Don't Beat Up Your Brass! - Member Sponsored Video

Continuation of the "Are you beating up your brass" introductory video. We do a deep dive into the metallurgical and dimensional considerations when choosing and working with cartridge brass!
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[@rhcockrum8746]

Greg, what a great discussion. i always learn something when I listen to you. You explained some things that I had noticed in the past, but didn't understand what was happening. I will NEVER try to salvage overpressured brass again. You explained quite clearly why that is a useless endeavor. I hope to talk to you again soon. Have a good day!

[@toddvandyke8737]

Greg, I am glad you chose to release this video. It shows the depth of knowledge that anyone wanting to become a member could draw from! Great Video

[@foonus406]

I actually Joined after this one, but not just this one, so many of these videos have been confirmation of "ah ha" moments in hindsight of my limited reloading experiences that its uncanny..

[@mikecrafar6276]

Another expert lesson, thank you.

[@pietervanderwesthuizen3387]

Well done Greg, it is a brilliant explanation...

[@jackd.jeffries3358]

Excellent video! Now I understand why I have inconsistencies in my resizing at times, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@leeNWHuntinganFish4713]

Thank you Greg, for blessing us with your gift of knowledge an taking alot of time to present it to us yet being so humble. I'm disabled now so I have time to apply all your teachings. It's made me a safer an a MOA shooter. I save so much more money by saving brass ect. I now hope to purchase your priming tool with the big heavy handle. Thank you again a look forward everyday to see what's next. ISAIAH 41:10.

[@tonydevich7937]

Hello Greg, nice to see ya teaching

[@mrkenny1111112]

Excellent Video Loaded with great content 5 Stars

[@joearledge]

The plastic deformation explanation was great! I use it to cull range pick-up brass. It's relatively obvious in the sizing after annealing. Good brass resizes like butter after annealing and shoulder bump is +/- 0.001" of the target. Bad brass "feels" like it's about to get stuck in the die even after annealing, and shoulder bump is 0.004" to 0.006" too long(little to no bump from it's unsized state). I'm aware that this stuff isn't going to be "0.25 MOA all day" but by applying principles such as these, I can make reasonably decent and consistent ammo for practical shooting(the space between the mag-dump bros and the bench rest bois). 1 MOA or tighter is more than good enough for my applications. I'd love bug hole groups at insanely long ranges, but I don't have the money or a place to realistically do it.

[@calebhawkins624]

First time viewer, and subscribed within the first few minutes. Thank you for this awesome video. Looking forward to watching more of your content. Keep it coming

[@pstewart5443]

Good discussion. I had the first problem ever out of Lapua the other day. I had to do some fire forming, and had 12 of 100 cases which didn't seal completely. I always use the lightest load in the book with a standard powder to reach the minimum required pressure in order to not over stress the brass. I was shocked, because I have several thousand Lapua cases across numerous calibers, and never had that problem. I need to make a few calls and find out why that happened. I heard Lapua changed their alloy several years ago for the Army's sniper rifle replacement testing. I've tried Peterson, but I found the alloy didn't react well to cleaning solutions, so I stopped using them, Alpha was always good, but standardized to SRP Lapua everywhere I could. I've found Hornady has the thinnest walls of all of em I've ever used. It results in a slightly larger powder column volume. Norma appears to make really good brass. I've never used it, however, I know folks who use it and really like it.

[@alanpeterson8511]

Hi Greg, thank you for sharing this brass insight as well as all the other info. You mentioned case neck wall variation of 0.0005 and interested in what machines would hold within that spec. Thanks for all your videos, Alan

[@primalrights]

AutoDOD

[@joelclark2130]

Good stuff my brother, been in this game a long time and still learning. Thank you some of this Information I have already known and some of it I just discovered today thanks again.

[@stephenkrampert3430]

Back in the early 70s Norma brass was the best you could find. What are your current views on that product in the match brass

[@michaellinane212]

Great information

[@cracktimmy]

My Alpha dasher here is literally on its 18th firing… I can’t believe it so I’m gonna keep going

[@emoryzakin2576]

Man, that is seriously awesome. Are you annealing after every firing??

[@cracktimmy]

@@emoryzakin2576 yessir every single firing. Got a few here and there get soft primer pockets but still holding up. I average SD’s les than 8fps and haven’t touched my seating die. I do use a SAC dasher die.

[@emoryzakin2576]

@@cracktimmy outstanding. I figure it doesn't hurt so I try to anneal every firing. Just got some adg 6.5 prc after having some once fired hornady lose a dang primer. That's crazy and absolutely not cool

[@cracktimmy]

@@emoryzakin2576 yeah when I shot 6CM about 5-6 firings they wouldn’t hold primers anymore

[@emoryzakin2576]

@@cracktimmy I've got high hopes, but being a hunting rifle I don't know if we'll get 5-6 loads. But you never know. I've used a ton of lapua but this will be my first go at adg

[@wardo17]

I have so much to learn.

[@richardkut3976]

Excellent, thank you.

[@dt3852]

Great education. Just subscribe

[@XxTheLostChaosxX]

Great information! I want more of your knowledge. THANK YOU!

[@bryanprewitt5258]

Could you bend an ear over at Alpha and convince them to make 223 Rem and/or 6.5 PRC brass?

[@primalrights]

I've been working on it. ;)

[@charlesmullins3238]

I’m with ya…use alpha .308 and love it and there boxes

[@richardwills8017]

I contacted them a few months ago and was told “ there are no plans to produce 223 brass.” I really wish they would though.

[@Caohu09]

I listened to a boomer-ass buddy of mine to shut him up. I was running a 6.5 creedmoor at 2730. I had an SD of 5.7 with a round count of 100. (Everytime I train, I log my velocity for the first 3 shots of my day, and last 3 shots of my day, while practicing my groups.) My buddy was trying to push a 6 Dasher in Alpha OCD brass to 3k fps using varget in a 26 inch barrel. Using a primer plug and a special instrument, the fired brass that I would run at 2880 vs 2730 had a noticeable difference both versus each other, as well as individual variations in between brass the fired at 2880. My buddy is a good guy, but has no idea on how to reload.

[@leewithey2014]

Fantastic information!!! Thank you. 🐕

[@primalrights]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ericrumpel3105]

GREAT video on s subject, both, greatly ignored & greatly overlooked, aswell as greatly unknown - Thanks fer sharing - Ackley - so ahead of his time.........

[@hughstinnette1771]

Thank you

[@ericrumpel3105]

I said it before - I'll say it again !! - EXCELLENT video with EXCELLENT info. from an EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE Shooter - Thanks Again !! - .....also - VERY Professional & friendly way of conveying,.....something I'm not able to do......lol

[@Jeff_Seely]

I have found Alpha OCD brass to be of the strictest tolerances of just about any brass I've ever purchased. A well-known reputable company sold me some magnum brass at $4.50 per piece and I was floored to discover that one side of the case neck measured 017 and the other side measured 014"! That is an appalling lack of quality and is shameful. Alpha is the same all the way around just about every time. Thanks, Greg!

[@davidbartl1716]

Greg, great vid. What do you consider safe pressures? For instance, if a cartridge has a max pressure of 61,500, are you loading to -10%, -20% of that? Also, must consider ambient temps as well I'm sure. Thoughts?

[@JohnDoe-jn4ex]

PPU brass works great for me.

[@foonus406]

Enjoying your videos enough to subscribe! I figured out the billing error for any potential subscribers if you are using a VPN outside of your region you will need to disconnect or to set it to use a server in the country of your billing address! I got a question for you .. I've found my max headspace on 22-250 to be 1.5695, I reloaded a bunch of Nosler brass that started at .20 and it grew to .60/65 after 2 reloads and initial firing. I had the exact same numbers on fresh lapua brass (the max my old cheapo Hornady brass would reach before interference was .95) . Question is, would you still set your full sizing die to .85 or.80 if the brass consistently returns to .60/65? Is the brass stretching to full chamber dimensions and springing back or am I overworking the brass sizing it too much in the die? I do anneal between every reload with an AMP. With the fresh Lapua brass.. would you strain it by full sizing it and using an expander mandrel right out of the box, or just leave it fire form and only expand the necks if you see deformation? I did consider neck sizing until it's grown by a couple of firings but hesitate to start sizing the brass with a different process than will be used in the future. I'm afraid I can't make it any better with the Hornady neck turner than it already is out of the box.. so not turning until i could do better. What would you suggest? Thanks again for the great content!

[@primalrights]

Give me a call.

[@mostrogolf22]

Wonderful video. It just so happens that Im doing brass today and I noticed that my once fired Hornady 6mmARC brass grows about 5K constantly. It is a general rule of themb that it grows regardless of cartridge?

[@Gareth96v1]

If a cartridge has an option between LRP and SRP, which is your preference?

[@mwfendley107]

I understand your view of the plastic deformation where the cartridge has been subjected to stress beyond the nominal elastic deformation for the design cartridge. What about the case where the plastic deformation is intentional? I am fireforming BRX cases from Lapua BR cases, which moves the shoulder 0.100" further from the case, on its first firing. I anneal with the AMP every time, which is hopefully restoring the brass close to its virgin condition. Subsequent firing, annealing, and sizing should all be within the new elastic deformation of the BRX dimensions, correct?

[@theoutdoorsmantimg3450]

To say it right ,.0002 is two tenths of a thousandths. From a machinist.....

[@ericrumpel3105]

....."alot of people buying alot of stuff & not shooting enough to properly evaluate stuff".......MAN you SAID IT ALL !!!! - about 95% fit in that category......SO MANY know-it-all, young johnny-come-lately's just following the wrong leaders.....lol.....I'll be that guy & tell it the way I experienced it, (after 55 years in both reloading & longrange introduced to it by my Father shooting 1000 Yds. back the 1960's & for his entire life like a religion & job.....his life), AND MANY guys I shoot with aswell, .....precisely why we don't by whorenady trash anything anymore......they need to pick-up their game before any of us go back !!

[@robertweatherly1725]

Great video as always but the intro music is too load. Poor truck speakers will never be the same.

[@jasonowens2570]

When alpha fixes there 6bra brass I may try them again until then it's Lapua for me.

[@jeffreywilson690]

People that buy a sports car drive it for one year will never understand what you are saying