Brass life question....

[Dwh7271]

I'll give you my opinion.
It depends on your intended use.
One makers brass in one cartridge should ideally be very close in weight. The standard deviation from the mean should be small. The smaller the better. The greater that deviation (variance in weight) the greater the potential deviation within loaded cartridges.
For normal hunting distances, I'll say inside 350 yards, the variance shouldn't be a major issue, as long as the target is basically pie plate sized, such as a deers heart-lung area. A 1 1/2" load will still hit in that area at those ranges when a center sight target is used. Certainly tighter is better though.
Where it does matter and significantly is target or precision rifle work ot longer distance hunting. 1 1/2" won't get it there. Most shooters sort brass by weight when trying to really dial in a load. Uniformity and attention to detail lowers SD and ES which at longer distance leads to less vertical stringing and more predictable results.
Hope I didn't further muddy the waters for you?

 

[rugerfan]

Thanks very much!

You explained it very well. No confusion at all. I do sort brass by manufacture and weight when building up a load and testing results.

However, I wasn't sure of what effect it would make at close range..i.e. 150 yards and whether the juice was worth the squeeze in real world hunting situations that I myself encounter.

I don't shoot long range or matches...just mainly use ammo for practice, shooting varmints, small and medium game.

I reload for self enjoyment and strive for the most consistency and accuracy I am capable of; but always seeking to better the results one step at a time. Like my Dad used to say...

"Always try to learn something each day before laying down to sleep each night."

 

[SJB358]

So I just went through this. Got an excellent deal on some "pulled" Federal brass that was already primed in 270 Win. By the time I shot them all with what I assume is Fed 210's, the dang pockets are loose. I am not running any real hot stuff through em, just 130 Tipped Trophy Bonded Bear Claws with RL17 at 3050'ish. Kinda disappointed in them to be totally honest. The brass is good, but the annealing must've been off when they were made. Oh well, lesson learned (AGAIN), don't buy cheap brass, it really isn't ever cheap.

 

[greenheadcaller]

OP..., for me, brass life depends on the caliber, the load, and not overworking brass.

That typed, in 223 for example, for me (ymmv) federal brass doesn’t hold up as well as others, to the point that I don’t bother with it. Conversely Remington brass holds up well, right up there with Lake City.

All of that typed .....even the best brass won’t last long if I load them hot and size to minimums (and not to my rifle). Brass, even the best stuff, will grow pretty much by the same amount of free headspace you leave every time. I am not suggesting you are oversizing, just saying brass life mostly depends on the reloader. For me, fed brass in hotter 556 stuff will loose primer hold quickly.