Brass - How short is too short?

[Outdoored]

So I've got a bunch of brass......most fall within normal "trim to" length according to Hornandy's reloading manual....but I have quite a few that measure 1.683 - 1.687 even after resizing.....some of my brand new cases are that short as well. How short is too short?

[Hoot]

So I've got a bunch of brass......most fall within normal "trim to" length according to Hornandy's reloading manual....but I have quite a few that measure 1.683 - 1.687 even after resizing.....some of my brand new cases are that short as well. How short is too short?

That phenomenon and question go back to when Hornady first started making 450b brass, as do opinions about it. I won't use brass below 1.685, not because it doesn't work, but because that's the spec tolerance (1.695, +0 -.10). I have reloaded it in a bind or for foulers, and it shot as well as the correct length brass. The area of contention rests upon the implementation of the taper crimp. The degree of crimp relies upon the length of the brass. I do sort my brass by length and try to keep ones the same of within a couple of mils of each other, together when shooting for some experiment. For minute of deer or hog, you'll not notice the difference. If you use a side crimp, it is less of a factor.

Hoot

[wildcatter]

So I've got a bunch of brass......most fall within normal "trim to" length according to Hornandy's reloading manual....but I have quite a few that measure 1.683 - 1.687 even after resizing.....some of my brand new cases are that short as well. How short is too short?

That phenomenon and question go back to when Hornady first started making 450b brass, as do opinions about it. I won't use brass below 1.685, not because it doesn't work, but because that's the spec tolerance (1.695, +0 -.10). I have reloaded it in a bind or for foulers, and it shot as well as the correct length brass. The area of contention rests upon the implementation of the taper crimp. The degree of crimp relies upon the length of the brass. I do sort my brass by length and try to keep ones the same of within a couple of mils of each other, together when shooting for some experiment. For minute of deer or hog, you'll not notice the difference. If you use a side crimp, it is less of a factor.

Hoot

10,000x..

I use them, even at 1.680" (but this is in the area wherein one can get into dangerous trouble) and have never seen them go shorter, after resizing. But for accuracy, one needs them to be the same length. My Personal-MOA-Standard is measured in Minute of Grizzle and my working loads are always sub 3 MOA. A Michigan deer has a kill area of 18" (In Texas the kill area is prolly about 5" or less, wink). So, with a 18" Target and 3 MOA, I'm good for 600yds. At that point many external environmental factors are far more important to consider, when trying to kill a deer at that range, but it has been done (elk and bear too)..

..t

[LlindeX]

Now, Now, Wildcatter;

No need to make ugly remarks about the size of the kill zone when one is using the "Texas Heart-Shot" method of game harvesting! I'm sure none of our members would attempt such a shot at over 100 yards, Texan or not; 'cause if'n you miss on the first shot, then the kill zone shrinks to about 2 inches before you can get off a second shot, just due to the "pucker factor" alone.

[wildcatter]

Now, Now, Wildcatter;

No need to make ugly remarks about the size of the kill zone when one is using the "Texas Heart-Shot" method of game harvesting! I'm sure none of our members would attempt such a shot at over 100 yards, Texan or not; 'cause if'n you miss on the first shot, then the kill zone shrinks to about 2 inches before you can get off a second shot, just due to the "pucker factor" alone.

Oh yeah, I think I may have renamed that the San Francisco Shot..

..t