How important is it to not mix brass?

hifiwasabi

hifiwasabi

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I've been slowly acquiring components and equipment to start reloading for my #1 in .303 British. My question is, how important is it to not mix brands of cases when trying to develop a load? I've got a fair number of Federal, S&B and Winchester cases and a few random Kynoch and Imperial cases. Just for context, I'm thinking of using BL-2(C) to lob Hornady 174 RN's at .308 velocities.
 
For pistol reloading, it does not matter much. For precision rifle reloading it can make a significant difference, as internal volume varies from one brand to another. Those differences will in turn cause cause differences in pressure when the case is fired.
 
Depending on what the cases were fired in there could be some issues when you try to resizes them.
Also depending on the case capacity you may see some big pressure differences between the different brands
Cat
 
Anyone have a recommendation? The S&B brass looks like it's made with the most care, but I got subpar accuracy with the 150 grain bullets initially loaded. The factory Winchester 180's actually performed the best thus far.
 
If you want accuracy, pick one headstamp.

Preferably all from the same lot #.

If you mix brass you get a variation in capacity and neck tension.

If you want accuracy, there are better powders. Varget and RL15, for example.
 
S+B IMO is the worst brass going ie primer pockets of various sizes and depths in the same lot.Your mileage may vary.
 
IMHO

It is important not to mix brass from different manufacturers if you want any serious reloading consistency. I have adopted a practice of buying, at a minimum, 300 new brass cases of the same manufacturers (Lapua is the best ... I like Hornady and Nosler too ... ) per new gun/barrel. By the time the brass is worn out, the barrel is too. Especially if one uses a Lee Collet Neck sizing die / Redding Body die (every 4th or 5th resizing) regime for a bolt action rifle. If you can get all the brass from the same lot ... even better ... and track the number of case resizings ...
 
All depends what you’re doing. If you’re reloading 200 yard hunting rounds, then any mix of cases is fine. If you’re going for precision, consistency is key.
 
You can use multiple brands. You can probably even use the same load. Just be aware that the case capacity and neck tension may not be the same. This could lead to a poi shift for sure. It wouldn’t make sense to shoot groups with a mix, but it wouldn’t matter much if you were hitting a gong at 100 yards.
 
mbogo3 said:
S+B IMO is the worst brass going ie primer pockets of various sizes and depths in the same lot.Your mileage may vary.
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X2, S&B sucks. Good factory ammo, mediocre brass. Lucky to get 3 or 4 firings from them before head seperation. You gotta get on the PPU train if you're loading .303. Lol.

Federal I've had mixed results with, if you're neck sizing only it'll last a while.

Best Flat base bullets seem to be the Sierra's pro hunter, either 150 or 180 gr. If you're looking for cheap plinkers the Campro's aren't bad either
 
Carbon12 said:
IMHO

It is important not to mix brass from different manufacturers if you want any serious reloading consistency. I have adopted a practice of buying, at a minimum, 300 new brass cases of the same manufacturers (Lapua is the best ... I like Hornady and Nosler too ... ) per new gun/barrel. By the time the brass is worn out, the barrel is too. Especially if one uses a Lee Collet Neck sizing die / Redding Body die (every 4th or 5th resizing) regime for a bolt action rifle. If you can get all the brass from the same lot ... even better ... and track the number of case resizings ...
Click to expand...

Very good advice ^^^^

With a 303 Brit, consider getting a Lee collet neck die and keeping your pressures moderate. Stay within printed data and watch for bulges in the fired case indicating issues with the rifle itself. I personally wouldn't body or FL size the case... when they get a bit still to chamber, i would toss them and start with fresh brass.

PRVI or PPU is the strongest commercial stuff available. If interested, I have some here.

Jerry
 
hifiwasabi said:
I've been slowly acquiring components and equipment to start reloading for my #1 in .303 British. My question is, how important is it to not mix brands of cases when trying to develop a load? I've got a fair number of Federal, S&B and Winchester cases and a few random Kynoch and Imperial cases. Just for context, I'm thinking of using BL-2(C) to lob Hornady 174 RN's at .308 velocities.
Click to expand...

By #1, do you mean a No. 1 Mk. III Lee Enfield, or a Ruger No. 1?
This would make quite a difference, particularly if you are planning to lob 174gr bullets at .308 velocities.
 
I should've clarified that better, Ruger #1, so there's much more inherent strength than an old Enfield. Maybe I'll check out the PPU brass. I picked up an RCBS press when Cabelas was blowing them out, RCBS scale, lube pad, primer tool and Lee 3 die set - though I'd have to refresh my memory as to the function of all the dies. I know I need a neck turning setup for case length, maybe I'll keep skulking around for one of those vibratory cleaners, too.
 
Was your brass originally fired in the Ruger, or is it range brass originally fired in Lee Enfield rifles? If the latter, inspect the brass very carefully for incipient case separations. Cull mercilessly.
Your Kynock brass is likely Berdan primed.
 
hifiwasabi said:
Anyone have a recommendation? The S&B brass looks like it's made with the most care, but I got subpar accuracy with the 150 grain bullets initially loaded. The factory Winchester 180's actually performed the best thus far.
Click to expand...

The old Lyman manuals used to recommend reducing powder charges by 2 grs when using military 308 brass. I found that to be pretty close with most powders. I also checked the weight on the 308 military brass I had and found it to be about 20 grs heavier than some commercial brass. So as a rule of thumb for every 10 grs heavier a case is the powder capacity is reduced approx 1 gr. I found this held true when using 264 win brass sized down for my 257 Wby as well. Hope that helps
 
If you are only loading for one rifle, then neck sizing is the way to go. If you are loading for more than one rifle, the partially resizing with your FL die allows you to use the same loads in all rifles. Just keep your brass types segregated in batches, and keep track of the number of firings for each batch.
 
hifiwasabi said:
I should've clarified that better, Ruger #1, so there's much more inherent strength than an old Enfield. Maybe I'll check out the PPU brass. I picked up an RCBS press when Cabelas was blowing them out, RCBS scale, lube pad, primer tool and Lee 3 die set - though I'd have to refresh my memory as to the function of all the dies. I know I need a neck turning setup for case length, maybe I'll keep skulking around for one of those vibratory cleaners, too.
Click to expand...

I suspect what you need first is a case trimmer, to trim the brass to length; at some future point you may want to get into turning case necks to a specific thickness. Case trimming and Neck turning are two different processes. Your cheapest choice for case trimming, for one cartridge, is probably the Lee system - a stud that goes into an electric drill and a cutter as one part; a pilot and case holder specific to your cartridge as the second part - each "part" is in the $10 to $15 range. More expensive tools - they look like miniature hand cranked lathes - by RCBS, Lyman, etc. can do both case length and neck turning with the appropriate accessories, but be prepared to be up in the $200 range to do it all.
 
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