Case Consistency

[Kraschenbirn]

Question for the "serious" BPCR shooters. How closely do you match your cases? I just picked up 100 new Starline cases to work up loads for my Pedersoli RB. Weighed and measured the cases and was impressed by their consistency: 97 out of the 100 weighed within +/- 1/2 grain with unsized length +/- .002. Am I being too picky...or not picky enough. I thumb seat my BP loads so I don't resize and case length will be rechecked after fire-forming.

Bill

[Boz330]

I got 200 Starline 40-65 cases last year and found the same thing.

Bob

[John Boy]

Am I being too picky...or not picky enough
Take Door 1

[Doc Highwall]

You are good to go. Only complaint I ever heard about Starline Brass is that it is on the hard side and may need annealing.

[kokomokid]

Had to laugh when I read this. I was taking a break to give my hands a rest from turning necks on R-P brass. Took 100 rounds to get 40 R-P I wanted to use.

[semtav]

. Am I being too picky...or not picky enough. Bill

Keep in mind, a lot of matches are won by one shot. If you're the one that lost by one shot, don't you wish you would have been just a little pickier?

[Gunlaker]

The odd thing is that I also find Starline very consistent, but lately I've found that most boxes of .47-70 brass contain a significant number of cases with very thin rims. But the rest of the cases are very consistent. I haven't seen this on any of my .45-90 or .45 Colt cases though. Up here in Canada though, Starline is cheaper for me even if I have to set 20 percent of the cases aside. When I get enough of them I can just chamber a rifle specifically for them :-)

Chris.

[cajun shooter]

Starline tells you on the web site to anneal the cases. If you receive a box from them it will include a message that tells you to anneal your cases. By the way did I say you should anneal your cases.

[Lead pot]

Yes, case consistency is important if you want to do some serious competition shooting.
Weighing the case will get you close, it does not mean that the case has the same volume inside, and the inside volume will vary on how much your powder is compressed. This will change the burn rate of the powder load.
More important is a uniform neck wall diameter. This will vary the pressure build up and also a uniform case length and a inside case mouth chamfer.
Consistency will keep the vertical down.

Kurt

[Kraschenbirn]

The odd thing is that I also find Starline very consistent, but lately I've found that most boxes of .47-70 brass contain a significant number of cases with very thin rims...

Chris...

Something I hadn't though of. Thanks for the head's up. Miked the rims on the batch I'm currently working with and found them pretty consistent: .065 +/- about .0015.

Bill

[Gunlaker]

Chris...

Something I hadn't though of. Thanks for the head's up. Miked the rims on the batch I'm currently working with and found them pretty consistent: .065 +/- about .0015.

Bill


Yeah, the "good ones" I find are all 0.065" or 0.066". Other than the thin ones, the rims are very consistent when compared to WW or RP brass. I pay careful attention to rim thickness as I have a Shiloh that is very picky as it will not chamber brass with overly thick rims, and I recently had a rifle chambered with Dan Theodores .45-70 bore diameter PP chamber and it's set with zero headspace on 0.066" thick rims.

I must admit I haven't yet paid attention to neck thickness consistency yet.

Chris.

[Freightman]

Had a fellow give me about 200 PMC loaded rounds of 45/70 and the case its self is ok but the rims are not round as you have to turn them as you put them in the shell holder as they only go one way. Kind of like they are oblong, not gripping because they were free and were loaded I can live with a little aggravation for that much savings.