Case Life

[qballs]

Hey everyone,
I am wondering when you know that a case is done.  I am loading for my 300 H&H.  I have been using the RCBS Case measure tool, and there is starting to be a change in thickness near the head.  Right now it is only .001-3, but I worry about safety.  I have loaded this brass 5 times for a total of 6 firings.  Is that lots, or should I expect more?

[Glanceblamm]

How many times have you trimmed?
As a general rule of thumb four trimmings are allowed. When it becomes nessary to trim for the fifth time, it is time to discard the case.

[qballs]

I have only trimmed once.  I guess my main concern is that with the case being belted, I may be working it a fair bit when firing, and the body may separate from the head.

[Grumulkin]

The case being belted has nothing to do with how much your are "working" the case.  Working the case comes from the lengthening in a bottlenecked case with firing and the subsequent shortening of it again when resizing it.  You can minimize working of the case by neck sizing only (not an option in lever actions, pumps and semiautos) or using the RCBS X dies.

I have used many cases more than 5 times.  For any cases I have any concern about, I run a stiff wire up the inside of the case.  If I feel a groove near the head or the wire catches up at all, the case gets tossed.  Also cases with splits or loose primer pockets are discarded (obviously).

[qballs]

Thanks.  I guess what I meant to say was that because it headspaces on the belt, and I have been full length resizing every time.
How much of a groove is safe?  Right now the cases are .001-.004 thinner in one spot near the belt.  Should they go?

[huntswithdogs]

Not that I mean to sound like a buttmunch but, do ya have a reloading book like Hornady or Sierra? They have some very good info as what to look for in a case that is coming apart. Generally you'll see a whitening above the belt that may extend completely around the shell. Don't mistake the area directly in front of the belt that occurs from the die not going all the way down. I've reloaded some cases up to 10 times before throwing them in the trash bin. Lately I've had some disappointing luck with Remington brass. Federal and Win have usually been good.

HWD

[qballs]

Thanks for the reply.
I have 4 or 5 reloading books. Sierra, speer, nosler, barnes, lyman, lee, etc.
I guess my main concern was that the case was not usable.
I would like to find a way to extend the life of my 300 H&H brass.  I have started not pushing the shoulder back, which helps headspace on the shoulder.
All I wanted to know was when is the brass not safe to use.  Right now there is a spot near the belt that is .001 - .004 thinner than wither side of the thin area.  Is this safe?  I do not see any thing on the outside, other than the normal die marks.