Brass

[Malxwal]

What differences do you see in terms of velocity, velocity spreads and groupings between using new brass and once fired brass ?

[MrCetrizine]

Me, personally, none. I don't see performance changes until 3rd to 5th firing.

[The Gun Pimp]

None.

 

There was an excellent report on here about a year ago showing how the structure of the brass changed with each firing.

 

If I remember, it stayed pretty constant for about five firings - and this mostly would bear out my experiences - I usually ditch it after 5 or 6 firings. The option is to anneal.

[DaveT]

Blimey GP.....ditching brass after only 5 firings.......expensive trash!

[The Gun Pimp]

When I was shooting FTR with the GBFCA, I would get less than that - 3 or 4 firings at most. Mind you, the small primer brass has improved that.

 

It really depends on the level of performance/accuracy that is acceptable. In GBFCA, half MOA is the starting point..............

 

Brass is still quite cheap - relatively. Shoot 120 rounds over a GBFCA weekend and that's less than £20 for brass - the main cost is petrol, entry fees, and accommodation.

[Tenex]

Just to be a bit sceptical...................in the field whilst stalking of fox shooting does anyone actually notice any difference?????

 

OK, if I was to shoot a different bullet weight I would feel a difference, but to use the same load, same bullet, and to then say that I could tell a round from a once fired case or a 6 times fired case...........

 

When I shoot .22 rifle I can feel if the ammo is a bit faster or slower but a .243 or .308 with, or without, a moderator; how would you know if you weren't privy to the fact that they were your own loads and therefore were already knowledgeable about their condition.

 

If someone gave you a couple of batches of reloaded .308, one batch loaded in new brass and another one 5X loaded brass, could you shoot them blindfolded and tell which was which????

 

I sometimes think we look for a problem to find an answer for.

[The Gun Pimp]

Well, I wasn't ditching 308 brass just because of an accuracy fall-off. Primer pockets were slack, bases were swelling.

 

Even without these extremes, the target will tell you that your brass has work-hardened* - but not if it's a fox............

 

Could I feel a difference when I pulled the trigger? No. Could I feel a difference when I opened and closed the bolt? Yes.

 

* If I remember, the report said that all the hardening came from the firing process rather than re-sizing.

[Grum87]

 

 

Could I feel a difference when I pulled the trigger? No. Could I feel a difference when I opened and closed the bolt? Yes.

 

 

 

Indeed, try closing the bolt on new brass, then closing the bolt on 5xFired brass that's only been neck sized, you'll know the difference.....

[Malxwal]

I'm not trying to find the root of any problem, just curious as to whether wide experience backed up things I had been told, like once fired brass would provide more consistency.

Interesting about the bolt closing though, very noticeable. I have some Lapua brass which I have no idea how many times fired, been through FL die,trimmed, and still tight to close. No pressure signs, primer pockets still snug.

[justin credible]

I'm not trying to find the root of any problem, just curious as to whether wide experience backed up things I had been told, like once fired brass would provide more consistency.

Interesting about the bolt closing though, very noticeable. I have some Lapua brass which I have no idea how many times fired, been through FL die,trimmed, and still tight to close. No pressure signs, primer pockets still snug.

If they are tight to close then you need to adjust your die a bit and knock the case shoulders back a a couple of thou more. They won't be tight to close then.

[Tenex]

 

Indeed, try closing the bolt on new brass, then closing the bolt on 5xFired brass that's only been neck sized, you'll know the difference.....

Yes if it has only been neck-sized but if it's been FL sized .........................