7mmmountaineer
Member
Time to face it I am a workaholic............
Posts: 521 
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Post by 7mmmountaineer on Oct 8, 2014 9:56:10 GMT -5
Hal's question has me thinking so I will pose another question kind of along his lines. I have used both used and new brass in almost every caliber I have ever loaded for. The used brass usually came from shooting factory ammo and picking it up or from friends and family. When I couldn't find what I was looking for I started buying new brass from everyone from Win, Rem, Hor, Nos and Norma. I finally settled on buying mostly Norma when I can find it in the calibers I shoot. The reasons were simple the brass was very uniform in length and weight and but for one glitch I have always been more than happy with it. So the question is what do you guys use most often?
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dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
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Post by dangun on Oct 8, 2014 10:49:37 GMT -5
LAPUA
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Post by springfieldxdm on Oct 8, 2014 11:23:14 GMT -5
I have always used Winchester and been happy, with a little case prep they exceed my expectations. I stay away from federal in general.
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jbnut
Member
Posts: 169
Location: Warren, Pennsylvania
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Post by jbnut on Oct 8, 2014 13:41:23 GMT -5
I have been using used Brass so far. Winchester in .22 Hornet & Federal in .270 Win. I do have some new brass but I haven't used any yet.
Springfield, can I ask why you avoid Federal brass?
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bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457
Location: Northern California
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Post by bob on Oct 8, 2014 14:16:44 GMT -5
I have used Winchester ever since I started loading. I have tried other brands but settled on the Winchester exclusively and been happy,I'm not chasen' one hole though and I get enough reloads out of each case for my needs.
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Post by hacker54 on Oct 8, 2014 16:31:08 GMT -5
I to like Chuck have used new and used brass in my reloading. I have in my rifle inventory Remington, Winchester, and Federal. In handgun the before mentioned along with some older Hornady Frontier brass in 38spl that is still going strong. I use also Starline Brass in handgun. To me Starline is quality brass and get it when ever I can. Do the proper case prep and anneal when it warrants so and brass will last for several loading's. I load to get as accurate a load as I can to suit my hunting needs and in handgun to get center mass. Most of these loads will be in the middle of the load data from the manuals.
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Post by springfieldxdm on Oct 8, 2014 18:45:15 GMT -5
Jbnut
Federal at one time had really soft case heads and primer pockets became really loose really fast. The issue may be fixed now with their brass but I won't buy it. If some one gives it to me I will load it until the primer pockets become wore out. :-).
Just in my experience I always get fewer reloads on my federal brass than others and 99% of the time it's due to primer pockets and not the necks. I don't load hot, normally mid upper range. It's not scientific but it works for me.
I also drive a Dodge so it might be that I'm just weird.
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jbnut
Member
Posts: 169
Location: Warren, Pennsylvania
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Post by jbnut on Oct 8, 2014 19:09:03 GMT -5
Jbnut Federal at one time had really soft case heads and primer pockets became really loose really fast. The issue may be fixed now with their brass but I won't buy it. If some one gives it to me I will load it until the primer pockets become wore out. :-). Just in my experience I always get fewer reloads on my federal brass than others and 99% of the time it's due to primer pockets and not the necks. I don't load hot, normally mid upper range. It's not scientific but it works for me. I also drive a Dodge so it might be that I'm just weird. I might just register a little higher on the weird scale. I have a Dodge truck and a Ford car. lol Thanks for the info.
I also have been using Federal primers. It doesn't seem to matter what the load is but the primers always appear to be flattened.Does Federal also make a softer primer? I looked at some Federal factory loads and the primers also appear flattened on them so it's not just my reloads.
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bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457
Location: Northern California
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Post by bob on Oct 8, 2014 19:12:52 GMT -5
jb, Driving a Dodge is not really so weird Dangun and I both have Dodges. His is a go fast truck mine is a go anywhere I want truck. I've never had the opportunity to load Federal brass but have friends that do with no complaints that I've heard.
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Post by springfieldxdm on Oct 8, 2014 19:40:48 GMT -5
I only have used federal primers is pistol and they do seem softer than the cci's in identical loads. Ymmv
Someday when the wife gives me back my credit card I do want to try some lapua brass just to see what the hype is about. Maybe all this time it's my brass that's causing my larger groups and not the unstable guy behind the trigger. :-)
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SnapShot
Member
Jeep & Mocha "Remembering Patches, always"
Posts: 699
Location: Finally free from the Republic of Kalifornia!
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Post by SnapShot on Oct 8, 2014 19:56:38 GMT -5
Over the years I've reloaded new brass, once fired (factory) brass and new (never loaded) brass of many brands. The only problem I can point to being brass related is some nickel plated pistol brass that split out, some years back. All in all today I like Starline for my handguns and Hornady for my rifles. I find them consistent and good value for the money. During the resent year of hard to find components I bought some other brands but can't say anything negative about any of them. I can't say I have real brand loyalty in the brass market but for some reason, I have used CCI Primers since I started reloading and never strayed from them.
Now for the trucks . . . I have driven Fords since my teens (I'm on Social Security so that's a long time). I drive a F150 every day with over 445,000 miles on it. It's a gas, 6 cylinder with a standard transmission & overdrive. I'm shooting for half a million.
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Post by hacker54 on Oct 8, 2014 21:26:46 GMT -5
JB,
Your experience with the Federal primers is not uncommon to me. I have had two different 357 mag factory ammo from Federal that would flatten the primers in the two revolvers that I had a six inch Taurus (no longer have) and a three inch S&W mod 65. Now I did have some Federal 30/30 brass that was preprimed and did not have an issue with them doing load development. It might be the lot and year don't know.
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dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
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Post by dangun on Oct 15, 2014 14:05:15 GMT -5
Federal, Winchester, Remington and many other brass makers are all great. If they are prepped correctly and aren't allowed to get overly hard. But when I absolutely have to hit the same hole everytime(or as much as I am able) nothing, absolutely nothing beats Lapua brass. Just sayin! Oh and hell yes I drive a Dodge. There ain't no better go anywhere, haul anything, go fast truck made! If you ain't driving a Dodge you're being pulled or pushed by one.  |
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dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
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Post by dangun on Oct 15, 2014 14:08:51 GMT -5
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bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457
Location: Northern California
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Post by bob on Oct 15, 2014 15:38:20 GMT -5
 Dan.
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7mmmountaineer
Member
Time to face it I am a workaholic............
Posts: 521
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Post by 7mmmountaineer on Oct 15, 2014 15:44:52 GMT -5
The meaning of the word Dodge- TO AVOID OR TO KEEP FROM GETTING HIT AN OBJECT. That said I am still chasing a new JEEP to go with the Chevy I just bought ( OMG DID I REALLY JUST SAY I BOUGHT A CHEVY ) to build a fun off roader/mudder. |
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bob
Member
I'm too old to be nice but never too old to learn!
Posts: 1,457
Location: Northern California
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Post by bob on Oct 15, 2014 18:52:48 GMT -5
The meaning of the word Dodge- TO AVOID OR TO KEEP FROM GETTING HIT AN OBJECT. That said I am still chasing a new JEEP to go with the Chevy I just bought ( OMG DID I REALLY JUST SAY I BOUGHT A CHEVY ) to build a fun off roader/mudder. At least Chuck you are stayin' with in the topic" Used Brass" or is it Tin ?  |
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dangun
Member
I love the smell of burnt gun powder.
Posts: 517
Location: SW Florida
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Post by dangun on Oct 16, 2014 8:15:07 GMT -5
Back to the topic. For everything but competition I use whatever brass I pick up from the range. That goes for both handgun and rifle brass. The rifle brass I sort by brand, full re-size and then just basic prep work. I don't sort by volume or turn necks. I do full size trim lengths and neck size. Powder still goes thru the RCBS ChargeMaster but I don't check every charge like I do on competition rounds. For handgun brass I don't sort at all. They are run thru the Lee LoadMaster with the usual 4 die setup. Then they are all checked in EGW Chamber Checker Blocks After that is all about poking holes in target and making noise. |
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Dan.
My daughter came from Missouri, my son and grand son, my wife and I had a nice dinner of grilled "porter house" pork chops, corn on the cobb, my son, G'son and I share 10/5. G'son is 4 minutes early though @ 10/4.
Pooh I hope you find to right house . 
