bullet pulling and 5.56 vs .223 brass

[Uncle Krunkle]

I'm starting to do a lot of bullet pulling, cannibalizing old unwanted loads. I've heard that the brass should be resized from a pulled case, true? Also, any issues with using pulled bullets?

These days my loads are 68 and 75gr Hor and I'm using max loads, varget with 68 and rl15 with 75 and Rem 7 1/2 primers with both. I haven't seen any pressure signs with LC brass. Strangely I do get flatten primers with CCI 400 with this load or anything within 4 grains of max. If I switch to .223 brass, should I expect pressure issues (with the Rem 7 1/2)? What If I've resizing .223 brass, does that change it to 5.56? I would be using American Eagle .223.

I'm guessing that my AR chambers are full 5.56 nato spec and not 5.56 nato short. Kinda want to get that tool to check. That would give me some serious piece of mind. Here's a link to that tool, the .223/5.56 gage.

http://www.m-guns.com/tools.php

Thanks guys.

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

If you are going to do a lot of pulling, get a collet type puller that fits on your press. I always keep mine mounted to a Lee Hand Press. I would not hurt to resize the brass again, definitely if you crimped. I've pulled .308 Winchester and reseated the boat tail bullet with no issues.

The main difference between a 5.56 NATO Chamber and .223 Remington is in the leade and throat. The .223 has a shorter leade (freebore) and steeper lead angle (the slope into the rifling). The longer lead and shallower leade angle in the 5.56 allows for hotter rounds to be fired without excessive chamber pressure (more volume, less pressure). It also allows for the longer tracers to reliably chamber in the weapon.

A a .223 Wylde chamber pretty much splits the difference between the two.

Rather than buying a gauge, you can make a chamber casting and see for yourself. It's not hard. Google on it.

In any case, when you change the brass, you need to work up your load again. Especially since you are working at max loads now.

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

Here's an image showing the differences among .223 Rem, 5.56 NATO, and Wylde chambers:

 

[Bootknife]

I would be more concerned with the differances in case Volume between mil spec and commercial.Pressures can go nuts when You put the same charge that you use in the .223 into a smaller (vol) 5.56mm case.I always work my loads up carefully watching for over pressure and I use the crony as well.

 

[Uncle Krunkle]

Holy shit! Thanks for telling me about the "collet type puller that fits on your press." That's a game changer.

I definitely worked up charges up to the max charge I'm using now.

 

[awptickes]

I've found it harder to use an inertial hammer on a reloaded 5.56 casing than it is to use it on a commercial .223 casing.

Might just be a case length issue, since I've found that commercial cases tend to be slightly shorter.

 

[damifinowfish]

Pull the decapping pin out of the sizing die so you can keep the primers that are already in the cases