Pressure signs after annealing?

[darkhorse95]

New to annealing and i started out with a small batch of 30 rounds to do for the next days practice. What I saw on paper was that my load went from a .5 inch group to about a half inch tall group but 1-1.5 inches horizontal spread at 100 yards. Im also not using a hot load, its only 40.3gr H4350 in a .260 with 130gr eld-m's, ive gone to 44.5 in 100 degree weather before any hints of pressured showed when i did a pressure test. When i checked the cases i noticed primers where ever so slightly flatter, almost not noticable. But i also got some primer cratering.
My guess is that the annealing temp got hotter than it should be, soft brass made for higher pressures and the larger spread...but i am new to this so i will ask the experts on here.

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[918v]

Annealing does not cause higher pressures. What you're seeing is an example why you should not go below the recommended starting charge- pressure spikes.

 

[trophyhunter]

Annealing will not create more pressure, you may have over annealed the necks and that will eventually cause brittleness & split necks.

Mind I ask how you came about your load ? What method was used ?


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[darkhorse95]

39.5gr is starting load with h4350. With Alpha brass i saw half moa 5 shot groups when i did a ladder test from 40-41gr. After doing a seating depth test and then doing powder tests in .1gr intervals at 200 yards i decided on 40.3gr since it was a solid half moa 10 shot group load out of a factory remington 700. I've always went off the high node because ive had better success with jt but i didnt find much of one with this bullet.

After annealing this is what happened and i thought soft brass may cause higher pressure or something. Im no engineer so i came here to ask what happened.

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[Citius7]

Is it a new barrel? Maybe it sped up and your out of your node.

 

[918v]

Are you touching the lands or close?

 

[supercorndogs]

With Alpha brass i saw half moa 5 shot groups when i did a ladder test from 40-41gr.

I am not sure what you are doing, but shooting groups is not a ladder, and 1 grain is not a wide enough window for a ladder. Depending on how many times your brass had been fired, you can significantly change neck tension by annealing.

 

[darkhorse95]

In my ladder of 39.5 to 45gr i saw half moa at 40-41gr. I didnt think i needed go explain that much.

Bullet it seated about 8 thou from max mag lengh so off the top of my head thats around .145 from the lands in my remington.

Barrel hit 788 round count today at the range so it was around 760 when i shot that weird group.

Calling a couple gunsmiths i know the best answer i got was that the new box of primers could have had a slightly less firm primer. This softer primer batch combined with my factory remington bolt means it could have some cratering just from the large hole of the factory remington bolt. He said remmys are known now to have a lot of extra diameter around the firing pin and its normal.

Today i went to the range to test his theory using cci br primers rather than the standard 200's and they looked fine. Still had some horizontal spread but im guessing thats from too much annealing. Once i get my chrono back from a friend ill test if my ES opened up.

Seems like that smith is correct based on what happened, must have been a softer primer batch. What do you guys think?

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[Supersubes]

By chance, did you check headspace on your sized cases? Annealing will cause he shoulders (and neck) to act differently in your sizing die. So if your die was setup for un-annealed brass, then you annealed and sized in the same die setting, i'm guessing the shoulders moved too much. The exact magnitude of the change varies a bunch.

I agree with the others. Annealing wont cause pressure. If anything it would reduce pressure.

 

[darkhorse95]

By chance, did you check headspace on your sized cases? Annealing will cause he shoulders (and neck) to act differently in your sizing die. So if your die was setup for un-annealed brass, then you annealed and sized in the same die setting, i'm guessing the shoulders moved too much. The exact magnitude of the change varies a bunch.

I agree with the others. Annealing wont cause pressure. If anything it would reduce pressure.

Every single round i load I check headspace on.

The other gunsmiths I talked to seem to agree with my smith about the new box of cci primers. Probably just slightly softer primer showing marks different.

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