This might be a silly question to some but how critical is the over all length of the brass when trimming down for reloading? I know that you shouldn’t be over the suggested length but what about being shorter? I was trimming some brass and it would vary between 0.001” to 0.004” shorter then what was marked. I just couldn’t get it right.

Oh, the struggle of trimming. Well, alot of guys trim .005 to .01" lower than the suggested trimming. So I wouldn't worry about it.

On the varying side, it really shouldn't affect accuracy. What your seeing is normal. But instead of going lower than the suggested trimming, I do try to stay on high side. In other words, if I am called to trim 2.84", I try to keep my brass longer than 2.84".

When I trim cases, I try to aim for the middle of the road between trim-to length and max length. It shouldn't hurt to be under the trim to length, I have seen brass come from the factory this way.

I have new brass and just wanted to take a little off to clean up the end but didn’t want to be to short. It just happened that way. Maybe after shooting it will stretch a little!

That little bit under won't hurt a thing. I usually trim my .308 brass to 2" when the minimum is supposed to be 2.005". These are for semi-auto rifles which stretch brass extra, so trimming a little more off, usually gives me an ectra reload before having to trim again.

Thanks Guys

One thing that I have found also, that cleans up the ends, but doesn't take a bunch off of cases that really don't need to be trimmed is chamfer and deburr the case necks. A lot of times this will take all that is need off the end, in the times I have done it. I also neck size, which greatly ruduces how much I have to trim off.

Not to say others should do this but I trim new brass back from the max length .030 at the start and never trim them again......reason is that I just hate trimming so only do it once. Even trimmed this far back I've never encountered a problem.

Thanks again and Vapodog , I might do as you suggested. I don’t like trimming and find that new brass has very rough edge at the end of the neck. If trimming a little more doesn't matter I’ll clean it up once and for all.

The only place where short cases may screw you up is if you intend to crimp your loads. Even then it won't bother if they are all of uniform length. I check the length every time I reload a case and keep them uniform. Just got used to doing it this way. I don't mind trimming cases.