Trimming Rifle Brass

[Patriot]

Do you trim to size every time? If it is shorter than max do you leave it be?
As long as it is a nice fit in the case gauge is that sufficient? What is your
opinion? This is .30-06 brass I am inquiring about but .223 is on the docket
next for reloading so I would be interested in that as well.

TBP

 

[EddieCoyle]

I use the RCBS X Dies for .223. According to the instructions, I trimmed once to 0.020" below max, then never again. This was shorter than my shortest case, which was good. I crimp my rounds, and by having them all the same length, I can be sure that the crimp is in the cannelure every time.

The only PITA is that I have to keep any non-X die-sized fired brass separate from my X die-sized fired brass (because I have to trim the stuff that wasn't run through the X die).

 

[tele_mark]

For .223, I use an arbitrary length (1.755") as the point where I trim. So, out of the tumbler they get resized/decapped and thrown into a temporary bucket. Those I hit with calipers, and if they're over the magic number, I trim them, and then they go into the "ready" bucket.

I was also using the x-dies, but had bad luck with the sizer/decapper. I think someone mentioned that .223 doesn't seem to grow, and I found it suspicious the x-dies came in so few calibers. I'm betting those don't seem to lengthen with firings too. I'm just using a cheap set of Lee dies now, with better results.

 

[BIG GUN]

I trim all bottleneck rifle brass after every firing. I set to min. trim, if they stretched, take off whatever. I use a Lyman electric trimmer.

 

[Dick]

I set my calipers for the published maximum case length for the caliber and check every case after resizing. Those that don't make it through get trimmed back to the published trim-to length. That results in a little variation in case length, but the calibers I'm loading don't get crimped so I don't think it makes much difference, and my range testing seems to confirm that.

 

[1903Collector]

My .223s, in fact all my bottleneck cases are in lots of 20 or 50. I initially trim the brass to 1.755" and measure them after each firing. If some in a given lot go over that number I trim them back so all in that lot are the same length (uniformity is key). I also have a log book which has every lot of brass I have and I enter that trimming in the book so I can keep track of how many times that lot has had to be trimmed, loaded, whatever. I do all the trimming with a Redding 2400 trimmer.