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Brass got mixed :( Anyway to sort by gun?

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Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 13, 2017
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Texas
I have two different 6.5 Creeds.

The brass was separated in 2 buckets.

I won't mention which child of mine is now being sold, but one is on the market...

So - anyway I can re-sort this? To determine which is brass out of which gun?

All 1x shot.
 
Is that a big deal? If you’re full length resizing all the brass why is this a big deal?

Just trying to learn.
 
Is that a big deal? If you’re full length resizing all the brass why is this a big deal?

Just trying to learn.
This brass does not gett a FL resize. I neck turn and use Redding bushing dies.

I suppose I could FL resize ALL of it, but damn.
 
I have two different 6.5 Creeds.

The brass was separated in 2 buckets.

I won't mention which child of mine is now being sold, but one is on the market...

So - anyway I can re-sort this? To determine which is brass out of which gun?

All 1x shot.

Measure their shoulder datum with your comparator......
 
I doubt you are going to be able to reliably separate by measuring the shoulders. There is not a lot of difference between two properly cut chambers. Full length size it and carry on. Neck sizing offers little to no advantages, FL all the time every time. Its kind of like preventive maintenance.
 
If headspace doesn't do it, maybe sort by case head stamp, or primer appearance, or primer impact traits. If all else fails, make your kid lube and FL size the lot for you. Maybe they'll learn something.
 
I doubt you are going to be able to reliably separate by measuring the shoulders. There is not a lot of difference between two properly cut chambers. Full length size it and carry on. Neck sizing offers little to no advantages, FL all the time every time. Its kind of like preventive maintenance.
Eh, I kinda like my Redding bushing dies. And my neck turner. I'm too committed to sizing off the neck to go back to the FL world...
 
I have Redding bushing dies that FL size. It doesn't matter much what you do, if your Redding dies are neck dies. After a couple reloads, you will be FL sizing them or throwing them away, or beating the bolt open and closed with a 2x4.
 
Approx 250
Other than unique marks on brass from either gun or possible firing pin indent. Grab your measuring tools and try to find a consistently different measurement to sort them by. Good luck.

If they're so close you cant tell the difference then it doesn't really matter.
 
Kids are awesome!

Mine dumped all the bullets out of their factory bins into a big box so they could use the little factory bullet bins for doll furniture.

With no regard to caliber, weight, lot number or anything else.
 
How different are the guns? There is a lot of variance between different brand 6.5CM rifles.
 
Seems a no-brainer to FL size them all regardless. I liked a previous comment: FL sizing every firing is "preventive maintenance".
 
How different are the guns? There is a lot of variance between different brand 6.5CM rifles.

One is a RPR and the other a Tikka

I've got hornady headspace bushing comparators on order. Once I get those in, I'll see if I can tell a difference.

I've got 20 rounds of fired brass from each gun that did not get mixed in, so I'll have that as a base measurement.
 
Seems a no-brainer to FL size them all regardless. I liked a previous comment: FL sizing every firing is "preventive maintenance".
If I can tell a difference by measuring off the datum...then I'll deem that good to go.

Do some folks FL size every time? Just bumping shoulders and leave necks alone? I mean I get that, but why mess up a perfectly cast design of your chamber by taking brass shot in that gun and FL sizing?
 
Yes. FL sizing after every firing prevents needing to clear a stuck case on the clock and therefore dropping a timed stage.

BR guys aren’t as concerned about an occasional stuck case so I imagine that’s where the whole shoulder bump neck size movement started.
 
If I can tell a difference by measuring off the datum...then I'll deem that good to go.

Do some folks FL size every time? Just bumping shoulders and leave necks alone? I mean I get that, but why mess up a perfectly cast design of your chamber by taking brass shot in that gun and FL sizing?

Can you articulate why having a perfectly formed piece of brass performs better than one sized a couple thousands smaller?
 
Can you articulate why having a perfectly formed piece of brass performs better than one sized a couple thousands smaller?
No, I absolutely cannot. I’m legit regurgitating what I’ve read/heard. And I’m not going to be one of those guys who pretends to know something. I don’t know.

Is there any info out there that can help me have data/info?
 
I bump the shoulder because I don’t want to have an interference fit between my case head and my bolt. That’s how you gall your bolt lugs. Bad.
 
No, I absolutely cannot. I’m legit regurgitating what I’ve read/heard. And I’m not going to be one of those guys who pretends to know something. I don’t know.

Is there any info out there that can help me have data/info?

This is the absolute best answer I’ve seen in a long time.

General google will list you a ton of stuff.

Short answer: there is either no difference or so small that it’s not more valuable than properly chambering/extracting rounds.
 
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This is the absolute best answer I’ve seen in a long time.

General google will list you a ton of stuff.

Short answer: there is either no difference or so small that it’s not more valuable than properly chambering/extracting rounds.

Thanks. I like to learn. So why fake it.

So do you run through a FL die without regard for measurements off the datum?

Or

Do you take a the measurements off a fired case and control the amount of the FL resize?
 
Take measurements off a few cases and setup your die to bump shoulder back 2 thousands or so. You can still use a bushing die or an expander mandrel.
 
I bump the shoulder because I don’t want to have an interference fit between my case head and my bolt. That’s how you gall your bolt lugs. Bad.
Is the brass case galling the steel bolt head? Or sand caught between the case head and the bolt head? I didn’t think brass could damage steel.
 
Is the brass case galling the steel bolt head? Or sand caught between the case head and the bolt head? I didn’t think brass could damage steel.
Its the bolt lug on the action lug that galls. When the brass is too big you require extra force trying to cram it in a chamber and that force gets imparted on those surfaces as them smear past and onto one another.
 
I've got hornady headspace bushing comparators on order. Once I get those in, I'll see if I can tell a difference.

While you wait for a real, actual comparator, invert a pistol case w/o a primer and just see if there's an obvious difference:
Like-a-so:
shoulder-bump.jpg
 
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You can still neck turn and use bushings to size the neck and still full length resize. Redding makes full length bushing dies.

full length dies you can push the shoulder back .002 or so so you don’t get stuck cases, and also will size the body for the same reason.
 
Until you determine the length of the cases from each rifle bumping 0.002" will be difficult.
Unless they are the SAME.
But, how would you know without measuring?
The pistol case method really works. Pick a caliber that hits about mid shoulder.