How many times do you reload your brass?

[rhouser]

I have 45 ACP brass that I have been shooting since the 1970's. I haven't bought any in 20 years. It lives in a 5 gallon bucket and gets scooped out as I need it and dumped back when shot. I stir the bucket every now and then to "rotate the stock".

I have 223 brass that I treat the same way. It lives in it's own bucket and comes out the same way. I do inspect the brass as I deprime it and watch for rings and cracks. I pitch anything with a loose primer into a separate bucket on reloading. These I save to load cast boolits at reduced loads shot in my bolt guns. At that point I consider them one more and done. Real Loose get deprimed (yes I do) and pitched at the end of the priming session. I prime by hand.

I have 30-30 and 30-06 that get reloaded as I need them. I don't remember how many times. They get the same treatment as the .223.

I have .243 AI, .375 and .300 RUM brass that get checked after every use. These, I am generally running hot. I micrometer the web bases on a regular basis. Any ringing gets picked at with my dental pick and any thing shakey gets tossed. Loose primers are dumped. These are High Pressure loads.

All in all, I have a lot of brass that will out live me. It will all become my son's problem.

rch

[W.R.Buchanan]

Until it fails, for a myriad of reasons, or I lose it.

Ditto: Randy

[RED BEAR]

I can't really say I have 9mm and 38 spec I started loading in the 80s. Keep going until we defect.

[Tom W.]

My 30-06A.I. brass is from brass that I've loaded quite a few times before I rechambered the rifle. I have to watch my fireforming brass, and if I don't like it for any reason it goes into the recycling bin. I had more rejects from Winchester nickle plated brass than anything else. The rifles I have are all single shot rifles. The worst was my.270 as the brass would stretch terribly after each shot.

Handguns I'll shoot until the mouths split or I lose them. I'm still shooting .44 mag brass from the mid 80's......

[flint45]

As many times as possible.Got some .45 auto rim that I lost count bought a ton of it in the early 90's only split about 5 so far. I have a M1A that is rel hard on brass only 4 or 5 loadings and the cases are done.

[Michael J. Spangler]

http://www.massreloading.com/loading45ACP.html

Great read

[second chance]

http://www.massreloading.com/loading45ACP.html

Great read

Thanks for that link. I know the amount of hammering one firing of my new starline brass took, it would only be a matter of time before the rim was pounded down all around the base, on multiple loadings. What I didn't even consider(and neither had the tester), is that the primer pocket would get shallower. I thought it was just my 1911 .45acp slamming the fired case against the extractor too hard, but i have no doubt, mine will look just like those, sooner, rather than later

[wordsmith]

Ditto: Randy

Same. When I first starting reloading, I did the same research primarily to quantify a life cycle cost savings for reloading versus factory ammo, mostly to justify my "investment" to the spousal unit. I'll let you know when I stop "re-investing" those savings and actually realize some savings.

I would agree with others that your 55 gr load loosening LC brass in 4 or so cycles is too much pressure. Been there and learned. Doesn't matter what the interwebs or books say, that's the proof in the pudding for your combination. I have found LC to be very tough brass (by design), and by my measurements around 31.0 grains H2O capacity, which is about the most capacity you'll see in any brass. In other words, it will probably only be worse in softer or less voluminous brass. You need to back it down some if you want to increase the cycles.

My experience...

Straight-walled pistol - seemingly infinite reloads if you respect pressure limits.

223 / 5.56 / 300 BO / 308 AR - again, respecting pressures, not annealing and bumping shoulders back 0.002-0.003", I can get 5-8 cycles before something goes awry.

Bolt Action - Can be ruined in one loading cycle, or nearly infinite if you care for your brass. For me, that means carefully measured resizing with a Redding Body Die / Lee Collet to minimize neck working / shoulder bump, annealing every 3-5 cycles, and not loading to the ragged edge of pressures.

[lightman]

Yeah, Thanks for that link. I'm usually not impressed with many so called "experts" that have their own websites. I've found that most of them know less than we do and have seen some downright dumb and even dangerous stuff. This site proved to be interesting.

[bigcountry022885]

I think there are to many variables to give a set number I have 308 brass that I shoot out of a match rifle I built that has been loaded 7 times and still going and the same brass only made it 5 runs through my M1A . I do think that the auto loading rifles beat the brass up a lot faster for obvious reasons I have 45/70 brass that I have loaded over 10 runs through and I thin I cracked one in that time and I lose 45ACP before I ever crack or split one


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[Michael J. Spangler]

Thanks for that link. I know the amount of hammering one firing of my new starline brass took, it would only be a matter of time before the rim was pounded down all around the base, on multiple loadings. What I didn't even consider(and neither had the tester), is that the primer pocket would get shallower. I thought it was just my 1911 .45acp slamming the fired case against the extractor too hard, but i have no doubt, mine will look just like those, sooner, rather than later

Yeah, Thanks for that link. I'm usually not impressed with many so called "experts" that have their own websites. I've found that most of them know less than we do and have seen some downright dumb and even dangerous stuff. This site proved to be interesting.

Jim writes articles here and there and he might not delve into as many weird subjects as I see on this forum (and love) but it seems that what he writes about he digs deep into the details and figured out how and why. I loved that article and have shared it a few times and quoted it a few more. Especially with a buddy that said he loads his 308 brass full house loads 37 times with no issues and it's still going strong. (hahaha)

[AZ-JIM]

Like others have said, for pistol I usually lose them first. My last batch of 223 in my match AR I got 7 reloads, I push them a little, primer pockets got loose on them. I have about 7 cycles on my 6mm Dasher brass, I anneal those every other cycle and have not had to trim them yet. Its nice having dies that match the chamber, brass doesnt move much. I have heard its not uncommon to get 15 to 20+ cycles from those also, I hope so they arent exactly cheap lol.

[higgins]

I keep a few boxes of same lot brass for testing pistol loads, mainly for the sake of a consistent crimp and bullet tension. For plinking I too load them until the mouth cracks.

I follow the same routine for rifle loads. For casual shooting, I load them until they crack.

[robg]

Straight wall cases till neck splits or visible defects ,lead loads in bottle neck case ditto. Full power stuff until primers loose or other faults .