Separating Cases by No. of Times Fired

[Mainer]

I'm relatively new to handloading.

I recently started loading for the .44 Mag. and purchased 500 Starline cases to get me started.

How paranoid do I need to be to keep the cases segregated by the number of times fired?  Doing this becomes a pain when it comes to tumbling brass.

So far I have only loaded .44 Spec. loads and starting .44 Mag. loads in these cases, so I'm not pushing the performance envelope.  For at least the foreseeable future I don't intend to load any rounds past the "warm" level.

[Castaway]

I do it for bottle necked cartridges so I can keep up on the trimming and disposal of the cases.  For straight walled cases using a taper crimp it's more than wasted time.  For hunting loads that use a roll crimp, I do two hot loads then relegate that brass to the plinker pile.   I've determined it's not worth the bother to trim it.  Kind of like picking the lint out of my belly button, probably not something I should ignore, but not quite worth the effort.

[Savage]

Mainer,
With straight wall revolver cases, I load um till they split. If I plan to load max loads, I have a different lot of brass for that, usually nickled brass, my other cases are unplated. That helps me keep them seperate. Not that it's really that important in straight wall revolver cases. In 35+ years of reloading, never had a problem.
Savage

[Mainer]

Thanks.  It's nice not to have something else to worry about.

[KN]

I keep them in 100rd boxes and keep them segregated accordingly. That way if I load one box too many times and I start seeing splits I just throw away the hole hundred since I know they have all been loaded the same nuber of times.   KN

[De41mag]

Mainer;

Just keep a log on what loads you do and how many times you have loaded them. Reloading labels, which come in most jacketed bullets will suffice. But as far as how many times they are reloaded, I've got some Starline brass that is on its 16th loading, in 41 Magnum. So Starline brass is probably the best value for the money. You made the right choice.
Don't fret, once you get into a pattern, keeping track of how many times an amount of brass is loaded is very easy.
Good Shooting.

Dennis  

[Ron T.]

I separate my bottle-necked rifle cases by the number of times they've been reloaded.  However, I keep reloading the same 100 virgin brass until I begin to have failures (like split cases, split case-mouths, primer pockets too big, etc.).  Then, I begin to really keep a close watch on ALL of the cases in that phase (number of times reloaded) of loading.

With straight-walled cases like handgun cases, I load 'em 'til the case-mouths split and then either discard them or cut them down (if they're magnum cases... and they usually are) to the standard pistol cartridge case-length (I.E., .44 magnum down to .44 Special length... .357 magnum down to .38 Special case-length) and start counting the number of reloads on them again as if they were "new", virgin brass all over again.

It works for me... and has for over 45 years of reloading.  Jus' my 2¢ worth, other's opinions may vary.    :wink:


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

[PA-Joe]

You should take this opportunity to establish good habits. You should be keeping a reloading and shooting log. Track every load you try. This forces you to reload in either 20 or 50 round batches. Keeping them in the same box. You log them into you book, record the load and how many times you reloaded that batch and how effective they were.

Keep a log and keep your brass in separate boxes!

[Glanceblamm]

Like KN I use the 100rd boxes for pistol & keep separate accordingly. I do the same with rifle but use 50rd boxes.
I like the large inventorys (1000 to 1500 rds) and it sure does insure a bunch of shooting before you start seeing split cases, loose primer pockets, or worn off head stamp.

[Mainer]

I bought I case full of 50 round boxes from Midway, so I've been reloading in lots of 50.  The problem is when it come time to tumbling it's easiest to just dump 150-200 cases in the tumbler.  So the 1x fired get mixed in with the 4x fired.  I bought I batch of 500 cases, and I'm only loading 200-250 of them and keeping the remainder in reserve.

I'll be more obsessive about cases once I start to load 30-06 rifle.

By the way, what method do you use to cut down tired .44 Mag. cases to .44 Spec.?

[Swamp Yankee]

I start out with good intentions but some how they seem to get mixed in with each other. So I check the cases for tell tale signs of wear.  and discard any that look suspect.    Jim

[PaulS]

I used to separate my brass - organized by the number of times it was fired but I just haven't tossed any brass in the last 5 years. I have them sorted by case weight. The lightest cases (25%) are used for hunting, the heaviest cases (25%) are used for putting holes in the smallest possible groups in paper and the middle 50% are used for loading and shooting when it is not important for any other reason.

PaulS

[Mainer]

PaulS:  I'm going to show my ignorance, but why the lightest cases for hunting and the heaviest cases for precision?  I assume a lighter case would hold a larger powder charge (more internal volume).  Perhaps smaller internal volume = more even powder burn.  Maybe I've answered my own question. :?

[PaulS]

Mainer,

I have found that the lighter cases are less sensitive to changes in temperature and other outside influences than the heavy cases with the same load. Velocities are slightly more consistant (not enough to write home about but a percent or two over the other Mean Average Deviation for the heavier bullets. Not going to speculate as to why - it just is and it works so I use every advantage that I have (at my age I have to)

[Steve P]

I bought I case full of 50 round boxes from Midway, so I've been reloading in lots of 50.  The problem is when it come time to tumbling it's easiest to just dump 150-200 cases in the tumbler.  So the 1x fired get mixed in with the 4x fired.

I sort mine by 100 round boxes.  Your 50 round method is just as good.  I have a question though, why ammo fired 1x and why some 4x.  Different load?  If so, I wouldn't mix the brass!  

For most of my center fire revolvers I have two different loads.  One load is mild and easy to shoot 100 rounds in a day.  The other load is full house hunting or silhouette load for accuracy and usually is uncomfortable to just go out and practice with (and usually more expensive).    The brass for these loads react differently due to the pressures.  They do blow out a little differently, and can minutely lengthen.  Then when you size them, you work them again.  Pretty soon your brass is mixed.  It is not the same.  These suttle differences change your accuracy and you wonder what is wrong with your gun.

In my experience, the difference in accuracy and case life is good reason to keep the brass seperated.  I have the recipe of the load in the top of the ammo box.  When I finish filling the box after reloading, I change the number of times loaded + 1.  Most of my mildly loaded brass will last for 3-4 more loadings than the hotter stuff.  When the cases start to crack or shows signs of problems, I know they all will, and as previously posted, I toss the whole box to be safe.

It is easier to dump 150-200 rounds into the tumbler.  I usually shoot a couple of different guns, so I can throw in 100 357s and 100 45s with no problem.  Still keeps them seperated.    

Good luck with your loading.  You will get lots of advise here.  Use what you can, file some, toss some.

Steve  

[The Sodbuster]

In addition to being a reloader, I'm also a woodworker.  I build small boxes with dividers.  For each caliber I put spent brass into compartment number 1 or 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. depending on how many times it's been fired.  If I'm going to reload some ammo to shoot or work up loads I take it all from the same pigeon hole (corresponding to # of times fired),  so after it's shot, it all goes into the next pigeon hole in the box.  That's how I keep it straight.