After annealing brass cases they seem to not split after a couple loadings. I did discover that the case shoulder junction is soft so it is important to chamfer the case mouth to ensure SMOOTH bullet seating. I bulged several cases and the concentricity was so obvious as in leaning Tower of Pisa.

What brass? Lapua?

I have concluded the same as you.  When I first started, I did not anneal and I noticed more cracked necks around the second time reload.  This was with the PPU 5.56 and fc223 cases.   Another thing I noticed was cleaner brass after firing from better sealing/expansion during firing.

I also ran trials with annealing before sizing and after sizing,  and I had more consistent neck tension when annealed before sizing.  I’m thinking the case neck opening dimension was changing when annealing so sizing after would give more consistency. 

mix of range brass. Lake City and Federal. I'm not a snobby, elitist with $10-a-case LaPew brass C'mon man!  I'm a McDonalds coffee drinker not Starbucks.

mix of range brass. Lake City and Federal. I'm not a snobby, elitist with $10-a-case LaPew brass C'mon man!  I'm a McDonalds coffee drinker not Starbucks.

I thought you were one of those trashing Federal brass. But it was others. Mah bad. Haha

Federal cases are still not good with case neck splits so that's why I included them and besides I got them free on the ground. Pake Life!

I have concluded the same as you.  When I first started, I did not anneal and I noticed more cracked necks around the second time reload.  This was with the PPU 5.56 and fc223 cases.   Another thing I noticed was cleaner brass after firing from better sealing/expansion during firing.

I also ran trials with annealing before sizing and after sizing,  and I had more consistent neck tension when annealed before sizing.  I’m thinking the case neck opening dimension was changing when annealing so sizing after would give more consistency.

You have one of those gauges that measures pressure upon bullet seating?  I think 21st Century and K&M have them.  Then there's the Amp press.  That's all way beyond my "progression" for loading, but interesting results on those who track/notice.  The folks I'm thinking of are F-Class guys though.  While I'm not interested in F-Class, their loading practices test a lot of stuff. 

No I don’t have the gauge so no numbers to put out regarding how much neck tension. I only noticed by feel of seating the boolit that the pressure needed on the press handle was more consistent from case to case when annealing was done before resizing.

No I don’t have the gauge so no numbers to put out regarding how much neck tension. I only noticed by feel of seating the boolit that the pressure needed on the press handle was more consistent from case to case when annealing was done before resizing.

Ahh, gotcha.  I'm still early on in my reloading learning as well.  I try to be as consistent as possible with the operations involving the press.  I noticed that after I started using an expander mandrel, the seating "feel" was more consistent.  Also interesting was the variation in pressure/force needed to run the mandrel through virgin brass.     Even with the "$10-a-case LaPew brass" 

I have "restarted" load development with new brass, so I am just getting to the first round of prep after first loading/firing.  Am adding in annealing this go around.  Didn't have an annealer in the initial go-arounds. 

Federal cases are still not good with case neck splits so that's why I included them and besides I got them free on the ground. Pake Life!

I have a bunch of once fired factory brass.  I'm pretty sure I have a lot of LC.  Anyways, LMK if you need.  I don't envision reloading for .223/5.56 any time soon.

I anneal, resize, mandrel and trim cases in one batch and the brass sits till it gets reloaded.

Anyone notice a difference in the ID of the neck after a week or so of letting the brass sit?

I anneal, resize, mandrel and trim cases in one batch and the brass sits till it gets reloaded.

Anyone notice a difference in the ID of the neck after a week or so of letting the brass sit?

I have not so far (Note, this is only based on seating force, not actual neck I.d. Measurements).  I do the same as you, batches of 100, I anneal then let it sit a day, then process (resize, trim, and tumble) before storing for loading. I’ve loaded some batches right after processing and others months after processing and they seated with the same amount of force. 

Do you use an arbor press?

I thought about getting one.

So all your bullets seat at the same pressure or do you get variances?

Does the variances in seating pressure affect the groups down range?

Do you use an arbor press?

I thought about getting one.

So all your bullets seat at the same pressure or do you get variances?

Does the variances in seating pressure affect the groups down range?

I don’t, I use a lee 4 turret. 

I found that boolits from different manufacturers seat with more or less seating force  ( I’ve tried hornady 55g fmj, Everglades 62gn fmj 55gn fmj, armscor 62gn fmj, nosler 55gn ballistic tip, etc.  I know the armscor 62gn need more force to seat than the Everglades 62gn fmj.  Using the same resizing die with neck sizer. 

You might get different neck tension between different brand dies which might by sizing the necks ever so slightly different.  I was helping a friend use my setup to finish loading his previously resized cases and those needed a lot more force to seat than cases I sized with my lee dies.

It is my understanding that neck tension can affect accuracy but I do not think I will see the benefit in normalizing neck tension numerically while full length resizing.   If you are reloading for a bolt gun by only neck sizing (and bumping shoulder?) then you would really benefit. Can someone else shed more light on this or double check me on this?

I am only about a year into this art, and have much to learn still. 

I don’t, I use a lee 4 turret. 

I found that boolits from different manufacturers seat with more or less seating force  ( I’ve tried hornady 55g fmj, Everglades 62gn fmj 55gn fmj, armscor 62gn fmj, nosler 55gn ballistic tip, etc.  I know the armscor 62gn need more force to seat than the Everglades 62gn fmj.  Using the same resizing die with neck sizer. 

You might get different neck tension between different brand dies which might by sizing the necks ever so slightly different.  I was helping a friend use my setup to finish loading his previously resized cases and those needed a lot more force to seat than cases I sized with my lee dies.

It is my understanding that neck tension can affect accuracy but I do not think I will see the benefit in normalizing neck tension numerically while full length resizing.   If you are reloading for a bolt gun by only neck sizing (and bumping shoulder?) then you would really benefit. Can someone else shed more light on this or double check me on this?

I am only about a year into this art, and have much to learn still.

Thanks bro and I don’t mean to insult you in anyway but don’t understand what you are saying.

But thanks again for the answer.

Thanks bro and I don’t mean to insult you in anyway but don’t understand what you are saying.

But thanks again for the answer.

No offense taken, I’m here to learn as well. 

I've read good things about arbor presses, but overall I don't think my reloading (or shooting for that matter) is to the point where I would notice a difference.  That said, at one point, I couldn't find the seating dies I wanted in stock, so I almost went with a Wilson seating die that uses an arbor press. In that case, I think if you really want to have data on consistency, I would want the seating pressure gauge.  At least as some trusted wise/experienced shooting friends (both in person and YT) have told me. 

On the neck tension thing, I just try to focus on consistency.  I believe (have read, been told, etc) that spring back is real, but I haven't tested differences myself.  I have a -0.0015 expander mandrel and I have a range of bushings for my sizing die, but I try to stick with one setup.  The different bushings were because I was shooting different brands of brass and in case I noticed a difference in the ID of the bushing itself (tolerances).  I considered trying different neck tensions by varying the bushings and mandrel sizes, but I am proceeding down the "consistency is key and isolate variables" path. 

Getting back to annealing, I am doing flame annealing now. But I have seen the benefits of the AMP, both my buddies and online.  Again, I don't think my reloading skill or shooting is at the point where I would really notice, but anything to eliminate variables is always helpful.  At least IMO.