So you decided to start reloading!
Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXRWBrAbqDQ&t=1s
First of all welcome to the world of reloading, this will be your journey to precision so enjoy every minute of it. I have done a series on reloading. This was to show you how to start and what to do, here is the link to that series - • Load Development Series
I mentioned in the series that I would do a brass preparation video, so as promised here it is. How to prep new brass to get the best out of them. This is my personal process and the way I do it. I mention in the video this is just my process for getting new brass prepped and ready for reloading. If your process is different please share what you do differently so the subscribers can learn from this. The process:
Step one - Dies
Run the brass through your dies, whether you choose to use a mandrel or an expander ball this step is purely to make sure the case mouth is round and any dents have been removed. This is important for the trimming stage. You cannot trim brass that has a dent in it, it causes complications further in the process. Trust me I have paid my school fees and learned this the hard way.
Step two - Case length
Measure your brass to establish what your average case length is so that you can trim the excessively long brass to your average. In my opinion, looking at it from a neck tension perspective, if you have long necks vs short necks the amount of brass “ gripping” the bullet is not the same causing the speed or pressure to vary. If you have reloaded before, you would understand that the speed and the pressure play a vital role in precision.
Step three - Trimming
Now that you have your average case length, use your trimming device to get all the brass to the average length, you will have noticed in your measurements as you have long brass you also have short pieces. The same principle about speed and pressure applies here, if it is really short put it aside and do not use this brass for important shoots, it is good to shoot these pieces so that they can “stretch” to the average case length you chose in step two.
Step four - Chamfer and debur
Once you have trimmed your brass you will now notice that the brass that was trimmed has a sharp edge, not only on the outside of the brass but also on the inside. This is a no-go for your rifle and for your bullet, the sharp outside will damage your chambers which is seriously bad for your rifle, the inside of the mouth has a tendency to skim the bullet almost cutting off the copper. This also has an impact on your bullets performance and you reduce the bullets BC causing inaccuracy down the range. The chamfer and debur tool removes these sharp edges and gives the brass mouth a nice finish to allow smooth seating of your bullets and also removes the ability to damage your chamber. And there you have it your brass is ready to be reloaded! If you have any questions or if you are unsure how to proceed, please feel free to comment or hit me up on social media, I will help as far as possible.
Enjoy guys and remember to subscribe
Cheers