When is it time to chuck away your brass
- Thread starter Boer seun
- Start date
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
I'm still shooting Rem and Norma brass that I bought in the 1980's. Some have been reloaded 12 times. I just shoot loads that are not too hot and I clean my brass after firing. Found it best to trim cases back after the second firing and keep an eye on case lengths after that. Also found heat annealing case mouths prolongs case life greatly.
I usually keep loading it until I get some sign, I've never had a case split. I check the primer pockets for getting loose, if teh cases get hard to trim. I have 260 rem cases that I have probably loaded a dozen times, but magnum cases that I've only loaded maybe 5 times.
JohnC
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
it depends on the condition of the brass, how hot your loads are , whether you anneal or not, etc. this may sound like sacrilege to some but to me if you decide they are not safe any more (whatever your standards) its a good idea to destroy the brass by crushing the neck with pliers - that way someone else won't pick it up and reload it and hurt themselves or their rifle.
JohnC said:
x2 on that one. We have people scrounging through our garbage cans all the time picking out brass all the time and then giving it to there buddies to reload with or selling it as once fired. (You can't go by colour of primer).
I used to discard after 8 firings. Now though I have some cases that have been reloaded 15 times. Cases fail due to strain hardening which is caused by resizing - both when fired and when pressed into a sizing die. If I use a neck sizing die and don't crimp the brass seems to last indefinitely. If I use the Lee Factory Crimp (which I do for hunting loads) the brass will split at the mouth after about 10 reloads. I reload for two hunting rifles that must have chambers on the large size because with full length resizing I usually only get 4 reloads or so for them.
I do sort my brass into batches and keep track of how many times each batch has been fired. Once I see a few split cases or even one sign of case separation I throw out the whole batch.
I do sort my brass into batches and keep track of how many times each batch has been fired. Once I see a few split cases or even one sign of case separation I throw out the whole batch.
There are so many variables that determine case life. I reload cases until they aren't safely reloadable any more. If you're shooting lower-pressure loads and only neck-sizing, then applying an arbitrary amount of loadings before discarding doesn't make much sense.
If you've trimmed the brass to length a few times it may be suspect. That brass is comming from somewhere, usually from a ring just a above the base on the inside. It may be evident from a visible shiney ring developing there. Cut a very used case lengthwise and you'll se what is ment.
Also, primer pockets expand to the point where primers go in with no effort. Some primers seem tighter than others.
Also, primer pockets expand to the point where primers go in with no effort. Some primers seem tighter than others.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
In a factory rifle, you may only be able to reload twice so be cautious and if you don't like what you see, pitch it.
You are looking for shiney rings around the case head, bulges, splits, loose primer pockets, excessive case length growth (has to come from somewhere and that is usually the web).
Neck sizing in a bolt rifle will help so will using moderate pressures.
Consider annealing the necks after 4 to 6 firings. many BR shooters are annealing more often.
In a BR rifle with a tight lock up and proper sizing/annealing, the case may outlive the barrel. Yes, you are talking 30 to 50 reloads.
Jerry
You are looking for shiney rings around the case head, bulges, splits, loose primer pockets, excessive case length growth (has to come from somewhere and that is usually the web).
Neck sizing in a bolt rifle will help so will using moderate pressures.
Consider annealing the necks after 4 to 6 firings. many BR shooters are annealing more often.
In a BR rifle with a tight lock up and proper sizing/annealing, the case may outlive the barrel. Yes, you are talking 30 to 50 reloads.
Jerry
