How many times can you reload brass?

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

How many times can you reload brass?

Post by roob » 11 Oct 2013, 3:14 pm

Hi guys,

Like the title says... How many times can you reload brass?

Obviously if the neck is split or there is some case separation happening you chuck the thing, but outside of that I've read anywhere from 5 to 20 or 30 but people don't really seem to have much logic behind their number. They just decide it's no longer any good after that many reloads.

I'd like to know peoples reasoning behind their magic number if they care to share.

Thx.
7mm-08 Tikka T3 Varmint and a .22-250 Tikka T3 Varmint
User avatar
roob
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 125
New South Wales

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by Noisydad » 11 Oct 2013, 6:30 pm

I've been reloading my Winchester .222 brass for 32 years now and only chuck the odd case with a split neck and then powder measures and such are made from them.
There's still a few of Wile. E Coyote's ideas that I haven't tried yet.
User avatar
Noisydad
Warrant Officer C1
Warrant Officer C1
 
Posts: 1383
Victoria

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by agentzero » 11 Oct 2013, 9:42 pm

I'd have to find it (can't be bothered :lol:) but there is an article somewhere, might be 6mmbr or something... Google for it and hopefully you find it.

Anyway... There's a guy who shot a 700m or 800m record or something, and he was on his 54th reload for the brass.

He annealed it every time which would help, but that's a s**t load more than most people thing you can get out them.
User avatar
agentzero
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 183
Tasmania

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by ebr love » 11 Oct 2013, 10:00 pm

Depends on your load greatly.

I just trimmed a bunch of brass with a mate after a days load testing for his .308.

The brass with starting load didn't need a trim at all. His max load cartridges needed nearly a mm trimmed off afterwards.

Obviously the formed will last a lot longer than the latter which is have a few grains of brass thinned out and trimmed off each time.
TIKKA T3 TAC .300 WIN MAG
HOW SPORTER 270 WIN
HOWA YOUTH .204 RUGER
MARLIN 1889 .38-40
User avatar
ebr love
Corporal
Corporal
 
Posts: 306
New South Wales

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by Hardcast » 13 Oct 2013, 6:28 pm

Yeah I don;t think there's a magic number, just keep an eye on it, I don't count them anymore.
User avatar
Hardcast
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 180
South Australia

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by riggee » 13 Oct 2013, 6:42 pm

Hardcast wrote:I don't think there's a magic number


According to a mate of mine it's 7.

Doesn't matter about calibre, load, anything... The answer is 7.

:roll:
Remington 700 Milspec 5R .300 Win Mag
Mossberg 640 KD .22 WMR
User avatar
riggee
Private
Private
 
Posts: 52
Tasmania

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by Warrigul » 14 Oct 2013, 11:41 am

It is so variable, Winchester .308 I get heaps of for nix so load it five times and chuck, out of old ex mil brass throuigh the target rifle I had one set that was at its fifty eighth loading, neck and body sizing only and annealing at 10 (lost a few to neck splits anyway).

.303 up to 30 with moderate loads and good brass to start with neck sized only. I generally run .303 until they are about to seperate or thirty and they become "bush" loads that can be left.

.223, I started off with 100 for my target rifle loaded them twelve times each then sold the target rifle and loaded them another eight times through my Howa and then started to be supplied ammo so they are sitting on the bench at the moment.

Lee collet dies are good and the cases last longer with less neck splits, moderate loads are good for cases and as a guide if you have to trim more than every fourth shot either you are loading too hot or you own a Hornet.

As Hardcast said there is no magic number.

For costing purposes I work on 10 reloads.
Warrigul
Warrant Officer C2
Warrant Officer C2
 
Posts: 1103
-

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by Grated » 14 Oct 2013, 3:08 pm

riggee wrote:According to a mate of mine it's 7.

Doesn't matter about calibre, load, anything... The answer is 7.

:roll:


I know that mate :lol:
Thin out their numbers, Ned!

Mmm, thin out their numbers!
User avatar
Grated
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 113
South Australia

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by roob » 24 Jan 2014, 11:15 am

Hardcast wrote:Yeah I don;t think there's a magic number, just keep an eye on it, I don't count them anymore.


That's what I've been doing for a little while now, no problems...
7mm-08 Tikka T3 Varmint and a .22-250 Tikka T3 Varmint
User avatar
roob
Lance Corporal
Lance Corporal
 
Posts: 125
New South Wales

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by Apollo » 24 Jan 2014, 11:36 am

There are too many variables to quote or even hint a number of times you can reload the same cases.

Quality of the cases, calibre, powder load, reloading practise used, annealing and the list goes on.

Some cases might fail after just a few reloads for any number of reasons.

One competative target shooter in the USA using a 30BR as reported a couple of years ago had fired over 8,000 rounds through his barrel, initially prepared 150 cases and still reloading the same cases. That's ove 50 reloads each and still winning competitions.

Some calibres just stress cartridge cases more than others.

So, no simple answer. Just keep a close eye on your cases.
Apollo
Warrant Officer C1
Warrant Officer C1
 
Posts: 1327
New South Wales

Re: How many times can you reload brass?

Post by Lorgar » 24 Jan 2014, 11:56 am

Apollo wrote:Some calibres just stress cartridge cases more than others.

So, no simple answer. Just keep a close eye on your cases.


Yup.

If you're worried about it, Roob, a lot of guys pick a fixed number and chuck their brass at that point before reaching the "potential problem zone".

If you shoot it 10x or whatever then chuck it, it's still pretty cheap and you've got your moneys worth.
User avatar
Lorgar
Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
 
Posts: 2156
Victoria


Back to top
 
Return to Reloading ammunition