Another annealing question re.: recovering brass from inconsistent annealing

[EchoDeltaSierra]

This has been mentioned in another couple of threads but thought it best ask this question on it's own thread.

I have come to terms with the fact I messed up 100 pieces of my Nosler brass trying cutting corners annealing. That said, I believe they have been over annealed since none of them were taken to the point of glowing; if anything, I suspect it's under or inconsistently annealed. (Simply my current theory)

The question: would shooting then re-annealing the brass in a consistent manner recover neck tension consistency?

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[whatsupdoc]

Destroy the brass.
What if you did something wrong that causes a failure of the part of the system, whose purpose is to contain 59,000 psi pressure 6 inches from your face.

The $100 you saved on the brass wont even cover the medical deductible.

 

[Kadams1563]

He said they never got to the point of glowing and were under annealed.

I would just shoot them over and re anneal them. I don’t think under annealing could ever cause a problem.

 

[Holliday]

Yep as long as you have not over anealed just shoot and reanneal.

 

[EchoDeltaSierra]

Just thought I'd post an update on this self-caused problem. After annealing 150 pieces of brass with the socket on a driver held in a torch method, my SDs opened up and I determined it to be due to very perceivable inconsistencies in neck tension.

That said, my Annealeez arrived, I re-annealed the brass and ran it through neck sizing using a .288 bushing which was .001 tighter that the previous bushing. The first firing of a lot of 50 was better SD, the second firing produced even better SD and back inline with single digit SDs I generally produce.

Observations:
- Consistency in brass is as important as consistency in charge weight or bullet seating.
- Messing with all of the cool bench rest tricks for maintaining necks does not seem necessary for maintaining brass within the needs of a PRS shooter.
- In talking to several people who shoot high volume PRS matches. A couple of them explained the value of annealing for keeping the neck and shoulder springy enough to relieve firing pressure from the primer pockets, thus extending brass life.
- I plan to anneal after every firing and a machine like the Annealeez appears adequate maintain consistency and is simple enough to support frequent use.

 

[Kadams1563]

I have read that you should go down another size of bushing. Right now I am running .001 of neck tension with a .289 bushin but also have a .288 as well.

I just started annealing and wonder should I drop one size on the bushing?

 

[308pirate]

I have read that you should go down another size of bushing. Right now I am running .001 of neck tension with a .289 bushin but also have a .288 as well.

I just started annealing and wonder should I drop one size on the bushing?

Softer brass springs back less. Think about that and you'll have your answer.

 

[EchoDeltaSierra]

I have read that you should go down another size of bushing. Right now I am running .001 of neck tension with a .289 bushin but also have a .288 as well.

I just started annealing and wonder should I drop one size on the bushing?

I only went tighter on the first anneal and reload. I might run it on the second. I plan to take it back to .289 if I can. The theory being, the less I work the brass the longer it should last.

 

[EchoDeltaSierra]

Thought I'd post this followup for the sake of the group. The batch of Nosler brass that I thought I effed up annealing with socket driver and torch annealing is all prepped for it's eight loading. I'm now annealing every firing, bumping shoulders by .002", using a .288 neck bushing, and pulling a carbide ball through the neck. This seems to produce very consistent neck tensions reliable single-digit SDs with minimal effort. This seems to be minimum effort and maximum return.

 

[Steel head]

I still anneal every fourth load.
I set my body die to barely kiss the shoulder by 1 to 2 thousandths and then run it through the lee collet.

I used to neck size 3 times then hit it with the body die on the fourth but some cases really put up some effort to get sized so now they get the body die every loading and it’s all easy breezy.

My current lot of Winchester cases has 34 loadings now.
I wore out one barrel with that brass but don’t think they’ll outlast the second one.

 

[Huskydriver]

I still anneal every fourth load.
I set my body die to barely kiss the shoulder by 1 to 2 thousandths and then run it through the lee collet.

I used to neck size 3 times then hit it with the body die on the fourth but some cases really put up some effort to get sized so now they get the body die every loading and it’s all easy breezy.

My current lot of Winchester cases has 34 loadings now.
I wore out one barrel with that brass but don’t think they’ll outlast the second one.

What caliber? 34 reloadings gotta be a powder puff load with win brass

 

[Steel head]

260
It’s 243 brass neck up.
My old H4350/hybrid load was 2810 FPS
My new 4451 load is pushing 147’s at 2780.