how many reloads?

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Just a general question how many reloads do you get from one piece of brass for a bottle neck rifle cartirge conservative loads say 22250 .I chuck mine after 4 loadings I figure I got my moneys worth .My buddy says I can get a lot more.(full length resizeing)
 
There's quite a few factors that affect case life. Best thing to do is inspect them after you shoot. You could generalize a few things like hotter loads putting more pressure on the neck and even the primer pocket which will lead to less reloadings. Looser chambers in semi's also tend to stretch the case quite a bit forcing a lot of full-length resizing and that will definitely cut down on the brass' life for sure (as opposed to neck sizing).

I try to use Lapua brass for as many different calibers as I can. I find (depending on the caliber) that for my bolt guns I can generally get around 8 loadings from the brass. The finish on Lapua brass (around the neck) really makes it easy to see how much life is left in the case. The "dullness" around the neck tends to wear away as the case gets close to the end of its lifespan.
 
I reload 270 win. I bet I get 7-10 shots out of them
Just regular WIN Sx or Remington Peter brass
Not real hot - 2800 fps for 140 gr or 3000 fps for 130gr

Toss em out when they split
 
I get about 20 reloads in my .264WM before the necks split. I FL size every time. If I annealed every 5 loads or so, I probably would get a lot more. They are generally loaded to the max.
 
No need to throw them out at 4 reloads, use em untill primer pockets become loose or necks split. Also watch for case head separation. Brass cases can last 30 reloadings or only 1, lots of variables.
 
I chuck them at 4 because if I check the weights on a batch of brass I find higher variations after 4 probably just from chamfering and deburring.I also find groups open up a bit.When I started reloading I found I would get the ocasonal neck split at about 6 or 7 loadings so made it a habit to stop at 4.
 
I won't cull cases that don't need it. When primer pockets are no longer tight or when splits appear, they are gone, but I don't see any benefit from discarding perfectly good cases simply due to their round count.
 
I suspect you are neck sizing only, which might account for the change in group size after a few reloads. I never neck size, but many posters have talked about the need to full length resize after a few loads to bring accuracy back.
 
I predominanetluy neck size, especcially in my high volume gopher guns. I have never seen accuracy go away from neck sizing only. If FL sizing made more accurate ammo, Benchrest shooters would FL size and they never do. Brass, even with max loads and FL resizing should easily last 15 reloads or more. I see no point in throwing out brass until it shows signs of failure such as cracking in the neck, head seperation or loose primer pockets. Close inspection is the key.
 
Dean2 said:
If FL sizing made more accurate ammo, Benchrest shooters would FL size and they never do.
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Actually quite a few do. However they are not standard off the shelf full length dies. There are two ways it is done. One they have a custom die made to exactly match their custom cut chamber. The other way is to have the standard die you want to use measured and then have the chamber cut to match the standard die. The neck is honed (Forster does this on a custom basis) to size the brass without using an expander ball. Those that do it claim it improves accuracy.
 
Ron AKA said:
Actually quite a few do. However they are not standard off the shelf full length dies. There are two ways it is done. One they have a custom die made to exactly match their custom cut chamber. The other way is to have the standard die you want to use measured and then have the chamber cut to match the standard die. The neck is honed (Forster does this on a custom basis) to size the brass without using an expander ball. Those that do it claim it improves accuracy.
Click to expand...

Ron

I stand corrected. You are absolutely correct, but that type of BR FL sizing in no way resembles the FL sizing being talked about here. This BR method leaves the case still a perfect fit for the chamber and deals with the problem of some cases become tight fits and .0005 to .001 oversize from many firings.

That is not the same as squeezing a case down as much as 8 or 9 thou every time you fire it, and potentially moving the shoulder back 4 or 5 thou each time, and effectively creating too much headspace every time the cartridge is fired.

Done right, normal full length sizing can be useful, particularly in hunting loads, and is a must for Hiogh Power competition which uses autoloaders, but it takes the patience to do the required measuring and detailed knowledge of dies set up for it to be truly effective. Few people take the time, or have the knowledge to do that. Neck sizing is much easier to get right, and as long as you test the loaded cartriges for ease of chambering before you hunt with them, there is no drawback to neck sizing.

For high volume gopher loads, not having to clean lube off of 3000 cases is a big deal too.
 
I usually am reloading my 30-06 cases any where from 6 to 12 times depending on brass manufacturers. I will get a short case life when running hot or compressed loads. Always visually inspect each case you are going to reload regardless of how many times it has been reloaded. Safety first. Any visual damage hits the garbage.
 
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