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Posted: 6/21/2014 12:29:18 PM EDT
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I know every rifle cartridge has a max and trim too length.
My question is do you guys always trim back to trim too length after every firing or let them grow toward max length then trim back? |
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I try to trim cases such that every case within a batch will have the same length.
I use the published "trim-to" lengths only as a starting point. I measure my chamber lengths, and usually, I'll trim cases to about 0.025 inches of that (a huge margin for safety). All of my 223 chambers measure to 1.780 or greater lengths. I therefore feel safe to trim cases to anywhere between 1.750 and 1.760. For 6 mm PPC, I'm usually trimming to within 0.005 inches of the chamber length. |
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The best answer to your question is "it depends".
The way some reloading equipment is set up it is easier to just trim every time. I load on a single stage press. I usually do not trim until it is needed. I set my caliper to max length, lock it down then start checking. If I run into enough that are over length in a given lot I stop and run the entire lot through the trimming process. |
| I do, I shoot multiple rifles and crimp so it's all automatically setup to trim 1.752 whether they need it or not on my 650. Just part of the prep tool head that allows me to not touch a single brass while spitting out a sized, decapped, trimmed and slightly belled burr free case every stroke. |
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I trim bottleneck cases every time I load them. A lot depends on your method of trimming. Some trimmers make trimming almost fun. I use a Giraud for most of my trimming. If you have basic tools and you aren't loading for the best accuracy, you don't have to trim every time. But you do need to determine that the cases are not over length. So I find it easier to trim every time instead of measuring every case. Same effort, but my cases are trimmed not just measured. Measuring a few cases out of a batch, finding none over length and hoping the rest are ok, doesn't appeal to me.
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Quoted:
I trim bottleneck cases every time I load them. A lot depends on your method of trimming. Some trimmers make trimming almost fun. I use a Giraud for most of my trimming. If you have basic tools and you aren't loading for the best accuracy, you don't have to trim every time. But you do need to determine that the cases are not over length. So I find it easier to trim every time instead of measuring every case. Same effort, but my cases are trimmed not just measured. Measuring a few cases out of a batch, finding none over length and hoping the rest are ok, doesn't appeal to me. Ditto. Just received World's finest Trimmer in .223 Rem a couple days ago. WOW! Had been using LE Wilson, which is a fine trimmer, but the WFT is the way to go for bulk AR loading. First session trimmed 1,000 cases in little over 2 hours. All were within +.001" of my length setting. Yes, you have to wear eye protection because of flying brass particles, put I can put up with that in exchange for trim time being reduced dramatically and no more finger cramps. |
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I use a Giraud trimmer. Even so, I trim to minimum length, then fire them about three times before re-trimming. The three firings is not a hard and fast rule. I take a sample and measure them, before deciding whether to trim or not.
When processing purchased once-fired brass for the first time, I always trim (after the sizing operation). <-- This is a hard and fast rule. |
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Quoted:
Ditto. Just received World's finest Trimmer in .223 Rem a couple days ago. WOW! Had been using LE Wilson, which is a fine trimmer, but the WFT is the way to go for bulk AR loading. First session trimmed 1,000 cases in little over 2 hours. All were within +.001" of my length setting. Yes, you have to wear eye protection because of flying brass particles, put I can put up with that in exchange for trim time being reduced dramatically and no more finger cramps. Quoted:
Quoted:
I trim bottleneck cases every time I load them. A lot depends on your method of trimming. Some trimmers make trimming almost fun. I use a Giraud for most of my trimming. If you have basic tools and you aren't loading for the best accuracy, you don't have to trim every time. But you do need to determine that the cases are not over length. So I find it easier to trim every time instead of measuring every case. Same effort, but my cases are trimmed not just measured. Measuring a few cases out of a batch, finding none over length and hoping the rest are ok, doesn't appeal to me. Ditto. Just received World's finest Trimmer in .223 Rem a couple days ago. WOW! Had been using LE Wilson, which is a fine trimmer, but the WFT is the way to go for bulk AR loading. First session trimmed 1,000 cases in little over 2 hours. All were within +.001" of my length setting. Yes, you have to wear eye protection because of flying brass particles, put I can put up with that in exchange for trim time being reduced dramatically and no more finger cramps. With a Dillon 1050 and their trimmer/sizer I can do roughly 2000 pcs per hour, decapped, swaged, sized, trimmed and neck expanded to .222, slight bell applied. 
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