten and loosen a collet by hand. Look at gun shows for trimmers because you will find used ones for less than half the price of new. Just make sure they have all pilots and cutters and the cutters are still in good shape. I think I end up trimming Grendel brass once every five or ten shots. Lapua brass I bought when Alexander was selling it with his headstamp. The stuff lasts a good twenty firings if not more.

Don't go cheap on a calipers. The twenty dollar digital ones made in China will fail and their precision is questionable. I just picked up a steel dial caliper made in the USA for about a hundred dollars. My last one was a Craftsman and lasted me thirty years. The CHICOM ones I have owned just will not stay consistent and lose zero quickly -- before they simply fail.

I find reloading to be a boring, time consuming, task. Not one step or one minute of it do I find enjoyable or satisfying. I do it because I can not afford good factory loads, or factory loads at all. A rifle with a decent barrel, constructed well, will shoot a decent bullet very, very, well. I don't weigh every load, particularly if using ball powder. Not needed for good performance unless you are at the top end of a competitive bracket. Then it does pay to buy a thousand dollar powder dispenser, annealing machine, trimmer, etc.

I just want to produce the hundred or two hundred rounds of Grendel ammo I need for my purposes and yes, accuracy and precision are required for my purposes.

LR-55

[imaguy3]

I started with the hand trimmer and hand deburr/chamfer tools as I did small batches. I'll do my grendel brass in batches of 200 rds about 3 to 4 times a year and my bolt gun in 100rd batches 2x a year or so. My hand quickly tired even though I'm not loading a lot.

I have since switched to this trimmer and prep station and it has made the brass prep of reloading much more enjoyable (read less sucky). I saved money by buying used on amazon. I wish I had bought them years ago as they really sped up the process and my hands don't cramp anymore.

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Brass-Smith-Xpress-Trimmer/dp/B07MY1V9YX/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3SKJ7K3YSB8P3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XD3KmDUzNHJ-HnxpT8q_sWJvtyOe0M2FdidsUL54ihRgi2k2QYGv3N_q-UZl_HIJ8bZqVIKFJn3uXHquBn_8e2KYZOqCMICXxLYCHgCAeVnTMGi2gQWtaX2y77aChnKx99_ZeCFm4UC4IMIJ29FWJODjEbMC1m9Irt5lJTpNtCpEcQ70yDbHA27MMlJxk2rGVWhJC6uU84l_5HnqN9shDLOWEdECzmaepf-OxL-JTkKfhqIiJJT5hpVUvtEiIb7VaLA78q7zRVcsJQQLIyqeTfQ_ux7xQTiI_OUz6nY-YXQ.IkdEJPwY04I7SGREl-DVFhErEaW2jLoZQt4Nd2YlkFY&dib_tag=se&keywords=case+trimmer&qid=1729783298&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=case+trimme%2Csporting%2C182&sr=1-4

https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Platinum-Hardened-Scrapers/dp/B07796G2B1

I got into annealing for consistency. Initially with my bolt gun I wanted my brass to last longer and be consistent over it's life. I made one of these and it actually produced good results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLRgDZeYQ-M

[Zeneffect]

I have made and use the above setup as well. The drawbacks are if you don't optimize the coil for the case, it takes too long (think 1.8s is too long) and it will heat soak the induction wand in stock form so you will only be able to do 50 or so cases before you hit the overheat circuit.

[imaguy3]

I have made and use the above setup as well. The drawbacks are if you don't optimize the coil for the case, it takes too long (think 1.8s is too long) and it will heat soak the induction wand in stock form so you will only be able to do 50 or so cases before you hit the overheat circuit.

The coil is a legit thing. It took some time and a couple scrap pieces to get the size the way I liked it. I have a dedicated coil for grendel and for 280ai

I had a small fan blowing on me when I was doing it which helped. At first I did 200 grendel brass as fast as I could without issue. I have a wooden loading block I used and could do 30 at a time, dump, reload, start over. It was somewhat cathartic.

[Klem]

I have been using the same annealing wand settup as Imaguy's Youtube video. Adam Morgan is the guy that put this together and he's an F Class shooter.

Realized early on that the wand will overheat and fail if you do too many cases at a time. Had to buy a second one. After a year or so the mechanical relay also froze, which needed replacing. I do no more than 10 cases at a time now and leave it to cool between batches. I go about my day and come back every now and then to do 10 cases. Rewired the wand so the cooling fan is on all the time that mains power is on, and not just when you press the wand's heating button. I turn off the fan between batches of 10.

Sourced slightly thicker copper wire without the white insulation and cut the coil closer to the wand for effciency. Have a few coils now but adjust for each calibre using the timer. Typical time on case is about 3 seconds. I wait for the flash of grey followed by early stages of turning cherry red. If the cases have been dry tumbled in media there's a wisp of smoke prior to the grey flash as the residue inside the case cooks. If cases have been wet cleaned and dried there is no smoke. Does not overheat the bottom half of the case. Leaves a visible anneal mark to just past the shoulder. If it did weaken the bottom of the case I would know by now.

Unlike Adam I use a timer that runs on mains power in the same product series..You don't need a power adapter down to 12V DC.like he does.

Could and probably should cut the time from three secs to one if I tightened the copper coils, but then you need to be more careful making sure the coils don't touch the case.

I don't do it for all calibres all the time. But for cases used in competition I can't get single digit velocity SD's without it. Also depends on how busy I am. It works, and is a lot cheaper than the New Zealand guys who retail their AMP Anneal commercial unit. Even with buying two wands and two timers it is still less than a third the cost of their settup.

Two years after his first Adam has done a helpful Tips and Tricks follow-up video.

(away at the moment so no photos)

[Zeneffect]

Klem,

Once you heat the coils and get a decent oxidation layer bridging the coils with a case is harder than you think. If you do bridge it, it's just a little spark that scares your thumb off the button. No damage that I've noticed, but I've only done it on a steel bolt on accident... once... after thousands of uses. The machine is quite durable and takes a lot of abuse.

[HighDesertDrifter]

Thank you all very much for your thoughts and input. I'm sure glad I asked before going too far into this phase as I'm looking at roughly 300 1x cases to work with, not counting 150 1x of starline.

For annealing I picked up a creation from little crow gunworks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCkGwRieU4

I tested it out with about 15 cases to see how it works. They are very inexpensive. Setting up a rest for the torch and drill will be paramount if I continue on that path.

I also picked up their brass prep tool primarily for cleaning primer pockets but it also has bits for chamfering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2t3nFYrJec

I had actually already picked up a lee ez trimmer and trimmer die for trimming the brass, which is why I hadn't mentioned those steps and tools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwZvOP-spPM

Pretty much all of my reloading tools are manual including my charge scale. Time consuming, but helps keep me out of the bars on a weekend.

A good buddy of mine has a ton of tools for doing large quantities of reloading so the idea is I'll put in the time to develop loads that work well for our rigs, put in together for components, and then set up plants to keep us both in large amounts of less expensive ammo that works really well. That's the plan anyway.