Annealing experiment. - The Firearms Forum

GMFWoodchuck · 05-19-2009, 11:24 AM

I have often wondered how effective annealing is. So I figured that I will simply do an experiment. I will be using my 22-250 savage. My loads will the hodgon max of 34.1 grains of IMR 3031 with a fifty-five grain bullets. I figured this is a good load to test with, since it's still almost 2 grains shy of what speer considered a max load (36 grains) for this round. A full power load without attempting to test the limits of the gun. I have annealed 20 rounds of 5x fired remington brass. I will also reload 20 rounds of unannealled 5x fired brass. And I will repeat the annealing every 5x on the annealed brass. I will keep on shooting and see what happens. The method of annealing I am using is the one I have read off of Varmint Al's website. It seems like a good method.

woolleyworm · 05-20-2009, 01:24 AM

It's going to take a few days to read through the website, but definetly some good reading material and well written. +1 thanks for the lead on Varmint Al's

flannelman · 05-21-2009, 11:31 AM

Sounds like a good experiment to me. The annealed brass should last longer I would think.

Suwannee Tim · 06-01-2009, 08:23 PM

I have annealed quite a few 300 mag cases, having the necks split after two or three firings was dismaying to say the least. My method was simplicity itself, with a pan of water and a propane torch in a semi-dark room, hold the case near the head, rotating it in your fingers, put the neck and shoulder in the flame. When you get a nice uniform cherry red drop it in the water. If you are holding the head between your fingers there is no worry about annealing it. You want to do the job hot and fast. It will greatly reduce neck splits if the cases are new or nearly so. It will not heal incipient cracks.

GMFWoodchuck · 07-05-2009, 07:31 AM

No splits yet. Course, I've only had time to shoot them once after annealling.

Back to the reloading bench. I really do need to invest in a powder dispenser, by the way.

GMFWoodchuck · 10-06-2009, 09:49 AM

Still going with it. A little slower than what I had intended. But no news after 9 shots of both groups. *yawn*

Rocket J Squirl · 10-06-2009, 12:15 PM

Everytime you anneal, you put the case back to its new supple neck.

its dumb not to. But not every reload. When you see them crystalize, its time to do the entire lot.

Popgunner · 10-06-2009, 07:24 PM

I've tried that experiment & found that home annealed cases won't last as long as factory annealed cases. I used two LC military 30-06 cases with medium loads, neck sizing only with a lee-loader & a powder measure at the bench. No crimping.The home annealed case lasted 37 loads with 48 grns Imr-4895 before the neck split to the shoulder. The same loads lasted for 100 loadings in the factory annealed case & I quit without it failing. I trimmed every 20 loadings & the home annealed case didn't make it to the second trimming. I'm interested to see how you do with yours.

GMFWoodchuck · 10-08-2009, 12:25 PM

I ran out of the IMR3031 powder so I will switch over to H4895 powder.......

GMFWoodchuck · 10-08-2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Popgunner

I've tried that experiment & found that home annealed cases won't last as long as factory annealed cases. I used two LC military 30-06 cases with medium loads, neck sizing only with a lee-loader & a powder measure at the bench. No crimping.The home annealed case lasted 37 loads with 48 grns Imr-4895 before the neck split to the shoulder. The same loads lasted for 100 loadings in the factory annealed case & I quit without it failing. I trimmed every 20 loadings & the home annealed case didn't make it to the second trimming. I'm interested to see how you do with yours.

Trimmed every 20 loadings? Gee I have to do it more often than that....

Popgunner · 10-09-2009, 11:55 AM

With full power loads you sure will have to trim more than every 20th load. Full power loads flow brass lots more than mid range loads. I wasn't checking length too closely as I wasn't crimping into the cannelure & I figured my loads to be more towards the mid-power range.

Another thing I might mention is that I noticed while trying to get brass to really change form in a big way that my home annealed cases failed badly. I gave up annealing mostly when I had started using a 7mm TCU barrel on my contender for IHMSA shooting. The .223 cases I had annealed pretty much all broke/split collapsed while I was forming them up to 7mm. After trying several different ways to anneal I just don't do it anymore. I have found the factory annealing works best, & that tough brass is better than soft brass.

Just my opinion of course & I don't think anyone could get hurt with mushy case mouths. I would warn against annealing down too low as mushy case bodies are an issue.

05-19-2009, 11:24 AM	#1
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Annealing experiment. I have often wondered how effective annealing is. So I figured that I will simply do an experiment. I will be using my 22-250 savage. My loads will the hodgon max of 34.1 grains of IMR 3031 with a fifty-five grain bullets. I figured this is a good load to test with, since it's still almost 2 grains shy of what speer considered a max load (36 grains) for this round. A full power load without attempting to test the limits of the gun. I have annealed 20 rounds of 5x fired remington brass. I will also reload 20 rounds of unannealled 5x fired brass. And I will repeat the annealing every 5x on the annealed brass. I will keep on shooting and see what happens. The method of annealing I am using is the one I have read off of Varmint Al's website. It seems like a good method. -->

05-20-2009, 01:24 AM	#2
woolleyworm TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SW Fort Worth Contributor Posts: 4,881	Re: Annealing experiment. It's going to take a few days to read through the website, but definetly some good reading material and well written. +1 thanks for the lead on Varmint Al's

05-21-2009, 11:31 AM	#3
flannelman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rural Arkansas. But isn't all of Arkansas rural? Posts: 1,176	Re: Annealing experiment. Sounds like a good experiment to me. The annealed brass should last longer I would think. __________________ What we do in life echoes in eternity! **** Liberals, they make about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine. If you want to be a looser the best way to get there is to hang around with other loosers.

06-01-2009, 08:23 PM	#4
Suwannee Tim Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,227	Re: Annealing experiment. I have annealed quite a few 300 mag cases, having the necks split after two or three firings was dismaying to say the least. My method was simplicity itself, with a pan of water and a propane torch in a semi-dark room, hold the case near the head, rotating it in your fingers, put the neck and shoulder in the flame. When you get a nice uniform cherry red drop it in the water. If you are holding the head between your fingers there is no worry about annealing it. You want to do the job hot and fast. It will greatly reduce neck splits if the cases are new or nearly so. It will not heal incipient cracks.

07-05-2009, 07:31 AM	#5
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: Annealing experiment. No splits yet. Course, I've only had time to shoot them once after annealling. Back to the reloading bench. I really do need to invest in a powder dispenser, by the way.

10-06-2009, 09:49 AM	#6
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: Annealing experiment. Still going with it. A little slower than what I had intended. But no news after 9 shots of both groups. yawn

10-06-2009, 12:15 PM	#7
Rocket J Squirl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 418	Re: Annealing experiment. Everytime you anneal, you put the case back to its new supple neck. its dumb not to. But not every reload. When you see them crystalize, its time to do the entire lot.

10-06-2009, 07:24 PM	#8
Popgunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Contributor Posts: 1,764	Re: Annealing experiment. I've tried that experiment & found that home annealed cases won't last as long as factory annealed cases. I used two LC military 30-06 cases with medium loads, neck sizing only with a lee-loader & a powder measure at the bench. No crimping.The home annealed case lasted 37 loads with 48 grns Imr-4895 before the neck split to the shoulder. The same loads lasted for 100 loadings in the factory annealed case & I quit without it failing. I trimmed every 20 loadings & the home annealed case didn't make it to the second trimming. I'm interested to see how you do with yours.

10-08-2009, 12:25 PM	#9
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: Annealing experiment. I ran out of the IMR3031 powder so I will switch over to H4895 powder.......

10-09-2009, 11:55 AM	#11
Popgunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Contributor Posts: 1,764	Re: Annealing experiment. With full power loads you sure will have to trim more than every 20th load. Full power loads flow brass lots more than mid range loads. I wasn't checking length too closely as I wasn't crimping into the cannelure & I figured my loads to be more towards the mid-power range. Another thing I might mention is that I noticed while trying to get brass to really change form in a big way that my home annealed cases failed badly. I gave up annealing mostly when I had started using a 7mm TCU barrel on my contender for IHMSA shooting. The .223 cases I had annealed pretty much all broke/split collapsed while I was forming them up to 7mm. After trying several different ways to anneal I just don't do it anymore. I have found the factory annealing works best, & that tough brass is better than soft brass. Just my opinion of course & I don't think anyone could get hurt with mushy case mouths. I would warn against annealing down too low as mushy case bodies are an issue. Last edited by Popgunner; 10-09-2009 at 12:01 PM..