When to trim brass?

General Firearms Reloading & Ammunition
1

Hope someone here can help out. I’ve been reloading .223 for a couple years now, however I’ve never trimmed my brass.

I want to start working on tuning my 68 gr load and figure trimming brass will help bring my group sizes down.

So, should the brass be trimmed before or after resizing? I’ve noted the brass gets longer after sizing. The trim lengths in all my books are 1.750 while the diagrams of the cartridge show a case length of 1.760.

So trim before or after sizing?

Thanks in advance.

2

Trim after sizing.

1.76 is the “max” length. 1.75" is what you want to trim to that should be fine in any chamber or rifle.

Are you reloading for just one rifle or several?

3

Just one rifle at this point.

4

If you are reloading for one particular rifle, you can possibly gain accuracy by just “neck sizing” your brass.

Full length resizing returns brass to SAAMI specs, so it will work and chamber in any rifle.

Since you are currently only loading for one rifle, your brass is “fire formed” to fit your chamber nice and tight.

Link to article on “great handloads”…info about neck sizing near the bottom: http://www.rifleshootermag.com/ammunition/6_steps_great_handloads/

You can neck size with a standard die, but most of the manufacturers also make dies that only neck size brass.

5

I have had issues lately with brass that is too long. I have started trimming my brass before I load it. I run it all through a dillon power trimmer with a sizing die. If it gets cut it was too long if not then its fine. But at least I know all my brass is not to long.
Pat

6

I’m reloading for my AR, if I don’t resize them they don’t feed into the chamber.