In general, how many cases do you try to have on hand? Do you have a per caliber minimum or a per firearm minimum?
Curious as I'm trying to stay out of the deep dark stinky stuff with the spousal unit.
In general, how many cases do you try to have on hand? Do you have a per caliber minimum or a per firearm minimum?
Curious as I'm trying to stay out of the deep dark stinky stuff with the spousal unit.
Cargo
brass does not go bad, buy it cheep and stack it deep.
if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead
I would speculate that it would be based upon the number of expected reloads before discarding the case and the number of rounds you expect to fire from each firearm. Last but certainly not least.....are you fairly certain that the brass can be replaced/purchased.
For myself, expecting 10 reloads before “tossing”, assuming that replacement brass will be unavailable, combined with my predicted number of rounds fired from that particular firearm in my lifetime......it may be as little as 200 pieces of brass. With other firearms, the input values may be far different.....meaning a different amount of brass needed! memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
“LETS GO BRANDON”
I am an RSO at our local gun club. One of the benefits is the brass. Many reload but a lot do not and I scarf up EVERYTHING that I can get. EVERYTHING.
If I run into someone that needs some, it is freely given. But I get what I can because... Well, you know how it is now.
“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”
Depends on how old you are, how much ya got, and how much ya shoot
Being human is not for sissies.
Assign a space for brass storage.
Fill it up.
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Except for the largest rifle cartridges several thousand pieces of brass don't take up all that much space. If it's brass and reloadable I pick it up!
With a new to me caliber I start feeling OK when I hit about 500 reloadable cases. That's only OK though. If an opportunity comes along to get more I'll take it, but won't go out of my way or pay big for it once I pass 500.
Chance favors the prepared mind.
Depends on cartridge as some are more easily obtained than others. I like 300-500 pieces for each firearm on average,more for multiple firearms of same cartridge. 40-70 SS has taken me about 15 years to get 400 pieces of properly head stamped brass,375 Winchester was a challenge for a while as some others as well so I get as much as I can.
Hi I'm brass410 I have a problem I'm a hoarder of cartridge cases.
How much to buy in these times of scarcity is kind of a Moot point. If you can find what you need to shoot, buy a quantity you can get by with for now. When prices and availability come down, then buy everything you can afford...that will likely happen when we get a more 2A friendly WH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001
Years ago I bought 10,000 9mm cases for $100 shipped.
I stock no less than 3000 for the standard calibers - 38, 380, 357, 44 special, 44 mag and 45 acp.
500 for 25-20 and 32-20. Will get more 32-20 when available.
223? 3 5 gallon buckets full.
308? 2000 or so.
Never enough brass.
You can always sell it for scrap or use it for trading material.
Collector and shooter of guns and other items that require a tax stamp, Lead and brass scrounger. Never too much brass, lead or components in inventory! Always looking to win beauty contests with my reloads.
When the producers of the tv show Hoarders want to do a show on you ... then you have enough .
Till then ... pick up all you get for free or as little as possible and store it in platic bins ...it doesn't go bad . Clean and polish it and make sure to spray some lube on the cases to keep corrosion away.
I had a box of military 7.62 (600) in an old cardboard box for about 25 years ... a few were starting to get corrosion on them . I cleaned , polished , decapped, removed primer crimp and have them all ready ... all I have to do is buy that 308 rifle I been thinking of buying for the last 35 years ...
yeah , someday ...I'm going to have to do that .
You can't have too much brass ...might be a shortage one day ....
Gary
Certified Cajun
Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
" Let's Go Brandon !"
I store prepped brass in 50cal ammo cans, I have about 100 of them. Most are full, but there are oddball calibers with less, like 41spcl. I’ve greatly reduced inventory the past couple years, but at one point I acquired 20 5 gal buckets of 45acp, I felt that was more than sufficient and gave away half. About the same time I had 5 5gal buckets of 38spcl and accidentally gave it all away thinking that I had more...still building that back up. I also have cans full of 40s&w, 357sig, 380acp, 45gap, 308win, and a few others for which I do not own guns, I’ll find a use for it one day.
I find it relaxing to prep brass, so I don’t store much dirty. OTOH, if I die my wife is gonna kill me.
I have collected several Wood Cigar Boxes, I fill them up with Tumbled and Dried .38, .45acp, 30-06, 30-30, I have at least 1'000 of each, my most reloaded are 30-06 and 45acp I collect brass from Yard Sale finds, range Pick up, I for some reason got over 900 .40s&w in Cigar Boxes resting on my shelf units in my Garage I no longer own a gun chambered for 40S&W. I also have a display case of Ammo I have some interest in older military Ammo. I do not have guns to match all the Ammo in my Display. I get strange looks from people when they see my Dummy 8Inch 38 Projectile Naval standing on my Patio.
I'm more or less out of room to store brass and I have enough to last me several lifetimes at the rate I've been shooting over the last few years, but I still pick up every case I find. Just can't help it.
What I need to do is stop picking it and spend that time prepping what I've got. But then again, it'll be a shame for someone to dump buckets of prepped brass at the recycler when I die.
I am more concerned with my 303 Savage or 218 Bee than my 308's, 300 Savage... Cartridges based on the 308 or 30-06 can be formed. The pistole/revolver cartridges don't take up much room. A couple thousand 9mm fit in a shoe box. I do have a storage building where a BUNCH of stuff sits. You didn't say what you were reloading/shooting but 500 plus for stuff like the 218 Bee, 303 Savage, 375 Win and other hard to find, whatever you can find/afford for the rest. Brass keeps, just keep it dry, waterproof boxes and bags for storage.
Are we talking about how much brass you need for a caliber you do or do not own?
Well so far I feel better, my wife may end up adding most of you to her list though lol.
There are five shooters in my family and four in my best friends family. I reload more or less for all of them. A trip to the range normally runs around 600-700 rds of handgun ammo (9mm, 10mm, 45acp, 40 s&w, 38sp, 357mag), 75-150 rds of 12 + 20 gauge and 500 rds or so of .22lr. We'd probably shoot more but with primers these days...
.38/.357 is most definitely my #1 choice to reload for. I have a few 1000
.38 sp brass and 500-600 .357 mag brass. I conservatively estimate reloads at 5 per piece because it makes adding inventory a little easier with the wife.
Cargo
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |