Quick question on case length

[Blackwater]

Got in 200 rounds of un-fired new in the box Lapua brass to load for my 308. Started mesasuring them last night and they are all around the 2.008-2.006 mark. Now both the Berger and Sierra manual says they need to be 2.005

I don't have a case trimer and I need to know if those lenths are going to mess anything up when it comes to loading?

 

[milo 2.0]

Got in 200 rounds of un-fired new in the box Lapua brass to load for my 308. Started mesasuring them last night and they are all around the 2.008-2.006 mark. Now both the Berger and Sierra manual says they need to be 2.005

I don't have a case trimer and I need to know if those lenths are going to mess anything up when it comes to loading?

They should be fine for atleast two loadings. The manuals should state max length is 2.015", after that it may cause a problem.

 

[Blackwater]

They should be fine for atleast two loadings. The manuals should state max length is 2.015", after that it may cause a problem.

Thanks. Just went back and checked both books and you are correct, on the bullet scheme they have it listed at 2.015.

 

[Deadshot2]

I never trim new brass until it's been fired one time. That will form the brass to your chamber and make it even longer, as a rule. No point in trimming, only to have to do so again after first firing. If the case measures less than the chamber length in your rifle you're GTG.

Want to see if you "have room", a simple check. Get one of those nail head cover or scratch fill crayons from your local hardware store. They're made from a fairly hard wax. Take a finished cartridge and make a line on the side of the bullet from case mouth up about 3/16" or so. Don't worry too much about neat, just make sure the crayon line comes up to the same level as the case neck. Chamber the round then extract. You will see where the end of the chamber is and just measure it with your caliper.

Will be accurate to within a thou or so. Then just make sure that your cases are about .005" less than this overall measurement.

Just a note, overly short cases tend to allow for a nasty carbon ring to form in the front of the chamber, between the end of the case and the second shoulder where the freebore begins.

 

[ksthomas]

Blackwater,

You're fine here. 2.015" is the SAAMI Maximum case length, with most reloading guides recommending a Trim-to length of 2.005", or .010" under Max. This has become kind of a default measurement (look in the manuals; ALL of them recommend trimming .010" under Max case length, in virtually every caliber) that has come to be accepted here in the US. Actually, you can go below this with no problems at all. I've trimmed to 2.000" even for the 308 Win for many years now, no problem at all. Also worth mentioning that CIP specs do list right around 2.000" as the minimum case length for new brass coming from the manufacturer. Trimming back to 2" even simply prevents you from having to trim every firing, which comes in handy unless you really like trimming cases . . . which most of us don't.

You're good to go here.

 

[Highflyer]

What will happen if you have a case length of say 2.025?

 

[scissorhands]

What will happen if you have a case length of say 2.025?

it might not fit.

 

[cobravenom39]

What will happen if you have a case length of say 2.025?

Or the excess length could be forced in by the bolt which could pinch the bullett and led to an extreme high pressure situation. Not good.