I Used These Steps To Become A Better Rifle Reloader

[@horseguy1230]

Piet - maybe I have misunderstood this but in my experience annealing at the end is not a great idea. You definitely need to do it before sizing. Firstly you need to soften the brass before you work it and secondly heating the brass up after you have sized it leads to inconsistent neck tension as it will expand and contract as it heats and cools. I guess maybe an AMP is more accurate then my Bench Source so would be interested in your experience with it, but all the same the objective is to produce the best most consistent ammo possible. I like the annealed look too so I usually clean it first then anneal and size. I use die wax rather than lube so no need to clean it after sizing.

[@MisfitOBS]

I use the AMP as well and love it but also agree with @Horse Guy's sentiment. I clean my brass in a tumbler then anneal before I size and de-prime then do a wet tumble clean (I really like clean brass as well). Then I will size. The logic I use here is that the annealing is supposed to bring the brass back to a malleable consistency, then I can size it.. I could also be wrong here because I am far far from an expert, just a fun hobby for me that fuels my pew pew hobby.. Would love some insight incase I'm way off here..

[@E.L.RipleyAtNostromo]

Great video, thanks, and love your detailed checklist system, but, as others here have pointed out, and AMP recommends. I anneal before FL resizing and running a mandrel to maintain consistency of the brass spring back. I follow your process of decapping the dirty brass first, then wet tumbling, but then anneal. After FL sizing and mandrel and trim-chamfer-debur I clean the lube off by vibratory tumbling a bit in corn cob, so I don’t have to dry them again, and I don’t start coating my SS wet tumbler pins with lube over time. Of course, if I had your skill to shoot .3 MOA groups I guess you could smash your brass with a hammer and put a torch to it, and you shouldn’t get any push back on how you do things, just my .02 for what that’s worth. 🤔😉 One thing I see here, I realize I need to get some more buckets to separate out my brass prep process more. Thanks again! 👍

[@mohamedayob9246]

Pretty new to reloading My understanding is that Annealing brass before sizing softens and uniforms the brass to decrease the the stress on the brass when sizing, not sure if I'm right

[@Accuracy1st]

Correct. First step after ammo is fired is to anneal. Or, decap, then anneal

[@WalterReade]

Thanks!

[@balazra]

A great friend took me under wing and helped me with reloading. He shoots a lot of calibers and uses a very similar system. I adapted it a little for me. So I split each lot into 50 box’s or 100 box’s depending on use. 50’s for hunting and 100’s for matches. Each box gets a sticker inside of the lid. The sticker has a full reload recipe, shot count on the brass and also in the die box for that caliber is another small note book of the same information in case I need it. Then inside the lid under the foam padding. (Always cut some low density foam to stop the rounds moving in the case during transport and changing seating depth, also helps humidity a little as I live on the coast.) Is a small card for brass state. It is laminated and has brass care recipe. I keep a DOPE book I fill in for each rifle, it has shot number, round data so I can track what box and etc… was used. Then hit placement on target diagram, what was dialed or held over, and environmental conditions. In the note section I put what mood I was in and how I was feeling that the time. I also do a positional diagram and note what I thought of the position and if I think it needs work. If possible I also have the picture number reference on my old phone that use for shooting. I use an old iPhone 6 as it connects great to my kestrel and chrono, and has all my photos of targets and data stored that I transpose to my DOPE book when I’m looking back over what I have done so I can know how and where to try improve. So I get home from shooting and use a universal deprime on all the shot brass and put it in the cleaner, while it’s cleaning I clean the rifles I shot and then anneal all the brass. The next morning I transpose all the shot data from my phone to my book, most DOPE info is done during the match or hunt as a way of keeping me focused and making sure I know what is happening and minimise errors. Then I resize all the brass, trim and chamfer. The box then gets put away and rotated with the similar batch. My friend also buys in barrel batches. For example, he knows a barrel will last roughly 1500 rounds before it is shot out. He’ll buy the brass, primers, powder and projectiles for the life of that barrel. That is a batch, all identical batch numbers, matched to barrel. Once the barrel is shot out he’ll discard any left over of the batches. Or if the batches run out before the barrel is shot out he still just replaces the barrel and starts again. I use the rifles I have for multiple purposes but for him a tool is used for it’s single job. In his words “Each screw has a head matched to a different screwdriver and none of them are a hammer.” Or my favourite quote is “At one end you have first place and at the other you may as well throw the rifle down range. You just have to decide where you want to be in life.”

[@johnknouse8846]

Glad this video popped up on my feed! I have 100 pieces of 6mm creedmoor brass I need to run through the tumbler again before I load them! Would have been a bummer when I woke up tomorrow ready to load, and realized I never put them back in the tumbler after resizing them! May need to use your system!

[@charlesgiles4447]

I anneal before sizing I’ve found that it gives me more consistent neck tension I use neck expanders also I’ve found it to be more gentle on my brass. Lapua brass isn’t cheap.

[@DanielBoone337]

Yeah man I load for way to much stuff these days and each rifle has its own batch of brass and some of those rifles I'll have 3 or 4 lots of brass that I circulate through just so I know how many firings I have on them. Once they get lots of firings that brass goes over to hunting brass or just range brass and I'll prep a new lot. I have a bunch of those plastic ammo cans that I keep everything separated with and instead of those cards you're using (which is a really good way of doing it) I just right everything down in one of those pocket notebooks, tear the page out, and drop it into the can so I can keep track. But great advice and video as always keepem coming brother!!!

[@johnryan1386]

I do a similar card to keep track of what I’m working on and what stage it’s at however I’ve laminated the cards so you can use a sharpie to tick off each stage, once the card is full you can clean the sharpie off and start again

[@smsteyn]

Short and sweet. Thanks Piet for the info!

[@johnkissam8312]

Thanks! I’m leaning a great deal about this subject. First, it helps to be obsessive compulsive. Second, the rabbit hole is very deep. I met Alice on the way. Finally, there is no end ! One of you guys will find one more thing to do and we circle back to step one. Anyone seen my ogive-comparator-jump dingus ?

[@stephencarran7650]

Not sure why you anneal after sizing because it's defeating the purpose which is to soften the brass before you work it through the die and compress and stretch it. I use Imperial sizing wax and all that's needed is to give it a quick wipe after it has been loaded and it maintains it beautiful annealing colouration. And yes I use an AMP annealer too.

[@LedGuitar1218]

I got that idea of the step card from F Class John a while back. Great idea. Thanks for the info

[@paulmcgarrigle5531]

Piet,I was thinking,as you love seeing beautiful countryside's whilst shooting,have you ever thought about coming over to Scotland,to do a wild deer cull,? Yes it can be very wet,bet the scenery can be just like parts of New Zealand,cheers.

[@KrugerrandFarms]

I like to anneal brass after all the work is done, before loading of course. because it burns the residual lube off the inside of the necks. If the necks and bullets are dry they are dry. I dont think I can lube them consistently.

[@MrTacklebury]

Good info. I load for 14 calibers although not in the volume you do. Great little spreadsheet and I've used something similar, but will grab this one. I don't have an AMP, but buy pre-annealed brass typically for my 7mm Mag and don't shoot it tons. I find it interesting that you full length size only. I mainly do so as well, with the exception of my .22 hornet, which I do with a collet die to avoid short brass life, as it's very thin brass, but it's headspacing off the rim obviously, and I still length trim if they grow. I'm looking at doing the collet on my .308 subsonics also, since they don't have high pressure and really don't seem to need it. They are only shooting around 1080fps, so pretty whimpy load for a .308. ;)

[@gerhardpretoriusg]

Hi. I like the system just one question. How do you manage left overs rounds in a batch. Let's say you load a 100 rounds for what ever use, but after the activity you have only shoot 80 rounds. What system do you use to keep count of that last 20 rounds. This is normally where my system collapse and fail on me.

[@jcap199]

Great video, I do the exact same thing as you except I anneal before sizing. I have an annealez I got used from a friend (can’t afford an AMP right now) my understanding was anneal before sizing to soften and undo work hardening to reduce spring back from sizing? Have you noticed a difference from when you anneal?

[@dimrom6061]

Wow! As a total newbie somehow I've developed a 99% same system for myself after just couple of mistakes when I've lost the track) if i use a part of the batch, i keep the main paper with the loaded ammo and make a new label (cycles count +1) and store with the non cleaned part of the batch. After the batch is completely used, i just throw out the old paper and fill the new one.

[@stephanvermaak4635]

Works for me as well

[@DRHODES1979]

Thanks for sharing your check list!

[@georgelza]

does it not make sense to anneal right after cleaning brass, before you start full length sizing it, or use a mandrel on it? that way the brass is in a better "state" before it gets man handled ?

[@vereelliott6556]

“What was the last thing I did to this brass ? - You chop” brilliant Piet. Love the self criticism 👍🏻

[@IMPACTSHOOTING]

😂😂😂😂

[@codya5333]

Great stuff as always.

[@michaelcronwright2057]

Great video thanks

[@nunyabeeswax2575]

Hey is anyone else getting some image shudder or frame rate issue when piet is in front of the camera but not when he's showing other stuff?

[@502deth]

im probably not as good of a shooter, and possibly my loads are already as good as or better than i can shoot, but im of a theory that most of the extensive prep work is overkill. id be curious to see you take 2 or so form each of those brass buckets, along with maybe new and few times reloaded examples of each, and put the same load in each one and shoot a group to see if all that brass separating and neck turning really does anything.

[@TheDominator74]

I managed to get three shots at 75m through 1 hole With lee loader reloaded 9,7 g Lapua lock base bullets. No other fuzz.

[@NG-mz8gk]

Amazing how GFSA adds come up before South African shooting videos

[@IMPACTSHOOTING]

Really? Nuts!

[@freedomlover5719]

I always try to keep everything loaded, if I shoot clean load etc, within a week. Then I'm never without.

[@zanderswart6828]

Piet baie lekker video mnr. Fabriek proses maak goed sin. Moet n man nie weer jou brass was nadat dit getrim is nie?. Daai shaving het maar n neiging om binne in die dop te klim.?

[@raynovanderwalt]

Why do you neck turn ONLY your hunting brass, of all, why not turning the competition brass?

[@Jb_2108]

Love this.

[@politicallyinsensitive4200]

I've been told that if you don't anneal you can still get quite a few uses out of your brass. I'm sure it's still a good idea to do it but what is the best method next to the AMP? Torch? Salt bath?

[@theunisduvenage8115]

Like jou nuwe Omega seamaster 💪

[@IMPACTSHOOTING]

Good eye 👁️ het hom al redelik lank, net na die movie uit gekom het 😂

[@nick50471]

@impact shooting if you want to try cleaning brass without steel pins give me a call. I’ll send you a gallon sample to try. RotoBrite XL-1262I

[@johanswart8116]

5ltr roomys bakke werk ook. 😆

[@MiggieJagter]

ayoo pietie, hoe gaan dit man?

[@johanswart8116]

Ja nee. Ek ook so braas mooi in zip lock sakkie gesit en dan paar maande haal ek dit uit dan weet ek nie wat ek laaste gedoen het nie. Lol skryf nou ook als neer en sit die papier binne sakkie