Revopop Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Read in Brian's Dillon FAQs that he thinks trimming is generally unnecessary for what we do if you're not using mixed scrounged brass. Anybody do that? If you did, how'd it go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el pres Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I do it even with mixed brass. I just throw anything thats too long in a box that I will get to someday !! Basically size them all and then case guage to weave out the long ones.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chendersby Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 It may not matter if you shoot nothing but 100 yds and in but the key to long range is good consistant ammo and to get that you need to trim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangeman711 Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 All brass should be trimmed after it's first firing. After that you should be able to fire it at least twice before you need to trim again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Religious Shooter Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Read in Brian's Dillon FAQs that he thinks trimming is generally unnecessary for what we do if you're not using mixed scrounged brass. Anybody do that? If you did, how'd it go? I believe BE is talking about pistol brass. Not rifle brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revopop Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 No, he's talking about rifle brass too. linky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Religious Shooter Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 It's seldom necessary to trim cases. In my opinion, for pistols, revolvers, and rifles - unless the round will not chamber in the gun because the case is too long, or you're attempting to win your State's Benchrest Championship - trimming brass is a waste of time. One exception to the above for .223 or .308 rifle: Say you've collected a lot of "range brass" (brass that was not fired in your rifle) of unknown origin, and you're ready to start loading it for your semi-automatic rifle. Now Dillon's RT 1200B Power Case Trimmer, installed in a separate Toolhead, would work great to "batch-prep" all the brass, before firing it the first time in your rifle. He says "unless the round will not chamber in the gun." With rifle cases that can happen after one firing. The only way you can insure 100% reliability if you don't trim is to measure each and every case after resizing. That's actually an extra step from just using a decapper/sizer and the 1200B. With a toolhead that has a decapper/sizer and the 1200B, with one pull you are decapping, sizing, trimming, (essentially) measuring and checking case OAL. If you don't use the 1200B you still need to pull a handle (to decap and size). But in addition to that handle pull you have to take each and every case and run it through a MIC or other device to measure case OAL. In my mind the only reason not to trim is to save $$$ from buying a trimmer. You will actually save time by trimming and ensuring proper case OAL with the 1200B with one handle pull vs. a handle pull and hand measuring each case. ...that was about as clear as mud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinT Posted August 15, 2009 Share Posted August 15, 2009 A piece of rifle brass that's too long can effectively use the end of the chamber as a crimping die and slap a nasty-big crimp on a bullet. I guess the effects of this can range anywhere from absolutely nothing to a full blown kaboom. I think the most common case with too-long brass would just be a round that won't chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscbigdawg Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I don't have the 223 brass around long enough to need to trim it. Shoot and leave it. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagdrag Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I guess it sounds like mostly everyone trims their brass. Given that, how fast can you guys reload .223 in a 550b with and without a 1200b trimmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steel1212 Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 I guess it sounds like mostly everyone trims their brass. Given that, how fast can you guys reload .223 in a 550b with and without a 1200b trimmer. With out trimming and commercial noncrimped primers you would load it similar to pistol, just gotta add lube. If you need to trim, I would setup another tool head with the size die and 1200 and do a large batch that way then load on another tool head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 (edited) RCBS X-sizer die: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=787981 as per the X-sizer die's instructions, size with either its mandrel in the up position or with another traditional full length resizing die, then trim to 1.73" for .223 brass. Load those up, shoot them, recover that brass and then re-load them starting out with the X-sizer with its mandrel screwed down. There is a video on the RCBS.com website that shows a cutaway X-sizer die and how its mandrel works to keep the brass from growing or stretching when it is resized. So if you can mark your trimmed to 1.73" brass or X-die'ed brass with a marker and be sure to keep that brass seperate from other brass you scrounged off the range, then yeah, other than squirting them with case lube, you should be able to treat that brass like straight walled semi-auto pistol brass. One of these days, I would like to try experimenting with just a case mouth or case neck resizing die and a universal decapping die. Maybe run like 20 pieces of brass fired from my AR through a setup like that, and then measure them for OAL and see if they will drop right into a case gauge and then right out of it. Then load them up with powder and a bullet and see if they will actually group worth a darn. Edited August 17, 2009 by Chills1994 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredr Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I load .223 on a 1050 with a dedicated brass prep toolhead. I have a 1200B in station 6 set to trim to minimum, anything long enough to stick up get's trimmed. easier then measuring and culling out any cartridges for a separate trim operation. -Jared Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyNo! Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I don't have the 223 brass around long enough to need to trim it. Shoot and leave it. Rich And then I pick it up and shoot it 9 more times and leave it. The X-Die doesn't work unless you keep track of your brass and your brass only. I had a Dillon trimmer but I now use a Giraud. If I watch a 2 hour DVD, I can bust through a whole load of brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGwelder Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Unlike my dog, I get sick of chasing my own brass. Best $10 I ever spent. Unzip the bag and place a container underneath and shoot all you want without having to empty. Close lid on container and go home...sorted :-) Assorted range pickups go in a seperate bucket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) Dyno wrote: The X-Die doesn't work unless you keep track of your brass and your brass only. "true dat!" but if you were to go here and take a look at this link: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...&hl=striper Or the other thing to do since it is rifle brass and substantially longer...or more sticks out of it in one of those little plastic or styrofoam holders that go in the little carboard boxes that commercially available ammo comes in, just run a stripe down the outside of 10 rounds on the one side of the ammo holder dealie-oh, flip the whole thing, stripe the 10 on the other side, spin those rounds 180 degrees, stripe again, flip the dealie-oh again end for end, spin the remaining half striped only rounds 180 degrees and stripe the blank side. Voila! You're done. It probably just took longer to read ^^^ all that, than it would actually take do. Edited August 21, 2009 by Chills1994 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I wanna shoot a long range match against folks that dont trim Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I trim with a Gracey Trimmer. It chamfers and deburs as well so everything gets trimmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Whhoopps... I went through this whole thread without putting a plug in for the Possum Hollow Cutter/Trimmer. Jeesh... what was I thinking... Anywhooo.... here is a video on the Possum Hollow trimmer: It goes pretty fast. Then, yeah, you will have to chamfer/deburr, like this: Possum Hollow does make a tool holder with a hex shank that gets chucked in your drill too. So your old fashioned handheld chamfering/deburring tool you have sitting in some drawer somewhere collecting dust can or should just drop right into the tool holder and is locked in tight with a set screw. That goes pretty fast too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lray123 Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 All of my .223 has come out perfect length after the first fire. But i only use my own brass. i have a trimmer and havent even taken it out of the package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmtyndall Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Holy necropost batman Welcome to the forum. PS: You will likely have to trim your brass after a couple firings. It's not usually the first firing that causes the issue. The brass stretches through the firing process and over time the web area thins and the neck will get longer as you resize. General advice, unless you're chasing precise accuracy or crimping into a cannelure, only trim when the length exceeds the reccomended maximum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyNo! Posted February 14, 2019 Share Posted February 14, 2019 How has everyone else been from this thread for the last 10 years? Got my notification for a reunion this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 (edited) On 2/14/2019 at 5:23 PM, DyNo! said: How has everyone else been from this thread for the last 10 years? Got my notification for a reunion this morning. Still trying to figure out this .223 reloading thing ....still . I had a RT1200 that I never even took out of the box. Sold it here via the classifieds probably at least 5 years ago. Bought a RT1500 a year or two ago. It is still sitting in the box. The 650 is currently set up for .45ACP. I have 500 more 230gr pro-jo's to load up before I even think about swapping it over to .223 . Some dude on another forum was trying to sell off his XM193 and XM855. I just wanted an ammo can or two. He didn't want to piece it out and/or have to ship it out. He was local to me. I bought it all. So I am all set for "blammo"...for a while. And besides, if you look elsewhere in this subforum, you'll see my thread about the runout or concentricity issues I was having with pre-processed brass. So I have about 640 rounds I need to pull the bullets on and resize to straighten the necks. I am thinking about buying a Swage-It....yeah....yeah...I know it voids the Dillon warranty. But with a casefeeder equipped 650, I figure it is the fastest or most convenient way to decrimp the primer pockets especially with all the XMblammo! I have been shooting (and sorting out the brass by year...seems like Lake City switched to a smaller font on the headstamps than what they were using 10 years ago...thank you cheaters/readers ). does the @DyNo! thing work on this forum? or does merely quoting someone send them a notification? Edited February 24, 2019 by Chills1994 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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