Back at the loading bench, I resized the five fired cases that I'd charged with a half-grain less powder than the too-hot batch, and after cleaning the pockets and inspecting each one carefully, I reprimed them to check if the primer pockets had swelled excessively. I used a hand-held priming tool so that I could feel how snug the primer-pocket fit was. The pockets were a bit looser, but the brass was still safe and serviceable. However, I'll probably have to scrap them after only a couple more loadings.

From a practical perspective, the cartridge case is typically the most expensive component. Even if it's not, it's the only one that you can recover and reuse. So saving your brass and treating it properly is important and easy to accomplish.

Every case--both fired and new--should be inspected carefully before loading. Autoloading firearms will often nick or dent the case mouth when the empty brass is ejected, and just about every handloader has probably found dents in new bulk brass that were caused by inadequate packaging and/or rough handling and shipping. Usually the defects are minor, and the damaged cases can be salvaged. I always size new brass to true up the case mouths and necks. You may even find--albeit rarely--a case without a flash hole. Loading and trying to fire it will, hopefully, only be frustrating.

You must inspect fired cases even more rigorously. If the case head separates when a cartridge is fired, it may violently vent hot gas and particles that can damage the chamber and, potentially, the shooter. Neck cracks are less critical because they will just spoil accuracy. If either defect is found, just discard the case.

Should you full-length resize or only neck-size your brass? Conventional wisdom tends towards full-length sizing all ammo intended to be used for hunting. Full-length sizing and also cycling handloads through the action will ensure a compatible cartridge-to-chamber fit. On the other hand, I often only neck-size handloads that I intend to shoot at the range or at pests and varmints.

Both processes tend to work-harden the neck therefore causing cracks to develop eventually. The conventional sizer die first squeezes the neck down before the expander plug opens it back up to readily accommodate seating a bullet. Hornady, Redding, and RCBS offer premium dies with replaceable, precision-ground bushings that reduce the neck diameter just enough to grip the bullet securely. Lee Precision's innovative collet-type sizer inserts a mandrel into the case mouth, and the collet squeezes the neck tightly around the mandrel. They all seem to work well, so I've concluded it's a matter of personal preference as to which tool you use.

Headspace is another important factor to consider as it will significantly affect case life and handload performance. Proper headspace is best explained by saying it's how precisely the cartridge fits the chamber. Technically speaking, different case designs depend on different features to control headspace.