[broom_jm]

My dad came home from work a while back with a very large plastic bag full of all sorts of brass. Everything from 25ACP (stuck inside all the other cases) to a few 7RM. Nothing bigger than that, but quite a few 6.5x55, 30-06, 7x57 and a wide array of pistol brass. All told, there was easily 50 POUNDS of brass, totaling several thousand cases. I "rescued" over 350 '06 cases from this pile and was hoping to get an idea from guys that have reloaded for that round (I never have) which brand is best? I have 125 R-P, 75 Federal, ~80 Winchester and an assortment of other off-brands, like Frontier, and some that looks to be ex-military.

I've read that Federal brass can show loose primer pockets after just a few firings, but Remington-Peters and Winchester is usually pretty strong, with Winchester having slightly higher case capacity. Does this agree with what you '06 shooters have found?

Also, I will be sorting out the rest of this brass and don't really have a use for the vast majority of it, so I may offer it up on the trading post.

 

[kdub]

Frontier is the trade name for Hornady brass.

I've used them all and really had no problems with any particular brand since most of my loadings are under the max listings in the manuals. Every once in a while I think a certain lot of any manufacturer's is liable to early failure. Can't say any one brand outlasted any other.

Case capacity will vary from brand to brand, but the difference is so small you won't tell it unless you're match loading.

Used brass is a toss-up, as you can't tell how many times it has already been loaded, how much pressure was exerted, etc., unless you can verify its once-fired brass.

 

[Cavitation]

I have only used a little Federal brass it was ok. I use winchester now and it works well in my 308. I get about 8 loads out of it.

 

[41 Mag]

Broom, Over the years, the '06 has been a staple round in our house since before I was born. Cases have never been a real issue with getting accurate loads. One I developed many years ago still produces the smallest groups from a variety of rifles and in mixed cases. It uses IMR-4350 at 57grs. with Win-WLR primers. Cases trimmed to 2.484, and Nosler 150gr bullets seated to 3.250". This is a max load in the Lyman 46th edition book so work up carefully. This load has shot, as mentioned so well in sevral makes of rifles that it's all I load anymore. The cases I use are for the most part mixed range brass, and when I load them I simply toss them all together and load them up. The load has not shown any differences from one brand to the next, or rifle to rifle, which to me is simply wonderful. I would suggest however, if you have access to one, to size the first time with a small base die. This sill simply ensure that no matter what they were initially fired in they will function reliably in your rifle the first time. After than your standard die should work well. Some of the cases I have found would not completely chamber due to the brass springing back a bit larger on the once fired stuff. This is said for all once fired stuff not just the '06. It really sucks to to find out the one that sticks is a follow up or second shot on a pack of hogs. been there done that. As tot he softness of the different brands, I have found some through the years with all brands, and in different calibers of the same brands. Just a production issue. I used to load for every last FPS I could get but nowadays, simple work towards accuracy and the issues for the most part went away. Even so with free cases, and medium loads you can't argue with only getting two to three loads before having to toss the case. Like was mentioned, the previous owner may have pushed the case quite a bit.

 

[broom_jm]

Thanks for the information, guys. I've always tried to stick with one brand of brass, while trying to find good accuracy for a given powder/bullet. I remember Bandit mentioning that he really does not like Federal brass, because the primer pockets loosened up on the 2nd or 3rd firing. I'd like to avoid that problem, but then again I rarely use maximum loads in bottle-necked cases. In fact, my wife will probably be shooting this gun, so I'll definitely be working on finding a reduced recoil load that should result in a little better case life.

I've got so much 6.5x55 brass in the free stuff that I'm contemplating buying a gun for it. However, if I used that logic, I'd have to buy about 10 guns, for all the different brass that came in this bag! It's like somebody cleaned up the range for a couple of weeks, threw every decent case they found in a bag, and saved it. When I finish sorting it I will post the cases I can't use for cheap, in the Trading post.

 

[Marshal Kane]

. . . I've got so much 6.5x55 brass in the free stuff that I'm contemplating buying a gun for it. However, if I used that logic, I'd have to buy about 10 guns, for all the different brass that came in this bag! . . .

I see nothing wrong with that logic.

 

[broom_jm]

I see nothing wrong with that logic.

I don't either, really...but then, you haven't met my wife!

I'm going to hang onto the 6.5x55 brass, just in case I have to bring a new barrel home for the Encore, in that chambering.

 

[Marshal Kane]

You probably married my wifes' sister.

 

[41 Mag]

I don't either, really...but then, you haven't met my wife!

I'm going to hang onto the 6.5x55 brass, just in case I have to bring a new barrel home for the Encore, in that chambering.

Well if you decide it is simply taking up entirely too much room, I would be more than happy to dispose of it properly for you. Feel free to let me know if you decide to rid yourself of that mess.

 

[andy111672]

got any 308 brass?

 

[broom_jm]

Andy,

Whoever picked up all that range brass must have owned a 308 because out of literally thousands of rounds, I found exactly 1 308W.

 

[Deekes]

I pickup grounded brass at the club all the time. Couple of weeks before deer or moose season is the best because every hunter ( smart ones at least ) are out there sighting in their closet gun. I take it all home and sort it there. Not everyone reloads so there's alot of excellent brass just for the picking. At home though I'll discard all the non factory primered brass. There's no way of telling how many loadings it's carried. I guess a guy could work it, keep it seperate and shallow load it for plinking.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I have some Federal brass that I got from a range that the case heads had swelled to a place that without a small base die, they would not work in my Venture rifle. I scrapped them. I have used Federal brass in 223/5.56 loads with poor success as well but, that is a different story altogether!

Now, almost all of my .30/06 brass is going to be Greek. I bought a box of ammo from the CMP when I bought my last M1. I am such a tightwad, that is all I will be reloading for the near future. Sorry I cannot help but......

 

[TMan]

Thanks for the information, guys. I've always tried to stick with one brand of brass, while trying to find good accuracy for a given powder/bullet. I remember Bandit mentioning that he really does not like Federal brass, because the primer pockets loosened up on the 2nd or 3rd firing.

Looking at the availability of anything these days justifies just about any brass

I have lots of Federal brass, the best kind. I picked it up for free.

I have never had a problem with it the way I use it, and I've converted lots of it from .308 > .243 > 7-08 > .358. Similar story with .30-06 stuff. I also have a couple gallons of .38/.357/.44 brass. Like Bandit, I have found it doesn't hold up as well as some other brass with loads at the top of the range. I use the handgun brass for mid-range loads in my handguns, and Trail Boss loads in my rifles.

In that capacity, it seems to last forever, and the price is right..

 

[mjyeagle]

I like win and r&p brass for my serious 0-6 loadings. Most of my accuracy brass is win. I don't like federal brass of any kind. I also have no problem using mil spec brass.

 

[Deekes]

Not being a sillouette shooter or a 600 yarder, grounded brass, once it's trimmed and polished works fine in any brand. In my rifles anyway. i find it interesting how many members dislike federal. I always thought they were on the premium end of components. I don't pick up much of it. R-P, and Winchester are the most common and the odd Dominion [ when's the last time you seen this ] is what's there. We decided to switched to 150 gr. loads two days before the hunt last year and had to buy a couple boxes of Rem. Coul'nt remember the last time I bought a box of loaded ammo, but it was around six bucks then. Do the math on that one fellows. lol Later.