How Many Loads You Get Out of Your Brass?

[Pointman]

I typically get around 10 loads for m y 338LM, other less "intense" cartridges get more. I do not "hot rod" the rounds but with the Lapua, I do get near max. My best performing batch was a bunch of WW2 vintage Lake ZCiry 30-06 brass I found at a gun show. I needed them to neck down for my 25-06, factory brass in those days was scarce as hen's teeth. They were retired after more than 20 loads. My go-to supplier is Lapua if available then Norma.

 

[Mike Matteson]

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?

Case separation has nothing to do with annealing. Neck splitting, but not case separation. I mostly shoot belted Mag rifles. A very long time ago I use for FL size and would lose cases in 3 to 4 firing with case separation. I changed to only neck sized them, and didn't have that problem again. I would lose the case do to primer pocket after that in about 10 to 12 firing. I am guessing you are FL sizing the cases. I would go to only bumping the shoulder back 1 to 2 thousands at time of resizing. I went to neck sizing back then, but I going to change to bumping my shoulder back as stated just above. I do feel you are loading on the hot side of chart. I use 75.5 gr with 165gr bullet using H4350 powder and a 210 Fed primers. Primer pockets were my problem after that. Annealing is a good thing, and every time is even better. If I didn't anneal I would get neck splits in 3 to 4 firing back then also. I annealed and never lost a case to neck splits after that.

 

[emp1953]

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?

I bought loads of .243 .270win. 30-06 and .308 federal de milled unfired brass about 15 years ago, all F-C headstamps. They seem a bit "harder" than other brands. I got 6-8 reloads out of them before I started seeing signs. Like loose primer pockets and the bright ring at the case head that shows itself prior to separation. I also kept track of how much they stretched and how many times I had to trim them. Being "harder" than most I think they held up well. I don't load hot so wear and tear due to smoking hot loads was never a problem. I load just enough to get the job done. I need the terminal velocity/energy (as recommended by the bullet manufacturer) and my desired max range (usually 300-400 yards) and always load heavy for caliber bullets for that result, hone in on a node then I'm done.
In the .243 100gr to 105gr. .270win 150gr, 30-06 165-180 gr., 308 165gr

 

[Rosebud]

Laura brass, 6.5 Grendel. Last count twenty three. Not a high pressure round and out of a bolt gun. Usually in the 2450 FPS range. Over a dozen on Creedmoor.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

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

Hahaha you would have to know the guy. He's not a genius just because he is getting superior brass life from a mild cartridge in excellent brass and I got horrible brass life in a very overbore cartridge and a bad lot of brass.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

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

There is a laundry list of reasons. One that comes to mind is he direct buried 150ft of extension cord "3x 50ft cords" to get power to a greenhouse. Drives a Tesla with a "ridin' with Biden" bumper sticker but refuses hook up the Tesla charging station in his garage because he doesn't want "them" to know how much he charges the car. Bought a sig cross in 277furry. Put asphalt shingles on a storage building upside down because he liked the color of the underside better. Installed and a water heater in his barn "so that his water troughs wouldn't freeze anymore"....pipes run through the rafters and are un insulated! He learned enough reloading from his father to be dangerous. His father who was a brilliant guy was my middle school wood shop teacher. Oh i almost forgot the most recent escapade. He glued his hands together when a bottle of super glue busted and he "tried to save it" in a ziplok bag. This happened when i was at work and my wife had to drive him the the ER. These are a few reasons why I playfully refer to my neighbor Bobby as "my idiot neighbor".

 

[manitou]

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.

Some use a bent paper clip for this also, but I bet the bent nail method be easier to feel.

 

[manitou]

There is a laundry list of reasons. One that comes to mind is he direct buried 150ft of extension cord "3x 50ft cords" to get power to a greenhouse. Drives a Tesla with a "ridin' with Biden" bumper sticker but refuses hook up the Tesla charging station in his garage because he doesn't want "them" to know how much he charges the car. Bought a sig cross in 277furry. Put asphalt shingles on a storage building upside down because he liked the color of the underside better. Installed and a water heater in his barn "so that his water troughs wouldn't freeze anymore"....pipes run through the rafters and are un insulated! He learned enough reloading from his father to be dangerous. His father who was a brilliant guy was my middle school wood shop teacher. Oh i almost forgot the most recent escapade. He glued his hands together when a bottle of super glue busted and he "tried to save it" in a ziplok bag. This happened when i was at work and my wife had to drive him the the ER. These are a few reasons why I playfully refer to my neighbor Bobby as "my idiot neighbor".

Thanks for the laughs. Makes us "normal" folks feel pretty good about ourselves. 150 years ago your neighbor would likely have not made it very long in life.

 

[RidgeTop]

I do the same as Chad but use a tempered wire filed to a point. Acts like a feeler gauge.

I check a few in a batch every time fired. I usually get 5 to 8 loadings over a range of calibers. I don't load any calibers up to any signs of pressure. If you need to bump up to max or even a little over, my philosophy is, get a bigger gun.

 

[brian11]

There is a laundry list of reasons. One that comes to mind is he direct buried 150ft of extension cord "3x 50ft cords" to get power to a greenhouse. Drives a Tesla with a "ridin' with Biden" bumper sticker but refuses hook up the Tesla charging station in his garage because he doesn't want "them" to know how much he charges the car. Bought a sig cross in 277furry. Put asphalt shingles on a storage building upside down because he liked the color of the underside better. Installed and a water heater in his barn "so that his water troughs wouldn't freeze anymore"....pipes run through the rafters and are un insulated! He learned enough reloading from his father to be dangerous. His father who was a brilliant guy was my middle school wood shop teacher. Oh i almost forgot the most recent escapade. He glued his hands together when a bottle of super glue busted and he "tried to save it" in a ziplok bag. This happened when i was at work and my wife had to drive him the the ER. These are a few reasons why I playfully refer to my neighbor Bobby as "my idiot neighbor".

He wouldn't happen to be a doctor, would he? ;-)
I have a neighbor like that. My wife's cousin has a neighbor like that. Both doctors. Both incredibly lacking in common sense, and always getting into "escapades" with country life.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

He wouldn't happen to be a doctor, would he? ;-)
I have a neighbor like that. My wife's cousin has a neighbor like that. Both doctors. Both incredibly lacking in common sense, and always getting into "escapades" with country life.

No he was an engineer for bell helicopter lol

 

[UncleDano]

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.

A bent paper clip works just fine to 'feel' the pending separation.

 

[UncleDano]

I get 8-10 reloads out of the Remington brass in my 7mm Rem Mag, but get 15-20 reloads out of LC brass in my .223 Rem. I never anneal any case. So it is really dependant on the cartridge you are shooting.

 

[30BR]

In 30 BR, we stopped counting after 40.