Brass life and Accuracy question

[bearing01]

Hi all,

I'm going to start reloading. Two questions:

1) How many times can you reuse a brass case? Can you reload some other type of metal case, like say steel?

2) Is bullet / shooting accuracy better or worst? I heard from a Youtube video that you can get better accuracy than cheap factory rounds. What determines handgun ammunition accuracy?

Thanks

 

[GP100man]

1- it depends on how much pressure ya put on the brass & the crimp, aluminum & steel no not worth the trouble or worth takin the chance, aluminum & steel "work harden" very qwikly

2- newer brass has a more consistent grip on bullets & consistentsy is the name of the game!!!

Now as ya don`t say what caliber , that`s as close as i can get to an answer!!

 

[pvtschultz]

1. I shoot my brass until the neck splits, especially pistol brass. But, in the three years of reloading, I've thrown away far more brass due to my mess-ups (overcrimping and crushing with RCBS dies) than retirement. I don't shoot nearly as much rifle as I'd like so I've only 4-5 loadings on my 308 WIN brass.

2. I can shoot much better with handloads than factory ammo. It is true that factory ammo is loaded to produce good results (usually about MOA or slightly larger) from factory rifles. Must hunters don't care if their rifle can shoot 1/2 minute or smaller groups, as long as it can shoot minute of deer out to 200 yards or so (rifle) they are fine. My home-built 308 Mauser can shoot many factory loads to ~ MOA accuracy, some smaller. But, only my handloads can consistantly give me 1/2 minute or better accuracy. And I'm not even a competitive shooter and don't spend a lot of time on my brass. I resize, clean primer pocket, prime, and load; that's is. IMHO a guy shooting better with factory ammo than handloads hasn't spent enough time putting together a custom round for HIS rifle and has deep pockets. Factory ammo is AT LEAST twice as much as my handloads.

 

[bearing01]

Caliber: 38 Special & 357 mag and 9mm.... and 45 ACP someday.

I find that I'm shooting at least 100 rounds a week and this will save me money. Also, here in California we got Arnold's new law to help make ammo scarce in a year from now, so I figure better beat the crowd and start reloading soon.

Thanks

 

[slippingaway]

For those cases, like said before, load em until they split. It's not unheard of to get 20 uses from good brass. Aluminum and steel are typically not reloadable, the characteristics of the metal don't lend themselves to being reloaded with regular reloading equipment.

Take the time to work up some different loads, and you'll always find at least one that shoots better than factory loads. It may be different for each gun you have, but there will be a handload that shoots better.

 

[Pal Val]

Here are my non-expert answers:

1) You can reuse a brass case as many times as it will take a load without getting damaged. After several loadings (I do it every 10), stratight-walled cases will need trimming, as they "grow" a little every time you resize them. The reloading manuals explain this better.

Steel is too hard for practical reloading with the available equipment. Aluminum is soft, and gets overworked too easily. None is good for reloading.

2) Accuracy is the main reason for reloading. Factory ammunition is "one size fits all". Imagine going to a clothing store and finding out they only sell one size. Bad. When you reload, you have control of all the elemants, and you can experiment with different combinations until you find the one your gun shoots best. Voila! The perfectly tailored suit.

BTW, It's also cheaper, but I can tell you that the temptation will be to shoot more rounds per session. Side effect - you become more practiced and a beter shooter. Win-win.

 

[bearing01]

Primer question:

For 9mm Luger and 38 Special, can I just use Remington 1 1/2 Small Pistol primers? I saw from a couple different reload sheets that 9mm Luger called for CCI 500 and 38sp called for Winchester SP. Then somewhere else the 38sp called for CCI 500 or Remington 1 1/2 SP.

Does it really matter, just as long as it's SP type primers?

 

[eric conrad]

bearing01, start stocking up now. When arnies ammo ban takes affect (2-11) it also shuts down mail order and internet sales of components.
Its hard to find primers and powder right now.
Best bet is move close to the border (not mex.) or out of this state.
Eric