Palma Brass - Flash-hole uniform or not?

[Ben C]

One for the FTR and F-Standard shooters:

I'm looking for advice with flash-hole uniforming Palma cases? I've always done it with standard .308 Brass, but not sure if it's a good thing with .308 Palma brass, as it would increase the flash-hole to 0.062" from the factory hole size of 0.059". I'm thinking this might allow more pressure back into the primer pocket, which would take away from one of the main benefits of the Palma case (handle more pressure).

Thanks
Ben...

[scott/r]

Have you checked your 223 brass to see what size their flash holes are, Ben. I'm using adi brass in Karen's 223 and they have the large holes. Granted, you probably running a bit higher pressures, but it may help you decide either way. Or maybe you just de burr the flash holes. They are lapua brass after all.

[Pommy Chris]

Why not try a Lee collet resizing die? I know they are cheap as chips, but a lot of respected shooters use them as they are very good indeed if used properly. The decapping pin on the Lee is a snug fit in the flash hole of Palma brass so it will make all the holes quite uniform and probably a very very tiny bit larger, but not enough to effect anything. I recently bough a Lee myself and I did velocity tests for Lee resized and not Lee resized and there was no difference also there was no difference in the primers pressure wize ( I shoot 215 grain for FTR) between the two so the Lee pin is not causing any problems either to powder load or to the primers. What is is doing though is making all the holes the same size. I measured the Lee pin and it measures 0.061 so 2 thou larger than the original flash hole which is nothing, actually IMO most Palma flash holes are more like .0.60 so we are only talking 1 thou overall difference so the difference is nothing area wise which is what is important.
Chris
Edit.. Remember there are pressure limits and velocity limits for 215's, actually all projectiles if you stay within the rules you wont have pressure problems anyway..

[Brad Y]

Put the recapping pin of a colet die in a drill and run over it with some coarse wet and dry and a little trefolex cutting oil. Will be the correct fit for small flash holes in no time.

[Pommy Chris]

Put the recapping pin of a colet die in a drill and run over it with some coarse wet and dry and a little trefolex cutting oil. Will be the correct fit for small flash holes in no time.

But it wont then uniform the flash holes.
Chris

[Brad Y]

Neither will having a pin stuck in a case. But if he isnt going to uniform them, then this is the best way around getting a case stuck which I have done before with a 308 collet die in palma brass. FWIW I uniform all flash holes on any case I prep. Read the thread on accurateshooter.com forums about it.

[Pommy Chris]

Neither will having a pin stuck in a case. But if he isnt going to uniform them, then this is the best way around getting a case stuck which I have done before with a 308 collet die in palma brass. FWIW I uniform all flash holes on any case I prep. Read the thread on accurateshooter.com forums about it.

I know a few people who use a Lee collet die without making the pin smaller. I have not been using mine long, but I have resized quite a few cases myself on palma brass and those who recommended the Lee to me have been using it for a long long time without issues of getting the pin stuck. I know because it was the first question I asked when I saw the pin was a snug fit. After the first resize of new brass the pin is loose in the flash hole anyway so the pin is clearly making the hole a tiny fraction bigger so no chance of pin getting stuck. They did mention though getting cases stuck if you screw the die down too far, I was told you need to 'feel' resistance, but no more. I set mine so one moment there is no feel, but 1/4 turn more you feel resistance, with this setting it seems to work very well indeed.
Chris

[KHGS]

One for the FTR and F-Standard shooters:

I'm looking for advice with flash-hole uniforming Palma cases? I've always done it with standard .308 Brass, but not sure if it's a good thing with .308 Palma brass, as it would increase the flash-hole to 0.062" from the factory hole size of 0.059". I'm thinking this might allow more pressure back into the primer pocket, which would take away from one of the main benefits of the Palma case (handle more pressure).

Thanks
Ben...

For what it is worth here is my 2cents worth on this matter!
Never enlarge a flash hole over the manufacturers average specs other than to uniform the size.
Some uniforming tools enlarge the flash hole to a uniform large primer flash hole size, this is a no no with small primer flash holes if you want to reap the benefits of the small primer pocket brass.
The closer you can leave the flash hole size to .060" the better.
These are my opinions & although I have been loading cartridges for 57 years I am still learning, hopefully that will not stop, yet!
Keith H.

[Pommy Chris]

One for the FTR and F-Standard shooters:

I'm looking for advice with flash-hole uniforming Palma cases? I've always done it with standard .308 Brass, but not sure if it's a good thing with .308 Palma brass, as it would increase the flash-hole to 0.062" from the factory hole size of 0.059". I'm thinking this might allow more pressure back into the primer pocket, which would take away from one of the main benefits of the Palma case (handle more pressure).

Thanks
Ben...

For what it is worth here is my 2cents worth on this matter!
Never enlarge a flash hole over the manufacturers average specs other than to uniform the size.
Some uniforming tools enlarge the flash hole to a uniform large primer flash hole size, this is a no no with small primer flash holes if you want to reap the benefits of the small primer pocket brass.
The closer you can leave the flash hole size to .060" the better.
These are my opinions & although I have been loading cartridges for 57 years I am still learning, hopefully that will not stop, yet!
Keith H.

I agree, which is why I would not use an uniform tool. The Lee does not really make the flash hole larger, 1 thou at the most. So little that velocities are not affected.
Chris