Is Cheap .223 ammo suitable for reloading?

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bscriver

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I am going to begin reloading .223 this fall, and I'm wondering what a good cheap ammo with good durable brass would be. I have used PMC but something about the color of the neck makes me not want to reload them. Am I wrong? Do I have to buy top shelf ammo to get good brass or do some companies use good brass for both their budget and premium lines?
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Brad
 
Some brass is better than others, my preference is Win. The discoloration of the neck is because it was annealed by the manufacturer, most military stuff is. PMC probably has crimped primers which means the primer pocket must be swaged or reamed before priming. It's all reloadable, some is more consistant than others.
 
I like the cheap winchester stuff in the white boxes - 45 grain hollow points from wal-mart. Decent brass - not bad accuracy for the factory loading either. I bought LOTS of it when I bought my .223....enough that I reload for .223 in the winter and shoot all summer.

I'd repeat what was said above me - some of the brass will have a crimped primer - that's the stuff to avoid - it's a PITA to deal with.
 
The neck colour is actually something to look for to help ensure good brass.

The reason it is left on is that military inspectors traditionally look for it to ensure the cases have been annealed, and the mil doesn't usually want shiny brass.

PMC is very good brass.

If you are serious about loading 223, buy a Dillon 1050, it removes the crimp on the fly.
 
+1 for PMC brass they are awesome I personally think they are better the WIN brass for consistency and # of reloads.
 
PMC is crap brass, in fact you should not load it as it could be dangerous. Better idea would be to sell all of it to me for a very cheap price ... just kidding. I have loaded it and it seems to be great stuff.
 
Ive been using S&B brass for reloading and they've been great for me.

The only thing i had to do extra was give the primer pockets a bit more cleaning.

There quite hefty brass as well when i weighted them they where heavier than my ruag(101.4 grains), FC(93.7 grains), LC(94.6 grains) cases with S&B coming in at 102.5 grains.
 
Its all good. You might as well get yourself a primer pocket reamer/swager right off the bat if you're going to reload .223. It is one of the least inexpensive reloading accessories relative to the benefit it produces.
 
I haven't fired off any rounds with the PMC yet, but in prepping the brass (primer pockets, flash holes etc) it feels only slightly inferior to the Lapua, and better then Rem or Win brass. The colour difference is due to annealing of the brass; be concerned when you don't see it.
Mike
 
all brass gets annealed, some manufacturers just don't polish the cases afterwards so you can see the annealing. pretty sure annealing is a major part of the brass making process.

as far as the best brass? i use the really cheap winchester brass that has been fired in semi autos and it seems to be doing fine.
I hear lake city and pmc are great as they should be(both military brass) and you can buy big bags of once fired for pretty cheap. I also hear federal gold medal is good but more expensive than lapua.
 
"...Am I wrong?..." Yep. PMC makes ammo for the Korean military as well as commercial ammo. The off colour of the neck is just annealing that they didn't bother polishing off. Nothing to worry about.
"...pretty sure annealing is a major part of the brass making process..." Yep. All that stretching and forming work hardens the brass. Annealing fixes that.
"...PMC have crimped primers?..." Not entirely sure, but your chamfering tool or a primer pocket swager will deal with it.
 
PMC have crimped primers

Yes the PMC brass has crimped primers. I use the RCBS primer pocket swager to remove the crimp. Works great.
T
 
How do you rate Remington brass? I find the Winchester brass has a softer base and is getting burred from the ejector, the Rem with the same load doesn't have that problem.
 
Grizzlypeg said:
How do you rate Remington brass? I find the Winchester brass has a softer base and is getting burred from the ejector, the Rem with the same load doesn't have that problem.
Click to expand...

I have been reloading the Remington UMC brass now, and it seems to be fine for AR plinking. Haven't had multiple reloads yet, but so far, so good.:D
 
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