useing mixed head stamp brass

[mitchell]

how do you guys feel about using mixed brands of brass?? such as http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/238002 . will it really hurt accuracy??? I’ve not experimented with different brands of brass yet so i'm kinda in the dark here.

[Stan in SC]

As long as it is decent reputation brass it should make no difference.

[Cottonwood]

At any National Match wether it be Bench Rest, NRA, BPCR you will never find a shooter who is competing having mixed brass.  If you ask them they will even admit to weighing their brass... all of which are the same brand name.

They believe that yes, it affects accuracy.

For my 45-70 cartridges - Remington

For my 45-90 cartridges - Starline


And for some, their fine with using any mix for short range target shooting and hunting.

[Fred M]

Don't mix brass, load them in separate batches each with their own loads.

If you think there is no difference, think again. Every one of these 06 type case heads is different which changes the volume and in turn pressure.
Each case is a different brand
I thought handloaders would have that much elementary knowledge.

[ping925]

If you shoot a lot of pistol rounds-it's OK as long as you sort into same manufacturer, resize, trim to length and true the flash hole. I guess it depends on the cost difference -new vs. used and how much time you have.  For rifle calibers, I would avoid them.  A lot of the popular calibers are military rounds with crimped primer pockets and real deep ejector dents [not marks].   The "white-box" Winchesters are cheap enough, they will fire form to your chamber and you know exactly how many times they have been fired.

[riddleofsteel]

Buy or accept mixed lots if you want to. Sort it out according to head stamp. Weigh the cases and segregate them by weight. I have even had good luck with pickup brass if you sort it right and limit the numbers of reloads.
Having said that I am picky sorting them and I ALWAYS use once fired, from my rifle brass, to hunt.

[Deadeye47]

I'm a range brass scrounger...I do keep brands together but this is not a good thing either as there are different "lots" of manufacture....I generally use this brass when working up a load for a certain caliber....you can get really anal about this kind of thing.....I buy and shoot different manufacturers ammunition but always keep it segregated in original boxes....When I find a good load...I use this brass for loading it and that way that loading is  consistant. Best thing to do is do what works for ya...learn along the way and have fun doing it....


P.S. AND if this PD shoot comes together...I will have alot of brass laying around my shooting position.... I better not see one of you buds eyeballing my brass  like a "robins head turns to eyeball a worm" .... I get pissy...just a heads up.... :wink:  :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D

[Cottonwood]

you can get really anal about this kind of thing

I'll show you anal... this is a pic of a Champion shooters bullets that he cast...... The differant rows that you see or the grain deviations that exist.

[Deadeye47]

:shock: well thare ya go....do what ever works for ya.... and what does the Montanan say........ :roll:  Consistancy,consistancy,consistancy.... :mrgreen:

[De41mag]

Deadeye;

Your not one of those people called a Range Buzzard are ya?  :wink:

Dennis  

[Deadeye47]

Deadeye;

Your not one of those people called a Range Buzzard are ya?  :wink:

Dennis  

:oops:  :oops:  :oops:  :wink:

[Greybeard]

P.S. AND if this PD shoot comes together...I will have alot of brass laying around my shooting position.... I better not see one of you buds eyeballing my brass like a "robins head turns to eyeball a worm" .... I get pissy...just a heads up

What you mean IF? All we need to have the OK shoot go is to get Wes back and set the dates. He has all the arrangements set and we have plenty of folks lined up to go to OK.

I used to pick up range brass. NEVER EVER again. When you have a gun come apart in your hands it changes the way you view things. I did with range pick up brass. Since then I don't do that. Yes I KNOW the powder charge was correct. IT was weighted and dropped three times to verify. Still looked wrong in case altho case appeared normal and clean. On firing the TC Contender came from together to apart.

[Deadeye47]

Well...All I can add is... sorry it wasted  your gun...but that happens with factory ammo occasionally also... I look um over pretty good and if there is the slighest bit of doubt I pitch it.... they have to look pretty clean....as in once fired stuff for me to pick it up....what caliber was the contender in? Could it have been a defective barrel...micro cracked or  Well who knows I guess....shame...

 I'm anxious to get a firm date set for this extravaganza...I'm lookin forward to it already.....and lookin equally forward to ridin in with that wild S.E.Ok. bunch.... :wink:

[Greybeard]

TC was a .44 Mag. Had been fired many many times with full house loads and no problem. I was loading a max book charge of either W296 or H2400. Time has erased the specific load from memory but those are the two powders I used in those days.

Case was a S&W headstamp. I had picked up two only on the range and both appeared once fired only. They were bright and clean. My policy has long been to drop charges in full trays and then tilt and exam to be sure all look same. Two didn't, the two S&W cases. I dumped powder and dropped new charges. Same. Dumped charges and weighted powder and filled cases. Still didn't look right. At this point I should have tossed the cases but I was cheap and kept every case I could scrounge. So I dumped and examined the cases again and finding nothing wrong with them dumped another charge and loaded.

When I fired it the Pachmayr fore arm flew forward of my position at least 30'. It sheared the adapter into several pieces. The barrel popped open and case had to be knocked from barrel. Upon examination of barrel it was clear that the weak point where rear sight screw holes are buldged upward a bunch. Retruned barrel to TC telling them what happened and they replaced barrel at no charge. I purchased another Pachmayr adapter and went back to shooting.

But I no longer scrounge brass and if anything don't look right now the second time I toss the case no matter the source even if brand new from the bag.

[jgalar]

I use mixed cases, but only for plinking guns using reduced velocity/pressure cast bullet loads. Anything loaded at or near normal pressure I would stick to the same cases.

[Deadeye47]

TC was a .44 Mag. Had been fired many many times with full house loads and no problem. I was loading a max book charge of either W296 or H2400. Time has erased the specific load from memory but those are the two powders I used in those days.

Case was a S&W headstamp. I had picked up two only on the range and both appeared once fired only. They were bright and clean. My policy has long been to drop charges in full trays and then tilt and exam to be sure all look same. Two didn't, the two S&W cases. I dumped powder and dropped new charges. Same. Dumped charges and weighted powder and filled cases. Still didn't look right. At this point I should have tossed the cases but I was cheap and kept every case I could scrounge. So I dumped and examined the cases again and finding nothing wrong with them dumped another charge and loaded.

When I fired it the Pachmayr fore arm flew forward of my position at least 30'. It sheared the adapter into several pieces. The barrel popped open and case had to be knocked from barrel. Upon examination of barrel it was clear that the weak point where rear sight screw holes are buldged upward a bunch. Retruned barrel to TC telling them what happened and they replaced barrel at no charge. I purchased another Pachmayr adapter and went back to shooting.

But I no longer scrounge brass and if anything don't look right now the second time I toss the case no matter the source even if brand new from the bag.

Dang....that is weird Greybeard...visual and then checked the charge three times!! I do a visual in the block also but unless I can see a deffinate double charge( which I am extreamely anal about checking for when using an auto measure) I let um go...I then do a random check and dump a case full in the scale pan and check for weight. I check maybe 10 to 12 out of a 50 round block...Fortunately I have never had any problems with this little ritual of mine...I don't use an auto powder measure for bottle neck/rifle cartriges...I hand weigh each charge out..drop it and set a bullet on the case and seat it right then and there.....no room for errors...... That was a lucky thing that TC gave ya a new barrel...especially when using handloads.... tip top outfit!

[bajabill]

Since the brass could easily be used 10 times, you are saving about 20 bucks for 1000 shots.  Not worth the concern or the irritance of managing the difference pieces.  If you are on that would weigh and sort same make brass, you would not even entertain using mixed make brass in the first place.  I find it hard enough to keep track of what group has is due for a full length sizing, how many times loaded, etc.  I threw away a bunch of rem cases and declined to accept a gift of about 70 once fired rem cases because I prefer win brass and got frustrated keeping the rem separated.  20 bucks is money well spent if it makes your life simpler.

[Deadeye47]

bajabill and jgalar...it all boils down to what works for ya...if ya got money to burn and no time and also not a skinflint like I am then buy all new brass.....and if ya use those range bones for plinkin ammo with cast reduced loads... :toast: soooooo excuse me...I got some dumpster divin to take care of...there just might be some good stuff in there....... :-D