How Many Loads You Get Out of Your Brass?

[General RE LEE]

I have been loading Remington brass and lately I've started to see the faint case head separation line appearing above the belt. This happens after 3-4 loads. I don't load hot loads, 75.5 grains of H1000 180 grain of Berger VLDH 2990 FPS. I anneal with AMP after every shot.

How many reloads are y'all getting with your brass?

 

[josh_127]

I'm on my 6th loads with nosler brass...I culled 5 out of the 50 I started with due to loose pockets and I feel there's gonna be a few more this go around...nosler brass isn't the best but it's the best I could find for now.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

So much depends on the cartridge and brand of brass. My idiot neighbor has a 6ppc that he neck sizes only. Lapua brass and those cases have been shot at least 15-20 times. I had a batch of hornady 25-06 brass that I got 3 firings out of, one of those firings was in factory loaded ammunition form and the other 2 were at minimum and 1gr above minimum.

If you can get 8-10 firings out of your brass from any brand I'd say you are doing something right.

 

[Recon$$]

I toss them after 5 firings. No annealing just full length resizing. These are just my hunting rifles, no high volume or I'd squeeze more firings out.

 

[Greyfox]

I really depends on the particular cartridge/load/chamber. Using Lapua brass in each, my 6.5x47 Lapua gets about 20+ reloads, my 6.5x284 gets about 10 reloads. Generally, the indicator for me is loose primer pockets.

 

[jimbires]

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[General RE LEE]

Sorry I meant to specify this is for 7mm STW.

 

[brian11]

So much depends on the cartridge and brand of brass. My idiot neighbor has a 6ppc that he neck sizes only. Lapua brass and those cases have been shot at least 15-20 times. I had a batch of hornady 25-06 brass that I got 3 firings out of, one of those firings was in factory loaded ammunition form and the other 2 were at minimum and 1gr above minimum.

If you can get 8-10 firings out of your brass from any brand I'd say you are doing something right.

I'm confused as to what you mean when you say your neighbor's an idiot and he's getting 15-20 reloads and you're getting 3

 

[ZAK13]

I reload for a couple of different cartridges, and I only neck size. That being said, I usually get about 10-12 reloads, before I start to see loose primer pockets and then toss the brass.

 

[BillLarson]

My buddy got 33 reloads out of Lapua brass....... outa a Garand M1

 

[cabelasken]

I have been loading Remington brass and lately I've started to see the faint case head separation line appearing above the belt. This happens after 3-4 loads. I don't load hot loads, 75.5 grains oas f H1000 180 grain of Berger VLDH 2990 FPS. I anneal with AMP after every shot.

How many reloads are y'all getting with your brass?

5 is about max with the 7 STW even with moderate loads. The long powder column works the case extremely hard.

 

[spladi]

So much depends on the cartridge and brand of brass. My idiot neighbor has a 6ppc that he neck sizes only. Lapua brass and those cases have been shot at least 15-20 times. I had a batch of hornady 25-06 brass that I got 3 firings out of, one of those firings was in factory loaded ammunition form and the other 2 were at minimum and 1gr above minimum.

If you can get 8-10 firings out of your brass from any brand I'd say you are doing something right.

Curious as to why you call your neighbor an idiot???

 

[spladi]

I have been loading Remington brass and lately I've started to see the faint case head separation line appearing above the belt. This happens after 3-4 loads. I don't load hot loads, 75.5 grains of H1000 180 grain of Berger VLDH 2990 FPS. I anneal with AMP after every shot.

How many reloads are y'all getting with your brass?

If the line continues completely around the case, then I believe it's from the FL die and if its only partially then it's an impending failure area.

 

[Chad Erickson]

There are several ways that a case can fail: neck split, case shoulder split, loose primer pocket, and head separation. The most fatal of these, at least to your hunting trip, is head separation. As all know who have experienced it, full head separation leaves your firearm inoperable until you can get the front of the case removed. If you are loading a high powered cartridge with the higher allowed pressures, I suggest the following safety technique:
1. Take a 16d nail to your anvil and with a hammer, flatten the pointed end until the first 3/4" is an 1/8" thick spear.
2. While beating with the hammer, bend the spear 90° so a sharp point is perpendicular to the main nail shaft.
3. Insert the bent point into the case all the way to the head.
4. With the case horizontal, slowly drag the point back and forth in the area where head separations happen.
5. Rotate the case and test in at least four locations.
6. If you feel the slighted grab or hesitation, head separation has began and the case should be discarded.

This method will detect head separation several reloads before the actual event.