Picked up a 300wsm which came with a small quantity of once fired brass. I recently purchased a large lot of mixed headstamp once fired brass with the intent to sort by headstamp which i have done. My plan was to process it and sell off what i dont need. But im questioning just how much i may need... What do you considered a good brass count for a given rifle. Trying really hard to stop hoarding brass i dont need or even have a rifle for...
How much brass is necessary
- Thread starter sksshooter
- Start date
Depends on what you intend to do with the rifle. I had 1200 rounds/cases for my mid range prairie dog rifle. 200 for my long range p.d. rifle. Now that I only pleasure/target shoot, I have 400 rounds for my mid range rifle - long range stayed the same.
Thought i put it in there but this is strictly for hunting purposes.
Different brass from different lots, shot from different rifles will just make finding a consistently accurate load harder. I'd sell all the brass and buy 200 rounds of high-quality brass and be done with it. If you don't use it all before the barrel is burned out you can easily sell the balance.
Rifles I like to keep around 120 loaded on hand all the time with prepped but unprimed brass to do at least another 480 more.
Couple reasons why:
- Primer shortages, you may end up staring at prepped primed brass on the shelf in one chambering when you need to load a different one and are now short primers.
-Bullet sticking over time.
-Federal regulation. Hate to even mention this one. If its going to take you 10 years to shoot through the 500 lead core bullets you have hand loaded, there is a good chance with the current trends that your state/province will have banned hunting with anything but copper bullets long before those 10 years are up, leaving you with a lot of ammo you can no longer hunt with.
stockpile rimfire, 9mm, and shot shells...
Couple reasons why:
- Primer shortages, you may end up staring at prepped primed brass on the shelf in one chambering when you need to load a different one and are now short primers.
-Bullet sticking over time.
-Federal regulation. Hate to even mention this one. If its going to take you 10 years to shoot through the 500 lead core bullets you have hand loaded, there is a good chance with the current trends that your state/province will have banned hunting with anything but copper bullets long before those 10 years are up, leaving you with a lot of ammo you can no longer hunt with.
stockpile rimfire, 9mm, and shot shells...
You make no mention of what the rifle will be used for. Hunting, 200 cases would go a long ways as a hunting rifle. Long range BR 300 or 400 would probably out last the barrel, new 300wsm barrel or change to a 300PRC or other favor of the month? Use rifle for hunting Long range shooting or competition multiple barrels or blanks in the safe maybe a lot more. with shortages the way they are and not being able to see into the future you need to decide how much you want to shoot this rifle in the future.
Gargoyle
Finder Outer
He stated all of this in his OP. The good thing is that he has brass fired once from that rifle. So in regards to fire forming and reloading he is ahead.
Gargoyle
Finder Outer
Hunting stash...I think I just made up my 10yr supply of 7mm-08 rounds for my Kimber 84 Hunter. That is 100rnds. Shoot around 10rnds a year with it. Lapua brass. I expect to get 4 loadings before the primer pockets crap out. I think I am ok, but then I have these flashbacks from the last 20yrs of the component shortages and don't want to be caught needing to buy during a drought in 2033.
i've not found that to be the case on several other cartridges i load for. so far in the 15 years ive been loading i have yet to purchase new brass. i'm not looking for benchrest groups with my hunting rifles. anything under 1" fills my needs and i have been able to consistantly achieve that with once fired brass. i expect this to be no different. i only full length size my hunting ammo. im to worried i will need to make a follow up shot and the next round doesn't feed well.
thats the part that keeps catching me. realistically i average 10 rounds a year. even if i only get 3 loadings from my brass over the next 30 years i'm only looking at 300 rounds so hypothetically 100 pieces should do me. but as you stated ive been good throughout the last couple shortages and don't want to end up in a position down the road that i'm not. so i think i'm going to double my need to 200 and sell off the rest. thankfully i stocked up well on primers so i should not have an issue there however i did get thin on bullets and powder. recently solved the poweder issue and it will be delivered thursday. the bullets i have enough for a few years now but when i see availability i'm going to stock those up better as well.
Hunting only 100 should do you. Just my two cents Tommy Mc
All things being considered, I'd say you've done rather well.
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