In your opinion: Most important cartridge component.

[Calvin45]

About any component can be made or re made at home except for the brass. It's the 1 piece of the puzzle that can only come from another source.

Kris

Okay that's actually a real interesting thought.

powder...if I recall single base powder (nitrocellulose, all the original imr powders) traces its origin to an accident...a chemist spilled nitric acid on a cloth, forgot about it, it dried, said cloth got close to a heat source and went violently up in flames...or something like that.

 

[Calvin45]

Calvin45, I'd like to thank you so much for this wonderful thread that caused such an argument between the three of us in my home this morning!!! It was between the three of us, me, myself and I! As I was reading the OP, I started to debate what the most important component was without any results, so.................decided to approach the question from a different perspective. What nmbarta wrote is what I agreed upon as the most agreeable answer, "Depends on what I intend to do with the loaded cartridge." My approach from a different perspective of what do you consider to be the least important component to the cartridge???? I would say the primer, yes I know that if it doesn't go "bang" then the best quality of the other three components really doesn't matter. But.........in my experience most any primer will get the job done as long as it goes "bang". As for powder, again in "most" instances if the powder is in the ballpark for the particular cartridge, it can be regulated to a point where in "most" cases it can be made to shoot. As for bullet if it comes out of the barrel, it is doing what it is designed to do. It may not do as well as we'd like, however it will come out of the end of the barrel and either hit paper or hit game. As for brass, well what FEENIX wrote about brass is true, however most any brass "will" work, and.......if we play with it enough in "most" circumstances we can get it to shoot pretty well. Finally after all this arguing between the three of us, I pretty much have to agree with wasskeet, "Which leg of a three-legged stool is most important?" If one is a true reloader "there's no "one" component that is more important than the other!" Based upon this, I cannot come up with a true answer for the OP, however have found this thread to be very thought provoking to say the least. And.....now it's time for another cup of morning coffee so "we" can argue and debate this issue some more.

See this is why i start stuff like this...all the thought provoking answers and humorous commentary. I voted powder myself but am not at all adamant I'm right haha

 

[FEENIX]

Does the same not apply to all the components?

Yep, and you never mentioned component shortage. In fact, you noted preferred choices.

I know full well that if one thing is wrong the whole thing is wrong BUT if you only got your first preferred choice of a)powder choice, b) bullet choice, c) primer choice, or d) brass choice, what would you insist on getting your particular way about? What's the most important element of a loaded cartridge to you, component wise? Gotta pick just one!

 

[DDWing]

Thread title says it all, enjoy a good poll conversation and always find I learn a lot from you all along the way.

I know full well that if one thing is wrong the whole thing is wrong BUT if you only got your first preferred choice of a)powder choice, b) bullet choice, c) primer choice, or d) brass choice, what would you insist on getting your particular way about? What's the most important element of a loaded cartridge to you, component wise? Gotta pick just one!

One is no good without the others.

 

[73driver]

E. All the above.
In order of Bullet, Powder, Brass, Primer.

Agree

 

[QuietTexan]

PRIMERS....nothing happens without them...You can't even start a single reload without one.
IMHO

Does the same not apply to all the components?

Not all components. You can use COW to fireform a case without a bullet, and that's a practical and valuable purpose for a cartridge without a bullet.

 

[Calvin45]

Not all components. You can use COW to fireform a case without a bullet, and that's a practical and valuable purpose for a cartridge without a bullet.

Fair enough.

 

[Bob Wright]

Like a solid built home it takes a good foundation.
Brass, brass prep always seem to affect the bullet positively or negatively. That was my first thought. I can control brass prep in reloading, but I cannot control all the others. I can only switch them out in experiments.

 

[Calvin45]

Like a solid built home it takes a good foundation.
Brass, brass prep always seem to affect the bullet positively or negatively. That was my first thought. I can control brass prep in reloading, but I cannot control all the others. I can only switch them out in experiments.

Very well illustrated.

 

[FEENIX]

Not all components. You can use COW to fireform a case without a bullet, and that's a practical and valuable purpose for a cartridge without a bullet.

The OP asked components for the loaded cartridge (loaded ammunition), as in the ability to shoot and hit target X when propelled accordingly unless I misconstrued @Calvin45 's original post.

 

[basinman]

Bullet

 

[FEENIX]

Like a solid built home it takes a good foundation.
Brass, brass prep always seem to affect the bullet positively or negatively. That was my first thought. I can control brass prep in reloading, but I cannot control all the others. I can only switch them out in experiments.

Yep, just as I noted in #5.

 

[Ua26fitter]

If you can make primers and smokeless powder.......I'd take some retumbo please.

You can reload primers and make black powder. It's not common but can be done in a survival situation.

If I could make Retumbo I'd be rich.

Kris

 

[Quintus]

You can make due with any brass, primer and powder , but it's the bullet that does the work. It also provides flexibility and functionality. Obviously all components are needed, but without the bullet...what's the point?