Number of times brass is fired?

[wisconsinteacher]

Are you aware of how many times you use brass and do you keep it separated from different groups? Up until now, I have always sized the brass and separated it by make and have never worried about the number of times fired. Should I be doing that as common practice or is that over kill?

 

[DrMike]

All my brass is segregated on the basis of how many times it has been fired. Then, it is visually inspected before sizing. Only brass of the same lot is fired at any given test.

 

[onesonek]

I always keep brass seperated by the number of firings. All get checked for incipient ring and other stress areas. It is just good practice regardless.

 

[OU812]

I do it the exact same as Mike. Work hardened brass could be the cause of some of the group size frustration you have seen. I know my groups go out the window once the brass necks get work hardened.


Bill

 

[FOTIS]

If my primer pockets are tight and there are no discrepancies they all go in the same lot.

 

[aka Hunter]

If my primer pockets are tight and there are no discrepancies they all go in the same lot.

+1, for most brass in the past; however, I've also kept track of the number of times certain brass has been shot -- but have done so mainly for trivia information purposes.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Now that I am getting more in depth of my reloading style and getting the .338 and 6.5 Grendel up and running this year I am able to keep tabs on those two but my .223, 22-250 and 30-06 brass has never been counted. I plan on keeping track of the .338 and 6.5 but as far as the other three goes, it is a total guess at this point. If I ever get new brass for them, I will keep better tabs on it. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[joelkdouglas]

I will completely understand if you don't do what I do.

I have been sorting necks by neck thickness, then neck turning, then sorting into groups by weight. Then I segregate the brass from other groups and keep notes about times fired since last annealing, how it was sized, etc.

Can I tell a difference in size at the range? I donno, as I started doing all this about the same time I got the rifle rebarreled. It could be a waste of time.

However, I also try not to watch much TV. I guess I could read instead...

 

[woods]

Always had a hard time keeping track of the number of times a piece of brass was fired. If you load a set of 50 or so and then shoot some at the range one time and then maybe again later, they can get mixed up pretty easy. With wanting to anneal after every 3 firings and trying to keep the cases as similar as possible for accuracy, it was driving me crazy.

This is the way I keep track and it doesn't matter if I spill the whole box or just get confused, I can put them all back into groups

Mark with an electric engraver

fill in the mark with a magic marker

even in a mixed box easy to identify

 

[SJB358]

I do it the exact same as Mike. Work hardened brass could be the cause of some of the group size frustration you have seen. I know my groups go out the window once the brass necks get work hardened.


Bill

This took me a long time to figure out. Now, with knowing how easy annealing is, I should be able to keep the cases much longer. With correctly set dies, it is harder to wear out cases. I think I am on my 12-15th firing on most of my 338WM Nosler cases. They are worth every penny in that rifle.

 

[usmc 89]

I usually buy at least two hundred pieces at a time and Grier them all before starting over again.I do sort them by weight but I only use Norma or lapua brass so they are very consistent from lot to lot. I also don't over pressure the cases either this helps alot in the longevity department.

 

[Elkman]

You will all be suprised to hear that I did anneal some cases (120) the other day. Used my little Ace hardward torch, my dogs dish a pair of pliers and clean water. Came out very well. I do sort my cases by weight, they never leave the same box for their lifetime. I have found of course that certain rifles/calibers are harder on brass than others. I kind of track the number of reloads, (when I remember) but I know that I am getting well over 10 with my 300 win mag, similar with the .308 and probably less than 10 with my STW. The STW is the picky one, the only one I have a neck sizer die for and the one that I buy the most expensive brass for. The STW has to be loaded with a different powder for the 175 PT and the 160 AB. With the STW its neck splitting and the 300 is usually neck or primer pocket failure. Just my .02

 

[onesonek]

As for annealing brass, I use to use a flame, which works well enough. A used a tempilstik with that method also,,,just gave me a better guide I feel. I know most won't do as I do now. But since starting casting, I just dip the necks in my molten lead alloy when getting ready to cast bullets, with brass that is in need. I get more even temp distibution this way I believe. And the temp I pour at is near perfect, depending on case length. Shorter cases I turn the pot temp up some, which allows for shorter dip time, in order to prevent too much heat migrating down to the head.

 

[PJGunner]

I do have an ongong experiment with 20 rounds of .375 H&H brass. They are used exclusively for my cast bullet load in my Ruger #1H. The last ttime I loaded hem, it was the twenty-first loading.
The brass was full length (FL) resized the first time round as they were given to me by a friend and he said they were once fired. :?: I used a load of 49.9 gr. of IMR-4895 and the RCBS bullet from mold #37-250-FN which casts a 270 gr. bullet in my alloy. I do use a tuft of dacron to hold tghe powder next to the primer.
After each shooting, the cases are neck sized (NS) only for four reloads. Then, I anneal the necks and FL size the brass. One thing I believe adds to he longevity of that brass is I don't have to crimp the bullets as the rifle is a single shot. The only working on the neck is from rsizing it and then the expansion with an "M" die to east seting the bullets. Bullets are cast from straight wheel weight metal and accuracy runs right ay 1.25 to 1.50". I'd say recoil is about like an 06 with a stiff load. The load maked the .375 ouch and ouh into a fairly pleasant fun gun. :lol: 8)
Paul B.