454 case life?

[Cornbread]

I reload my 454s a lot as many of you know but last night I cracked one down the side while sizing so I went and looked up in my notes how old that brass was. That piece of brass was just over 15 years old. I have no idea how many times I reloaded it during those 15 years. I am guessing it was probably getting pretty brittle :) It was Winchester brass so definitely not some of the better brass I own but it still lasted a good long time.

What kind of case life are you guys getting out of your 454 brass and what do you do to your brass to prolong its life as long as possible for use with cast bullets?

[dh2]

I have .454 Cassull that is up to loaded 6 times so far, but only 5 years old, it gets nothing special, I treat it like rifle brass, it spends it life in the same batch it started with to the end expand and crimp as little as I can get a way with, and in the tumbler to clean it every time it is fired.

[Groo]

Groo here
With the tight chambers on an FA454 I would expect brass to last a long time, EXCEPT when using the older
Extra High Pressure loads we use to load..
Also most brass is thicker and holds somewhat less powder with less pressure .
The Ruger or Taurus with its larger 45 colt chamber ,,, not so much.
Pressure or lack there of being the biggest factor.

[Tatume]

Mine eventually split at the case mouth, after about 15-20 loadings. I don't keep records on them, as I keep several hundred running at a time and just replace the rejects in each 100-box as they occur.

[Cornbread]

I do mine in batches of 100 as well. All brass stays in its original batch though so as they start going bad the batches get smaller. This was from a batch of my least favorite brass (Winchester brass) so I don't use it as often as my other better brass but it does get use. It predates my keeping records on how many times I have fired a batch and what loads were in it. I do know before I learned better I had some pretty hot H110 hand breakers loaded up in this brass.

I don't generally push the 1800fps edge like that anymore most of my loads are between 1300fps and 1500fps. Right around 1400fps I seem to get the best accuracy with 255gr, 325gr, and 350gr cast bullets. I would guess these have seen at least 20 loadings in their lifetime even though I don't use this batch of brass much. The wife has been doing a lot more shooting lately with the 454s so I have my other lots used up with her loads so I had these ones out again and had loaded them up.

Do any of you guys anneal your 454 brass?

I have been debating doing this to see if I can squeak any more case life out of my brass. I average 15 - 20 loading with starline and hornady brass. Some of the Federal brass I have has gone a bit more than that so long as I stay in that 1300 - 1500fps range with my loads.

I pay $25 per 100 for guaranteed once fired brass that is mixed so I sort it by type when I get it. I wonder if it is even worth it to try and stretch more loading out of it? I shoot around 200 rounds of 454 a week, some weeks much more if my wife and kids are shooting too.

Thoughts?

[bobthenailer]

For loads up to 1,100 fps in my 454 Casull's with cast boolets i use a taper crimp die .I use a 45 lc taper crimp die
I also use a taper crimp die on 38/357 & 44 mag for cast loads up to 1,000 fps to help prolong case life.

[Tatume]

Yes, annealing would probably prolong the life of the cases. As you note, it hardly seems worth the effort.

[dvnv]

I have been using the same brass for 22 years or so. I don't know how many times it has been reloaded (I gave up keeping track about 12 years ago...it was 8-10 at that time), but figure around 20 times. My loads are moderate (260 gr @ 1,700) and I bell as little as possible. All my brass is from FA, don't know who made it (kind of feels like Federal).

[Cornbread]

I have been using the same brass for 22 years or so. I don't know how many times it has been reloaded (I gave up keeping track about 12 years ago...it was 8-10 at that time), but figure around 20 times. My loads are moderate (260 gr @ 1,700) and I bell as little as possible. All my brass is from FA, don't know who made it (kind of feels like Federal).

Are you using H110 for that load of 260gr at 1700fps? Also what bullet and or mold, what lube, and what alloy/hardness? Plain base or gas check.

I have been shooting a lot of 255 - 260gr RNFP at 1,400fps and it is really accurate for me. I pushed a few loads at up around 1700fps but one of my 454s is a 2.5" snubby and at 1700fps, I'm not going to lie, it made my hand ache but I also didn't get any leading and I do not currently use any gas checked bullets.

Sorry I guess I got off track but your load speed and length of time using it makes me suspect you have something that works good for you so it made me curious as to what the specifics of it are. I am always looking for good cast loads for the 454.

[High Desert Hunter]

I have some that has been loaded more than 20 times, it is Starline, my Winchester brass didn't last much past 12-14 loadings before I got splits, some almost neck to rim. Now that I shoot a FA, I notice it doesn't stretch as much, and I seem to get more loadings.

[TXGunNut]

Sounds like you got your money's worth out of that batch, if all have been fired the same number of times I'd be looking for more splits this next go-round. I recycle my revolver brass when the failure rate gets over 3-4%. Sizing, crimp type and cylinder dimensions have an effect on case life but I'd say you have a pretty good handle on that to get the service you've gotten. I like Winchester brass, I just like Starline better.

[Tar Heel]

All of mine, including FA original loaded brass has not failed yet in the FA Casull. I've been loading it since the '83 was purchased in '85. No case failures yet. Most loads are heavy loads in original brass (LRP) and the newer brass (SRP).

111246 111247

Notice the differing case lengths.