I just got done seating primers in about 60 pieces of Hornady brass. I was shocked at how easy they seated. Some of them I even had to look to make sure a primer went in. I’m now trying to figure out if I shouldn’t shoot them. I’ve only reloaded this brass 3 times so I was shocked that I’m already dealing with loose primer pockets.
How risky is it to shoot reloaded ammo with loose primer pockets? Any way to check whether the fit is ok after I’ve already loaded 60? I would love to just shoot these and then buy new brass but I want to make sure I don’t screw up my rifle, or worse, my face.
Good question and I’m not sure of the right answer myself. Would be a good question for me to ask a ballistician to find out how much friction is needed on the primer.
You could put the recapping die in your hand and try to pinch the primer out to feel how much force is really holding it.
If you can bang the case with the primer in it, not a loaded cartridge, on a solid wood surface and it stays in, it is fine. When they become too loose, the primer has a tendency to back out or be raised above the level of the case bottom, to the point you could then push it back in with your finger. I understand exactly what you are describing, but also remember that if you are talking magnum cartridges, 3 - 4 loads is about where you start looking to put those cases away and get some new ones. The magnums with multiple reloadings past a reasonable number (4-5) are more prone to creating an internal ring as the brass stretches, and can cause a case-head separation when the case splits in half. With 3 reloads, you should be fine unless your load is running right on the edge of pressure, and stretching the pockets.
Jordan, the issue with magnums ( I assume that is what your are shooting) is not the neck tension (which annealing addresses), but the stretching of the case on the bottom end. Do some googling on case head separation “things to look for” and it will help you understand what I am talking about (and they will have pictures to explain). Pressure loads just generate greater stresses on brass, so it wears out faster; really no different in concept than engine parts; the higher the rpm, the quicker things wear out from heat and friction. Don’t get pushed away from reloading; just do your research and learn what to look for as you go; tons of good data from people that have researched all these types of things.
Can bottom end stretching be measured from bottom of shoulder? If the bottom end is stretching and you are measuring OAL and the trimming the neck then the neck is getting shorter. Maybe that is easier to measure?
ummm…never heard of that approach, but doesnt mean someone is not doing it. Well, you don’t generally trim necks after each firing either, I would continue to measure the OAL of the case from top to bottom, and trim when needed.
