What is happening with my brass?

[ShooterAZ]

I have been PP for a short time now, and have been having good results with this boolit http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=30-190P-D.png in 30-06. It is sized to .301 and patched with 15lb green bar paper final size to .311. After using the same batch of 40 pcs of 1X LC69 brass for 4-5 firings, the neck ID seems to be all over the map now. Loose boolit fits now mostly, when they were all a snug slip fit beforehand. Is my brass telling me it needs to be annealed, or do I need to start over with a new batch? Full length size these ones and start over? I have plenty of brass, so this isn't a huge concern. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but all of a sudden I'm having fitment problems. I'm thinking I may need to start a new batch.

[BK7saum]

Are you sizing the cases, then expanding with M die or other means? Or just loading the cases as fired without sizing at all?

If you are not sizing, the cases spring back less each time and after 4 firings or so, you have no clearance with the chamber. Your cases necks are as wide as they can be.

It does sound like they could use an annealing. For my rifles, (and I don't paper patch), I full length resize each firing to just bump the shoulder back so cases chamber easily but not sloppily. I find this is the most consistent over the life of the cases. I don't neck size because at some point you have to full length resize anyway after a few firings in high pressure loadings.

After resizing I open cases up with M die for cast boolits. This gives me a consistent neck tension.

Maybe you could full length resize and use a 0.312 or 0.3125 M die to open case necks to a consistent ID

Brad

[ShooterAZ]

No I haven't been sizing the cases at all. I load the paper patched bullet into a fired, unsized case. I think you are correct, the case necks are as wide as they can be. The problem is that they are not consistent now either. I think I will full length size them and start over.

[BK7saum]

One option would be to neck turn the cases for consistent wall thickness. And then paper patch to a slightly wider diameter. You might never have to size them ever.

[BK7saum]

Do you load a slow powder for 100% Case fill so that the PP boolit sits on the powder?

[ShooterAZ]

Yes, I am using W760 powder to nearly full capacity. I think I have reached the limit on the number of times I can load an unsized case...not sure.

[OverMax]

When in doubt start over.
Having a good supply of brass. Why not use em.

[Harter66]

I would anneal then neck size and continue on .
Just because it was 1X factory ammo ,GI or any other , doesn't guarantee equal working of every case even more so if it wasn't 1X'ed in that rifle .

You have a case body that absolutely fits your chamber and a neck that is likely perfectly squared to your chamber no sense messing that up . I have had a quartet of 06's that wouldn't share brass for 1 dimension or another .
I have 2 FL dies 1 is set for the case holder to bump tight the other was set up to just touch the the largest/longest dimension it only sized about .3 of the neck and pulled it back out with the .310 expander . That was perfect for both my cast and paper patched . It also left sufficient neck unsized to center even if the shoulder and body were reduced . It worked fine in 3 bolts and a slide . The slide demanded full length at 4x no matter what .

[ShooterAZ]

Problem solved...I think. I took the patched boolits and didn't final size them at all. Tried some in my fired cases and now they are a snug friction fit into the case mouth. Still learning...We'll see how they do. I have a bottle of Accurate 3100 (discontinued) powder and it completely fills the case under the boolit with the start charge in the Lyman manual. Gonna give this a go.