Reloading brass casings

[jeager361]

How many times do you all feel comfortable reloading the same brass? Is there a magic number? Or what are some of the things that you look for to tell you that the casing is no longer any good?

 

[Leo]

Depends on the caliber and slightly less important is the quality of the brass. High pressure cartridges like rifles and magnums are harder on brass than low pressure casses like .38 special or .45 acp. Also semi auto rifles work the brass a little harder than a bolt action.

I look for primer pockets that are loose, as well as any cracking near the case mouth. Over sized rifle brass will develop a shiney stretch ring about 3/8" from the head. That is a warning that you may have case head seperation if you try to reuse it. Damage from ejection like deep grooves scratched in the side makes me just pitch the brass. .38 target loads give routinely give 18-20 reloads, commercial .308 in an M1a give 5, maybe up to 8 reliable reloads. Some shotgun hulls decay in one reload, some might go 5 or 6.

There are too many variables for a set answer, as you reload, you kind of learn as you go. Good luck

 

[Hosshauler]

Great answer. I would add... use common sense. If something doesn't look right, discard it or ask an expert.

 

[jcwit]

Like said depends on the caliber, handgun or rifle?, if rifle semi auto or bolt action?, do you full length resize or just neck size?, high pressure round .40 caliber or low pressure 45 ACP?, do you load hot or load mid range?

Many many variables.

I reload 45 ACP till I loose them, or the primer pocket gets loose, usually the former.

I reload .223 till????? I have no idea at this time. I have a Remington 700 VLS that I only neck size and have 5 pcs of brass that now have 80 plus loads thru them, they have been bumped once or twice tho. How long will they last is yet to be seen.

 

[warthog]

Depends on who made the case too. I have Starline cases I must have loaded ten times, they don't wear out. They are just well made cases. The thing I wind up tossing them for is loose primer pockets. When I get a primer that just goes in way too easy, I mark the case and once it is fired it is dropped in the GARBAGE brass bucket to be taken to the junkyard. Necked rifle cases out of a bolt action also seem to last forever if you only neck size them. As long as the primer pocket stays usable (and the case doesn't crack of course), I keep loading them.

I inspect my brass before it goes into the tumbler, after I take it out and am sizing it, heck I do it all along as I am prepping the cases for reloading up until the point I finally seat and crimp the bullet.

 

[BE Mike]

Most of my handgun ammo is loaded way below maximum for target shooting and plinking. When I load some high velocity ammo, i.e. for hunting, etc., I like to use once or twice fired brass. I load 9mm, .38 SPL, .357 Mag., .45 ACP and .44 Mag. For some of my target ammo, like .45 ACP, I just load the cases until they start to split or show other signs of wear. I just toss the bad ones. Somehow the ones that don't split early seem to be durable for many loadings. I've loaded .45 ACP brass with light target loads 14 times and some are still good. One caution though, always wear eye protection while shooting. I've known incidents where ruptured brass had small pieces that came out of the pistol and in one case put out the shooter's eye. Even .22 LR brass can do this.

 

[jeager361]

Very helpful information. Thanks. I plan on getting started loading 9mm and .38/.357. Once I get the hang of it, I want to get into .45 as well. That will give me a great excuse to have to go buy another handgun.

 

[Leo]

One caution though, always wear eye protection while shooting. I've known incidents where ruptured brass had small pieces that came out of the pistol and in one case put out the shooter's eye. Even .22 LR brass can do this.

Great advice Mike, nothing like seeing someone else bleed to reinforce the need for saftey.