How Many Times Can I Expect To Reload Factory Brass

[D_Rob99]

I've almost got all the tools and components needed to start reloading.

Shooting a Tikka T3x Ctr in 6.5 CM with a 20 inch barrel. I have once fired Black Hills brass that had 157 gr Hornady ELD M on it. Have about 300 pieces of 1x brass.

Plan on FL resizing and bumping shoulders 2 thousandths using a redding type s bushing die. Have 143 gr ELD X projectiles and H4350

Not looking for crazy velocity mostly because I don't have enough experience to recognize pressure signs and want to be safe.

I'm hoping to get north of 2,600 fps. Goal is to have something I can deer hunt with and have fun at the range where we have 900 yards of options. Reasonable velocity, low es, and .75 moa (only because I know I can't shoot less than this).

If I can get anywhere close to the Black Hills factory rounds I've been shooting I will be more than pleased. Prior to this I have never shot more than 100 yards on paper. Took this new rifle out and was able to hit steel at 800 yards somewhere around a 10 inch group. Got me hooked.

Been reading this forum for a couple of months now and it's a wealth of knowledge. Will look here again as I go along this process where any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[ShtrRdy]

Sounds like a good plan. I can't tell you exactly how many times you'll be able go reload that brass since the outcome is influenced by many factors.

Was the brass you have fired in your rifle?

 

[D_Rob99]

Yes it was

 

[Huntsman66]

The 6.5cm is super easy on brass and you aren't hot rodding your loads… I would bet you can expect 10 out of them if you Anneal. Just inspect each piece of brass each time you load it…

 

[D_Rob99]

That's the catch. Probably won't anneal. Got enough wrapped up in getting started and I did my best not to get the cheapest hardware (not the most expensive either).

 

[Dosh]

Annealing should preserve that brass longer. Some reports claim Black Hills brass is made by Winchester.

 

[D_Rob99]

Can't figure that one out. I've read both hornady and winchester. Don't know. Guess I should call.

 

[Huntsman66]

Oh we all know how that goes…lol. You may still get 5ish maybe a couple more, look for little splits on the neck. Then just toss it. As you start buying brass later on you may want to get in on a cheaper option to anneal…. When i first started the anneal process i used a hand torch and a drill to spin them, It worked fine for years. I bought the Annealeez finally just to make my life easy. Also what you will find is as your brass harden neck tensions will change and become inconsistent, you may see a drop off in groups and changes in velocity.. look at some of the videos on YouTube about doing it by hand, probably wouldn't cost you a dime and its easy to do. Give me a call and I can walk you thru it if you want, I noticed that you don't have private Mesg yet, call at Five Zero Five Three Two Zero Three Three One Seven

 

[Varmint Hunter]

That's the catch. Probably won't anneal. Got enough wrapped up in getting started and I did my best not to get the cheapest hardware (not the most expensive either).

Annealing is overrated IMO. I have never annealed cases and it's not unusual to get 8 or more reloads from my brass. I use Laupa (small primer) brass for my 6.5 Creed and load them to their potential. I haven't tossed a case yet.

With that said, I'm sure annealing, when done properly, does improve brass consistency over time. But it certainly isn't needed for hunting purposes.

 

[D_Rob99]

Annealing should preserve that brass longer. Some reports claim Black Hills brass is made by Winchester.

Just called them. They said it's hornady brass

 

[can1010]

i have hornady brass that went 8-12 reloads without annealing. with annealing i have had 6.5 prc and 6.5-284 hornady brass make 18-20 reloads.
all this is subject to change depending on how hard you push it, but to be honest i never seen an animal or target that could tell the difference in a 30-50 fps increase in speed.

 

[QuietTexan]

Plan on FL resizing and bumping shoulders 2 thousandths using a redding type s bushing die.

Towards your goal of maximizing brass life and bumping shoulders - don't actually move the shoulders until the brass grows enough. Be patient, one firing usually isn't enough to get there, so check the brass in the rifle and if needed only size the body and neck at first. Don't move the shoulders until the case won't close in the chamber.

 

[Ol' Red]

As said before, there are a lot of factors that change the life of brass. I had some .300 WM brass that has had over 20 loadings. It was Winchester brass from in 1980's. I never did get a loose primer pocket, but necks started to crack, so they all got tossed.

 

[Stammster]

I got confused and stopped reading the OPs post at 157gr ELD-X.