Mixed headstamp target loads?

[TheSilverSlayer]

Hey guys, this issue is driving me nuts.  I have always been in the habit of keeping all my brass separated by headstamp.  But now, I have come to own about 500 mixed headstamp .38SPL brass that I would like to load up with light plinking loads for just plinking.  I am not looking for steller accuracy here, more or less something that goes bang when I pull the trigger.  Someone please tell me why I should (or should not) just mix all my .38SPL brass together and load as one lot.  I am tired of having 10 different baggies for to store this brass.  The load I am currently using for this purpose is 3.5 grains of bullseye under a 158 grain LSWC.

So, mix or not mix?

[Graybeard]

In this case I say mix em.

Now if you were asking about centerfire rifle loads you're looking to shoot less than an inch and perhaps down near a half inch at 100 yards with I'd be saying don't mix em.

[Dand]

I'm with GB on this for plinking. The one thing, some brands of brass are thicker than others and you might find a bit of variation in the crimp. Seems like my Federal cases are thicker than Rem or Win. So I tend to do Federal separate these days.  But I have and on occasion just load em up when doing mild plinkers.

[Sweetwater]

I, too, agree with mixing them. I do. When I want to do some "grouping", I pull 5 with the same headstamp and have at it. However, for minute of pop can  - not necessary. FWIW - I'm running a Lyman #358477 that casts a 148gr SWC over 3.5gr Bullseye. Great load!

[gypsyman]

Unless your shooting them out of a Freedom Arms, I doubt that the gun would know the difference in headstamps. gypsyman

[Grumulkin]

For you application I would mix them.

Regarding rifle loads, I've compared group sizes/POI with different types of brass in guns that shoot MOA or less.  Sometimes different brands of brass will shoot to the same place with similar accuracy but you have to test to find out.

[TheSilverSlayer]

Good deal. Its mostly a Mix of Rem, Blazer, PMC, and CBC brass. What I want to do is load up all 500 at once and store it in an anno can for latter use. Rather then individually packaging it all.

[Badnews Bob]

I do that with about a thousand at a time, Not sure how many times most of it has been loaded. If my .38 cases aint cracked I shoot'em.

[Darrell Davis]

I so it all the time for my "banger" or fun loads in hand guns. Not a problem.

For my better and/or handgun hunting loads I'm a bit more fussy.

For rifle loads, I have had some bad experiences as per pressure, even within one brand, style of head stamp but different lot number.

The problem happened to be with Remington brass.

Again for "banger" or lower pressure fun/practice loads I am not overly concerned.

However, for normal pressure hunting loads, I much prefer to keep my brass sorted as to brand, lot and number of times fired.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

[Steve P]

Welcome to the world of "thrifty" shooting.  Cheap mixed headstamped brass.  Bulk lot of cast or swaged bullets.  Lighter side load of powder.  Rolling your own in volume.  Once you start shooting this type of load, you will learn how to load them faster and faster.   Soon 500 brass ain't going to be enough to keep up with the addiction. 

A pound of bullseye will fill about 2000 brass with this load.
Primers come in a carton of 1000.
Bulk bullets get cheaper as quantity goes up.......

Better look for some more brass.............

Steve

[Darrell Davis]

Yep Steve, ya got that nail right on the head, except for one point that is.

Casting!

SilverSlayer best be scrounging up all the Wheel Weights he can lay his hands on as that Bullseye works just fine behind home grown bullets!!!!!   Even with mixed headstamp brass!

Did something for a fellow back around 1984, for which he gave me a cardboard powder container, -remember those days?- full of Bullseye.

Still peck'in away at my stash, 3.5 to 5 grains at a time.

Ended up with a new pound of Bullseye a year or so ago.  Wonder if I'll live long enough to break the seal. If so, that will be some thousands of rounds down the line!

8lbs. sure goes a loooooooooooooooong ways!

keep em coming!

CDOC

[TheSilverSlayer]

I have come to terms with the fact that reloading doesn't save me any money; I just end up shooting way more!  As soon as I load up a large batch of ammo I find a reason to go burn it all up in one day!  Casting is next in the process for me. In fact, I have so far smelted down about 20# of W/W's scrounged from various sources.  I just need to get a decent mold, ladle, sizing system, and a powder measure. Then I'll really be able to crank out the ammo! 

I'll share with you all the load I am using for a run of 250 rounds. The weapon is a stainless ruger security six, .357, with a 4" barrel.

128Gr Berry's hardcast RNFP
Mixed .38spl cases
CCI #500
3.5grs bullseye

[Lloyd Smale]

For the most part i dont seperate any handgun brass. I just shoot to much to bother with it. 38specials are funny though. There seems to be more variation in case capacity and overal lenght with it then any other handgun brass. For the most part i still just load and shoot it but if im loading ammo for competition i like to keep match headstamp brass. What i do is keep a couple thousands nickle matching brass and use it just for competition. What alot of guys dont believe is that even if you sort your brass by headstamp there still so much lot to lot variation in handgun brass that unless you buy one big lot of brass your pretty much wasting your time.