How many times do you reload your brass?

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Lavid2002

New member
How many times do you use brass? Is it safe to get 10 reloads out of the same cartridge? How can I test bradd to see if its good for another load?
.308 is only neck sizing if it makes a difference in the # of reloads .223 is full length because of the AR

P.S. What kind of brass do you reccomend for .308 win(Savage 12fv) and or .223 remmy(ar15)
 
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ISC

Moderator
full length resizing definately works the brass more and reduces the number of reloads. you can anneal the cases to get more life out of them

If you have to trim your cases frequently that is an indicator that your brass is getting worked more too.

There isn't any one answer, but I've heard 10 reloads is a good time to think about scrapping them, Look at your necks for splitting, that's a sure sign that you've had one too many reloads.
 
W

Wildalaska

Moderator
P.S. What kind of brass do you reccomend for .308 win(Savage 12fv) and or .223 remmy(ar15)
Click to expand...

I use lapua brass exclusively for my 308 and 6.5s

WilddidyaseeremingtonisusinglapuabulletsnowAlaska ™
 
L

long rider

New member
I am with gandog on that, i shoot them till
i can not shoot them no more.
My 45 & 44 brass hell i have lost count how
many times i have reloaded them:confused:
I never hot load, so they will last a lot longer.:D
 
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BigJimP

New member
I shoot them until they crack in general - and I shoot at an indoor range where I pick up all kinds of stray brass ( so I don't really know if its once fired or been reloaded 20 times ) .... Honestly, I sort and clean the brass - inspect them for cracks and dings - and dump the ones that are suspect / load the rest of them ....... and run them all thru a case gague before I box them up as a last check. If it sticks in the case gague - there is a burr on base, maybe a fine crack in case that I missed, etc ...
 
L

Lavid2002

New member
ouch

brass is so expencive, neck sized for the blt axn...how many reloads do you get before they start breaking on then .308? Isnt a broken casing dangerous?
 
B

brickeyee

New member
Isnt a broken casing dangerous?
Click to expand...

Splits are rarely dangerous.
They usually start at the neck and rarely get past the neck-shoulder junction.
There is still plenty of brass to seal off the bore.

Even in straight cases they rarely split all the way to the head.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
Case life is entirely dependent on how hot the load is. When you get one cracked neck(brass gets work hardened through repeated sizing and firing), pitch it and anneal the rest of your brass. Anneal? Put the brass in a pan of water(a foil roasting pan will do nicely) up to just below the shoulder, heat the neck and shoulder with a regular propane torch until the brass changes colour and tip 'em over. There's no need to heat to red hot.
Neck sizing is fine for your bolt action, but not for your AR. Semi-autos require full length resizing every time.
"...brass is so expensive..." Not compared to the cost of loaded ammo.
 
T

Threefeathers

Moderator
It depends on the brass. I get 10 with a mid-range load from Lapua, and Lake City in 223.
25+ in 38 Special, and 45 Auto. In fact I have 45 brass I've been loading a mid power lead semi wadcutter for 25 years and it is still going strong. I'd say 40+ reloads from it. (Lake City 80)
 
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