300 Blk Sizing Die Shootout - Part 4

[@gilream]

Anneal PRIOR to resizing. The softer brass will make FL sizing more uniform. your annealing in this video was counterproductive. Annealing has to be precise. Too little and you've done nothing and too much (like you did) you ruin the brass. I have a metronome app on my phone and used Tempelac to arrive at the time required in the flame. For me it was precisely 4 seconds to melt the tempelac. Start the metronome, turn the lights down low, place the inner tip of blue flame at the shoulder/neck junction of the turning case as the metronome counts off 4 beats. pull out of flame, drop the case into a stainless steel bowl and done. Love your videos...hope YTube keeps them around.

[@coltw6650]

Seriously great videos with so much information and testing that you thought out. DEDICATION! I’ve been reloading 300 blackout for about a year now using the lee dies. I had ordered a RCBS set and was searching around reviews on here when I found this series of videos. Thank you for your time you put into all this.

[@BoltActionReloading]

I always anneal before resizing and I would always crimp a round going into a AR platform. Admittedly however, I have never ran this style of testing to ensure that my rounds aren't changing overall length.

[@Thorsaxe777]

You made a good point about annealing, RCBS make excellent dies that do the job quite well, I have a Redding resizing die with replaceable neck inserts and have found that by reducing the neck, even more, will give much tighter neck tension, The expander Ball is at 305.5, It seems that spring back is the culprit although that is just a theory of mine. as always You Milage may vary and what works for me may not work for you. Another good point is annealing gone wrong.. I have found that turning the brass in the tip of the blue flame for about 4-5 seconds is sufficient to give good annealing. You just don't want to ever turn the neck red. Good video Bud, Dave.

[@wildrootsfarm1975]

Great series of videos. Thanks for taking the time to put these together!

[@s13silviaman]

Watched all your 300 blackout videos and can’t get enough! Thanks for all you do. Would you consider testing the Hornady 130 grain Spire Point next?

[@KNOWYOURZERO]

Good video, remember the Sierra #2124 135 varminter and the Rainier wedge 180 were developed for the 300Blk. Could be thinner/ softer coating allowing a better neck tension. I always anneal after the third firing and full length resize again, after watching your video on crimp I always use a medium crimp to sum it up with IMR4227 under Sierra #2124 varminter bullets it's 1/2" or better 100yard groups. Looking forward to the next Sierra 135 varminter video with the 300Blk.

[@glenc4173]

I think I am going to try some wizardry on my next batch of 300 blackout brass. I noticed a neck tension problem with the Lee dies when forming 300 blackout brass. Only the tip of the neck is providing tension on the bullet until the brass is fireformed. This came to my attention after flaring the brass and seating powdercoated lead bullets. Seating depth was all over the place and I could push in and pull out the bullets with no effort. None of this was encountered with fireformed brass.

[@ronstryker]

Hey Johnny, I wanted to watch the complete series before making a comment. As for the different makes of brass the neck wall thickness is the hardest one to nail down, you can go to 300 black talk forum and there is a thread discussion with a semi complete list of all the kinds of brass with their different neck wall thickness. The PPU, Wolf, and ZQI are too thick while Winchester, Lake City, and Federal are mostly good to go but there were some years and certain head stamps that are questionable and that forum states which ones. Another thing I learned is that when using the RCBS die avoid using a Lee shell holder as the brass isn't fully resized and the shoulder isn't set far back enough. One thing I do wish that RCBS would do though would have a carbide expander ball for that die as lubing the inside of the freshly cut brass is a pain. With that said I would recommend a tubing micrometer as it will be much more accurate especially when you are resizing range brass that could be anywhere from being current year to brass from 30 years ago. I got some brass with head stamps form 1973 - no joke! You can be amazed what you find from a police range. Another thing for newbies would be a slotted case gauge so you can see exactly where any hangups are from the completed rounds as it simulates the chamber of your barrel.

[@ShooterB1]

You have done a a tremendous amount of work with the 300 blackout and I appreciate your work and look forward to your next videos. I read on a forum that a compressed load will give a better control burn on subs. Any thought on that?

[@thomass2055]

They bullet is bieng hit in the chamber while the end of the case is bieng driven forward in the chamber by the bcg. With no crimp to secure the bullet in at proper length and tension the bullet can basically free Lance. Yes annealing does soften the brass and takes away stress from firing and work hardening, to much to little you get inconsistencies in accuracy due the tension on the neck.

[@edp1189]

Thank you, I look forward to your videos, I'm into 300 blackout right now. Working on some pc 179gn NOE bt subs with 4198

[@SAGunNut]

Thanks for the series I am rebarreling a rifle to 300blk next week when the barrel gets here and I have been forming some brass in a Hornady die. After watching this series I removed the expander ball and found out that it was .307 and my brass was coming out at .338 outer diameter. I got out the drill and did a pass of 100, 220, 600, 800, 1500, 2000 grit sand paper got it down to .3055 it looks like glass and moves much smoother through the neck and now the brass is coming out at .327 outer diameter. Much better.

[@mblake0420]

How did this work out now that it's been 2 years. my new hornady expander is 3.07 as well.

[@SL1CK1307]

I'm a new reloader and just so happens that I wanted to start reloading 300blk, I think it's a trouble some cartridge to load precisely because of the lack of precision tools. Or it could be that I really don't have that much experience but anywho I appreciate your videos

[@PatriotPaulUSA]

Because of the erratic readngs of the Hornady kit I bought the Forster Datum Dial kit to check bullet AND case shoulder measurements. These are 2 separate kits under Hornady. Check it out it seems much more accurate imho.

[@thesheepman220]

Have to get myself a blackout, my friend is selling his custom tikka 595 action,lothar walther barrel thumbhole laminated stock and a custom trigger pretty nice setup, thanks for the upload

[@davidunderwood3605]

I watched this while I was getting my broken ankle set. I have to ask if the set back of the shoulder would change if you used the shell holder that matches the dies brand wide. As not all shell holders are the same when it comes to measured height. This might change shoulder set back. Just curious.

[@agbrown308]

Question for you on the subject of compressed powder. I’m new to reloading. Loaded up Berry’s 220 grain with CFE BLK 2.20 OAL CCI#400 in my 8” 1:8 twist AR. First load was 11.1 grains averaged 800 FPS. Went up 12.0, 13.1, 14.1 and finally had 1023 FPS average. I noticed seating marks on the bullets and now from your video I understand that means compressed charge. The 14.1 shot a 1/4 inch group at 33 yds and was vastly better than the 1-2” groups of the lighter loads. My question is that everyone else is doing 11.5-12.5 grains and getting 1050, why am I up to 14.1? Is it the OAL? Is it the light crimp? Is it 2500’ elevation and 30F atmospherics? Or maybe simply a bad Caldwell G2 chronograph? I’m positive the 14.1’s stayed subsonic with my calibrated ear, so I do trust the 1023 speed. It’s just confusing me why I have to use 2 more grains than everyone else. Thanks for everything you do. I have watched nearly all your videos!

[@markblanchard6127]

Maybe I missed it in the video but once you honed the expander die on the lee I wondered if that and a slight crimp would have closed the shot group size?

[@barryfriday]

I think I need to measure my Hornady die. I would never dream of shooting my 300 BLK without a crimp because the bullets seem to move if I look at them cross-eyed, lol. Great job JRB!

[@dominickdelfino7552]

Johnny I am seeing this same issue with the seating stem on my forster die making a mark on the bullets. While I love the forster micrometer I just ordered a redding micrometer seating die. Ive found the reddings to be far better and the stem on the forster to consistently be a problem for me.

[@meyou8756]

Excellent show . Time machine. Here I am 4 years later in zombie going I’m going to reload there is not even a reloading press at the largest sporting goods store in Nevada or California? After months of collecting all the parts to reload I have the rcbs die in this video.The only die I find is the rcbs. I have to admit I bought a Dillon and I’m not using it to much bs. I played with a zero press nice but I like my $1300 . So I’m going Lee app press. I see you don’t break it out since you set it up did you dumpster fire the app press?

[@benharris4338]

Do you use case lube? I've been having terrible issues with my RCBS resizing die. My brass gets stuck in the die. RCBS was no help, so I've ordered a hornady die set and hopefully it fixes my issues. I am pretty new to reloading, Any tips on resizing? I enjoy your videos and the information you provide!

[@SteveM0732]

300 HAM'R will give you the case capacity needed for 1680 and CFE BLK with the supersonic loads. A 300 HAM'R series would be enjoyable.

[@josephcimino4203]

Johnny....How important do you think crimping is anyway? I'm loading 300's and using a Hornady 225g HPBT

[@johnbarton1878]

A case gauge would have told you everything you needed to know. I use them on all my cases for semiauto to make sure they load properly. Wilson makes some nice ones.👍

[@johnbarton1878]

@@alfredangelici8294 semiautos aren't really designed for precision reloads. They perform better at sami specs. Thats what case gauges are designed for.

[@turbonium96]

That's why I bought bushing dies for my 6br, so I can control neck tension just by changing the bushings.

[@jonnygrizzle]

Anneal before resizing, but you can do it after, which is better than not at all.

[@KNOWYOURZERO]

Forgot to mention I turn the necks on my converted lake city brass to 12 thousands, that cleans up any tapper in the neck from forming the brass with a Lee die allowing a uniform bullet grip.

[@josephcimino4203]

When I recently began reloading 300's I used SAMI OAL spec of 2.260 on loads of 10-12grThen I purchased a Hornady OAL gauge along with the caliper adapter. I then gauged the bullet to the land and took a measurement of 1.6615. I backed off .02 to 1.6415. I then loaded a few of the first lot in my newly purchased pmags and they fit just fine. However when I attempted to load the second lot I discovered they will not fit the pmag. so it appears that the barrel lands are about .05 too far from the ogive. I suppose I could chamber them individually but long term I'm not maximizing accuracy. I will say however that those I fired from the first lot Yielded a group of four inches, with a 10.5 load from 75 yds and a red dot of questionable dependability. Thoughts?

[@andycaldwell4828]

Good idea for a video, create a video where you make a casting of all the different dies and then compare dimensions to a casting of your chamber.

[@afroghair6793]

1% inspiration, 99% perspiration...

[@TheReloaderDude]

Now that was a very informing video. 👍

[@jawaiian90usmc]

What seating die are you using? Thanks for the videos. I appreciate all the work you do.

[@Dustysa4]

You'll probably experience loose primer pockets before you get 10 firings from your brass. This is typically what retires my AR brass, not split necks. But if you want to take a detour through "Anneal-ville" just to explore, I'm on board! :)

[@sschup821]

So, what is the Crimp "width" from front to back? Would that matter between different bullet mfg.?

[@thebaddest2562]

Did u anneal before sizing or after you answered the question do it before resizing

[@JHolder1422]

o man does this bother me... Lee's color is RED and RCBS uses green for everything.... And yet you just had to go and color the lee brass green and the RCBS brass red. But besides that another great video! Keep it up.

[@marcrobert2603]

No comment from....Maybe it was the good color.But wrong leggs get also amputated.

[@GunFunZS]

What if he used hornady, Forster, or redding? They are all red too.

[@MorrisCA3]

Last few Videos looks like they are monetized, Hope your getting the bucks for them. keep up the good videos nice series.

[@ram_1776]

which die used for seat/crimp?

[@edwardosborne8836]

To hunt deer with is better 300 blackout or 7.62x39

[@JohnnysReloadingBench]

I have absolutely no experience with 7.62x39. I have killed a deer and two hogs with 300 blackout, so I am biased in its direction.

[@edwardosborne8836]

I have seen where say has ammo for 7.62x39 for hunting so of Options

[@edwardosborne8836]

For that round but 300bkl has more and sst or Barnes does is good trying to get ready to hunt I have Confidence in your show will blackout do the job

[@GunFunZS]

Both are about the same, but you have way more options for appropriate ammo, built to a higher standard in 300bo.

[@davidmethvin1705]

Power and accuracy are good in both, limited distance on 300 ; shot hot loaded 7.62/39 in sks knocks em flat at longer range adjust to hunting area.....

[@scottshellenberger4721]

So in a nut shell what does do you recommend? The one die you never tried was the reddings.

[@JohnnysReloadingBench]

I didn't test Hornady or Lyman either. I just don't own them all. I would suggest the RCBS AR Series two die set and a Lee Factory Crimp Die.

[@josephcimino4203]

Did he just take a kneel?

[@Leonarco333]

I think when you annealed those you might have over heated them. I anneal by hand so that when the heat starts to creep into the base, I can drop it into the can. You can’t get the brass too hot if you can’t hold it in the flame for too long. I’ll have to do some slam tests to see if they expand. I also anneal before sizing.

[@jimhans1]

Both the sizing die issues and the factory crimp die seating bullets deeper are all part of the reasons I will NEVER use the Lee products, use your money to buy decent hardware!

[@hans2five]

I'm so uncomfortable. The ocd in me can't stand the rcbs being red and the Lee being green. Lol

[@GunFunZS]

This gives me a lot more to think about. I'm still in favor of a generous crimp for the safety factor.

[@FroctorDankenstein]

Freakin science man...

[@Liemciemdk89]

use mapp gas, slower drill, change in flame orange on the brass, dump in water. *** must anneal first then size** Then profit

[@greyman1611]

Liemciemdk89 no. The only accurate annealing method is to monitor temp with tempilaq or spot temp probe. Heating brass until orange flame indicates burn off of metal in the case and your case is ruined.

[@Liemciemdk89]

throw away .25 moa targets with sd 5

[@rogerfarmer9977]

Exactly why you never re-chamber a round. If you have to eject a live round throw it in the range pile, it should never be used for life or liberty.

[@jdirt1982]

19th

[@reloadeverything8695]

Comment number 69 lol

[@seanmtactical6069]

OMG... Dude, just buy the Dillon 300 Blk carbide resizing die already. Done.

[@lesterthornton3859]

First

[@xnorcal831x]

Please remove ur firing pin before slamming a live round A BUNCH OF TIMES in ur HOUSE... did u bother checking the primer since it's a cheap primer don't u think it would be more likely to go off to a slam fire since ar15s have freefloating firing pins

[@marcrobert2603]

Did you know, that in the Army Weapon Regulation, a once chambered round may not be reused.

[@TheJonny2200]

Frig off Rick

[@GusShootsGuns]

I’ve always had an issue ejecting my loaded 300 blk rounds and have to mortar, almost as if they resize when entering the chamber. Do you have a solution for this?