Effect of changing brands of brass

[Iwsbull]

Do you notice any difference in poi, velocities, etc.... and do you think it matters more as you go to higher velocity and pressure?
The reason I ask is that I have a mixed bag of brass for my 44 magnum and at my favorite load,about 1280 FPS with a 265 grain swc, it doesn’t seem to matter a lot. When I load for upper end 454 casull it seems to make a very noticeable difference. When I used to load for my rifle I never mixed brass either.

[drac0nic]

Can't say for sure but one thing I noticed was Aguilla .357 brass shows up significantly differently with my Powder Cop than does RP/Win brass. Enough so that I separated it out and wouldn't want to use max loads without re-development.

[Walks]

Don't think you will see a difference in standard loads. If you were shooting Match swaged bullets in match brass in a loading sequence where you kept everything in a selected matched lot, you might see a change.

For the Casull, it didn't matter. As it was so long ago for me that only Freedom Arms Brass & Bullets were available and I dedicated two Bricks of WIN Sm Rifle Mag Primers from the same lot and a 3lb can of W296. Out of the 3 Bullet weights that F-A put out then; 240gr, 265gr, 300gr, I found the 265gr to be the most accurate. Bought 10 50rd boxes from the same lot and 6 boxs of brass from the same lot.

When everything matches, everything works better.

Save the mixed brass for plinking, and maintain your "good" brass for the Accurate Target/Hunting Loads you really need.

[Rcmaveric]

I have noticed differences from 9mm brass, to 30-30, to .270 Win. I will use mixed head stamp 9mm and 380 brass. Its noticeable what it does to groups but it inst bad. 357 Mag brass and up gets organized by make. Groups will be good as long as the brass matches. Mix the brass and those and I have wound up with 3 different groups.

During load development I will use match prepped brass which has been weight sorted.

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[MT Gianni]

If you weight sort brands of brass you can see the differences. Since the outside dimensions are the same the difference is interior space. Pressures will be different if shot in different sized cases. It may not be significant but it bears sorting to see if it is.

[ACC]

Well it depends. Is the brass "good" brass or cheap stuff like Mag-Tech? I was given a lot of once fired Mag-Tech 38 Special brass and since they where all of the same lot, they where in the factory boxes, they should be all the same right? Nope I was seeing a difference when I put the powder in, even with my 65+ year old eyes. So being the OCD guy that I am I weighed a few and found them all over the place. Although it wasn't enough to make much of a difference pressure wise, according to the chronograph it did make the velocity between shots. Some time as much as 100 fps. I don't use those cases anymore. And I would never buy Mag-Tech ammo.

ACC

[tazman]

I haven't noticed a lot of difference with handgun brass. With rifle brass I have noticed a lot of differences. Enough so to go from quite safe to over pressure and unsafe even with the same powder charge and bullet.
I am not talking about military brass here. I used factory brass that appeared to weigh the same and have the same volume. Just a different manufacturer.
I loaded all the cases the same day from the same bottle of powder and box of primers. The one brand shot beautifully. Very accurate and no signs of pressure. The other brand shot poorly and was hard to open the bolt. Also had a different POI.
This with a powder charge that was 3 grains below the suggested max from the powder manufacturer and every loading manual I could reference.
You never know for sure until you test it.

[drac0nic]

Well it depends. Is the brass "good" brass or cheap stuff like Mag-Tech? I was given a lot of once fired Mag-Tech 38 Special brass and since they where all of the same lot, they where in the factory boxes, they should be all the same right? Nope I was seeing a difference when I put the powder in, even with my 65+ year old eyes. So being the OCD guy that I am I weighed a few and found them all over the place. Although it wasn't enough to make much of a difference pressure wise, according to the chronograph it did make the velocity between shots. Some time as much as 100 fps. I don't use those cases anymore. And I would never buy Mag-Tech ammo.

ACC

The .357 I had from them that was nickel was super thin walled and I crunched a few and said heck with it and scrapped it. Then again that was a long long time ago too. The beauty of .357 mag brass is that it lasts a long, long time so long as it's not nickel plated.

[jcren]

I think it is more important as pressure goes up. My 30-06 has a strong preference for Winchester brass for full power loads, 1/2"-3/4" groups with win open up to 2" plus with mixed brands. But my 165 cast over 18 grains of 2400 shoots about the same 2" group with any assortment of brass, even commercial and cheap mil surplus.

[ABJ]

My short answer is yes it matters and yes you can see a POI change. One example is my 45 ACP Bullseye gun. RP cases at 25 yd zero in the x ring, switch to Starline and the POI moves to the 8/9 ring at 1 o'clock. Same group size. If I switch to Fed. or Win cases group size doubles. I have noticed that in just about all my handguns except 9mm. My 38 special likes fed. cases, 44 mag loves Win or starline? I have two 35 Remington, Marlins that will only shoot well with Fed cases. You just have to try different headstamps, but I do think the case brand has the biggest effect on accuracy as long as a proper powder and charge is used. I have not noticed primer brand making a big difference in handguns but it can in bottleneck rifle. I have switched to Federal primers on just about everything.
Tony

[ACC]

I too have gone to Federal primers on everything. For years our local gun shops would not sell Federal reloading items cause the said they where "cheaply made" the real reason was that they didn't make as much on the Federal stuff. Then a miracle happened. A Federal Distributor opened up here and would sell to everyone. Now all the shops sell Federal brand stuff.

I have been using Federal primers and some brass for over 40 years.

ACC

[MostlyLeverGuns]

In the 308 I have weighed cases over many headstamps, latest Win is 158-160, most Nato around 178-181, my Lapua is about 178, 358 Wincheater - Win light, Hornady and Starline different. Loads worked up in Winchester often to much in Nato brass. 45 ACP varies some but I load moderate to light charges so haven't paid close attention, use different brands/bullet weights in the full-size steel 1911 P14-45 vs the XDS. Try to stick with a single brand until worn out. Only have Win for 38 Special and 357, R-P for 45 Colt and 44 Special, all bulk buys, don't wear out with moderate loading. I usually buy large amounts when on sale or closeout so no need to change brass make.

[dverna]

KISS

Most of my pistol shooting is non-critical. I only sort brass for maximum .357 loads.

Rifle brass is sorted.

[ACC]

I sort for everything. It's not you it just me. Does it make a difference target wise? Nope probably not, it's just me.

When you are talking max loads in say the 7.62X39 yep it'll make a difference. If I can't get Federal brass for the 7.62X39, and I have to go with Winchester, I gotta back off or I get really flattened primers.

ACC