223 Brass

[Zonkers]

I have been saving my 223 brass and wondering if I’m wasting time bringing it home to maybe reload in the future. Currently no reloading equipment but interested in purchasing. The ammo brands that I typically shoot are PMC Bronze, Scorpio and Fiocchi Target Max. I shoot a bolt action for training, target and varmit hunting. Are these brass casings not worth keeping and reloading for what I’m using it for?

 

[DShortt]

I have been saving my 223 brass and wondering if I’m wasting time bringing it home to maybe reload in the future. Currently no reloading equipment but interested in purchasing. The ammo brands that I typically shoot are PMC Bronze, Scorpio and Fiocchi Target Max. I shoot a bolt action for training, target and varmit hunting. Are these brass casings not worth keeping and reloading for what I’m using it for?

If you're interested in very tiny, repeatable groups, probably not.

If you're just plinking and/or shooting off hand in volume, you'll probably not notice much.

I'd still separate by headstamp at minimum no matter what you plan to use it for.

I have some mixed brass I load at well under maximum for a couple of ARs. I don't expect to recover the brass so it doesn't matter too much. Just as an example.

 

[Dave Berg]

In my opinion your brass is well worth keeping. You can load your own ammo that should be significantly more accurate than over the counter stuff and cost less per round to make than it does to buy it. I started hand loading over fifty years ago just to try to save a few bucks and the improvement in accuracy got me hooked. The brands you mention admittedly aren't Lapua quality brass but all in all pretty good stuff. It's a great exercise to learn what makes a specific rifle more accurate - the rifle itself, the loaded round or (and it always comes down to this) the shooter. Some guys hand load because they enjoy it. Personally I find it mind numbingly tedious since it requires 100% of you attention but the end result was worth it.

 

[Bottom Fodder]

Bring it home, you never know what the future holds . If you’re happy with the accuracy you have now with factory ammo it should be easy to duplicate by reloading with that brass if you decide to in the future.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Like MR. Berg says above, your brass is well worth saving. Since the brass was just shot in your own bolt rifle it should reload easy, some range brass can be stretched nearly ten thousandths out of a machine gun and you sure don’t want that.

 

[topclass2017]

And if nothing else, the brass has recycle value....

 

[Zonkers]

This is good to know and now wish I would of kept the brands separate, unless this doesn’t matter?

I’m not sure if RCBS already had their big rebate deal but probably should be checking for end-of-year sales on reloading equipment.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

For target, varmints separate brass by brand. Training,plinking mixing won't be an issue with middle of the charge weight loads checking sizing/finished rds thru an ammo checker.

 

[Jeff Porter]

And if nothing else, the brass has recycle value....

This. I do reload, a lot and had a several five gallon buckets of spit case necks, loose primer pockets etc brass saved up over the years. Local scrap yard was paying about $2.50 a pound. I had 150 pounds. Nice little payday for being a pack rat.

If you have a lot of brass and can get a good price, use the money to get reloading equipment or buy new quality components for your rifle.

 

[JB10]

From my experience i have taken mix headstamp brass and loaded to a safe load and gotten a few different rifles to shoot under 1/2 inch at 100 yards repeatability. For a varmint/ preditor rifle im good with that. Since its mixed brass i do not try and push it at max load since brass thickness between brands will be different. I just look for accuracy with the load.

 

[Heavy Metal 1]

Keep it because while now it is plentiful I have lived through famines when it was rare as hen's teeth and costly when found. Lean times may never come or they could just be right around the next corner, you just never know.

 

[KMW 1954]

Loading 223 for a number of years and the only brass I keep are PMC and Norma.