Anyone loading 300BLK ?

[Maryland_Shooter]

Thanks - that's good to know.

[Raven Armament]

The problem with using the Dillon trimmer to trim from .223 to .300 BLK is you are using it outside the operating parameters and void the warranty on the trimmer. Too much load on the trimmer. For this reason I use a cutoff saw to cut a large portion of the brass first, then run it in the trimmer to minimize wear on the trimmer motor.

[rjacobs]

As far as annealing goes, yea it probably would help a little, but for me this round isnt going to be a "can I put 10 rounds through the same hole" type of round. Is it capable of it, probably(even though that one guy on 300blktalk says otherwise) with the right gun, right ammo, right shooter, etc... Im shooting a 9" upper and(eventually) through a can. If I am 2-3 MOA at 100 yards its doing what I want it to do. I have other rifles if precision is the name of the game.

I might try annealing some case necks, but like you guys, I am not an annealing expert(never done it before) so I may actually do more harm than good.

The problem with using the Dillon trimmer to trim from .223 to .300 BLK is you are using it outside the operating parameters and void the warranty on the trimmer. Too much load on the trimmer. For this reason I use a cutoff saw to cut a large portion of the brass first, then run it in the trimmer to minimize wear on the trimmer motor.

My motor is out of warranty(at least the published 1 year warranty) and i understand it comes with how I am doing the brass. I heard reports of anywhere from 10k-40k rounds before the motors went out(bearing in the bottom seizes from what I understand Dillon saying). I run about 50 cases through mine and then take it off to cool while I run that brass through a Forster full length sizing die and then chamfer and debur it. Ive done about 350 or so cases through it over the course of about an 8 hour day. I figure as long as I make it through 1500 or so pieces of brass I will have broken even on a motor and the trim die and custom tool head since Brads Warehouse charges $334 for 1500 pieces of brass and others are fairly similar. I have $108 into the trim die and tool head and $230 into my motor.

If I was doing this for guys and running thousands and thousands of rounds through I would probably cut off the neck of the 5.56 cases before processing them, but for now ill just continue to jam em home into the trimmer head. Im fairly careful to not let the motor slow down to much and to keep an even amount of slow, steady, light pressure on the handle as I run it up into the die. I can tell by the sound if I am trying to go to fast or what not.

[markm]

I might try annealing some case necks, but like you guys, I am not an annealing expert(never done it before) so I may actually do more harm than good.

It might be worth it for you if you want to get max case life. You'll prevent case neck splits. But if that's not an issue, I'd skip it.

[Maryland_Shooter]

I have been getting much more consistent results using annealed brass. Others have reported the same results.

[markm]

I have been getting much more consistent results using annealed brass. Others have reported the same results.

results meaning neck tension? or accuracy? or both?

[Maryland_Shooter]

Meaning my ES and SD were really obscene without a crimp and annealed brass. When I added a crimp with the Lee FCD, it improved and when I use annealed brass, it improved.

Some data below, but all using Lil'Gun



More Data Here

[markm]

Cool. Yeah... the Lee FCD is used on our .223 loads and they're amazing with no Annealing.

[rjacobs]

It might be worth it for you if you want to get max case life. You'll prevent case neck splits. But if that's not an issue, I'd skip it.

I have a basically unlimited supply of .223 brass like I said so I am not to worried about it. My SOT has used non-annealed brass for sub sonics(which is probably 90% of what I will be loading) 10-12 times with no case neck splits.

I have been getting much more consistent results using annealed brass. Others have reported the same results.

I am not arguing that it probably does give better results, but for me and what I am going to be doing with this round(having fun with it through a can) I dont think, again to me, its worth the effort. But like I also said, I might play around with it and see what its all about since I have never annealed anything.

[markm]

I dont think, again to me, its worth the effort. But like I also said, I might play around with it and see what its all about since I have never annealed anything.

If you ever get to where you want to mess with it. Give a shout. I do mine by hand with a basic torch on the top of my Washing machine.

Be careful of what videos are out there on youtube, etc. There's a lot of bad annealing info... There's guys getting the brass glowing red hot... that's too much.