Rookie questions on .223

[lfinsr]

I'm new to reloading and I've got some concerns about some .223 brass. I've reloaded several hundred rounds of .45 Auto but this will be my first bottlenecked case. I originally bought this as reloaded ammo a couple of years ago before I started the reloading endeavor. At the price of new ammo I decided it was time to shoot the reloads. At the range I picked up all of my brass, brought it home and cleaned it up.

After I removed them from the cleaner I started my inspections. The primers are all flat and flush with the face. They look to me like what all of the books I've read warn about excessive pressure. Nominal length is 1.760" and "trim to" length in Lymans's is 1.750". Some that I've measured are as long as 1.780", .020" longer than nominal.

Couple of questions...
Given the length of some of the brass I'm guessing they weren't trimmed last time since some are only ~.005 longer than nominal. Does that sound right?

I'm sure there are many variables that would affect the case but what is the typical growth of .223 at each firing?

In the context of this conversation (.223's), at what length do you start trimming since the nominal length starts out longer than the "trim to"?

Most importantly, are these safe to reload? I see no bulges, splits or other damage to the case other than small dents caused by ejection of the case.

Thanks for your input.

Larry

[javieljb]

I trim mine to 1.75. When they get out to 1.76+
I've found that most dents will come out when I de-prime and size.

The once fired brass I've bought so far has been processed. cleaned, deprimed, and trimmed.
But I've seen my own get stretched out to 1.78ish after several uses, so I'm not surprised. Also seems that different manufacturer's brass will act differently.

I only toss the case if I see some signs of cracking, major dents, or I've used for more than 6-8 times.

Keep in mind that I'm not the best shot and I load accordingly. So some of the accuracy folks will be very focused on doing every step the same exact way, making sure every case weighs the same, primer pocket fixed, length is the same,... I'm not there yet.

Good luck.

[lfinsr]

I've assessed each and every one of the cases with a micrometer and magnifying glass. I cannot find anything wrong with them aside from the length. I think I'm going to reuse most of them. I did find a couple of oddballs that stood out as unsafe but overall I'm suprised at the uniformity of them.

I trim mine to 1.75. When they get out to 1.76+
I've found that most dents will come out when I de-prime and size.

Since the factory length is 1.760" I assume they would get trimmed after the first firing. Then you should have several firings before it is needed again?

Thanks,
Larry

[javieljb]

"Since the factory length is 1.760" I assume they would get trimmed after the first firing. Then you should have several firings before it is needed again?

Yes that was my reasoning for 1.75. Also,I understand that most of the lengthening happens when it's re-sized and different dies have different lengthening results.

Here's a good read for reference :
http://www.6mmbr.com/223rem.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[olafpfj]

I have been using the Lee trimmers. I like that they require no real setup and they are pretty much brainless. If the case is too long it gets trimmed, if not then not. I don't need to measure each case and make a determination. Haven't had any issues but I'm also not loading Camp Perry match rounds either.

http://leeprecision.com/case-conditioni ... ing-tools/

[mjoplin]

I'd second the Lee case trimmers. Not complicated and they just work. Have been using them on bigger bottleneck cases for a while and am a big fan!

[lfinsr]

Here's a good read for reference :
http://www.6mmbr.com/223rem.html

Thanks for the link but it's missing the trailing "L". I fixed it for you.

[lfinsr]

I have been using the Lee trimmers. I like that they require no real setup and they are pretty much brainless. If the case is too long it gets trimmed, if not then not. I don't need to measure each case and make a determination. Haven't had any issues but I'm also not loading Camp Perry match rounds either.

http://leeprecision.com/case-conditioni ... ing-tools/

I'm not sure which trimmer I'll buy but right now the selection is limited. There is no place I've been that doesn't have bare shelves. When looking at Cabela's they didn't have all of the parts for the Lee. They had the $250 RCBS and a ~$75 Forster and I passed on both of those. I'll probably kick myself when I end up waiting for a month or two before some the items are back in stock.

I saw a post touting the ease of the WFT from Little Crow Gunworks. Problem with that is you need one for every size. If I were loading 1000's/mo it would be worth it. At my volume not so much.

Thanks for the feedback.

Larry

[javieljb]

I have been very pleased with this trimmer.
http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/case ... rimmer.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[LTUME1978]

Larry,

I understand your concern about the WFT as I load for several different rifle cartridges as well. However, the bulk of my loading is for the 223 and it gets shot a good bit for 3 gun matches. I decided to try one of the WFT for the 223 and it saves a huge amount of time over a standard trimmer. I still use the case trimmer I had/have (RCBS) for everything else as the volume is low on other calibers.

John