SEPERATING HEAD STAMPS

[picker]

Worth the effort ? I am new to reloading as most of you men know, and as I work up some loads trying to find a few favorites.
I have noticed I shoot fair and poor with same load,now I know I shoot beter some days I suppose we all do ?
And I understand the difference between shooting on a calm day and a windy one.
But after shooting the same load several times/days I find little consistency, there are only 2 variables me and the cases.Everything else is the same.
Now I know I aint the best shot, but some times I get a good tight pattern and sometimes they are way off.
Just curious about this as Im reloading range brass.
Best/joe

 

[Charlie]

Shortly after I began reloading about 15 yrs. ago I was keeping everything separated, logged, etc. After a couple of years I zeroed in what was, in my opinion, the most critical factor for improving accuracy ............ consistency in your loading process such as cartridge over all length, bullet weight, consistent powder weight, etc. Unless a case is just crap or brand new, I really don't think it one can tell much difference. Just my two bits.

 

[Booyah]

I still consider myself new as well and I still separate head stamps. I don't know if I will continue long term but it is a heck of a way to gather first hand data to decide. It gives you hands on time with your brass to make other observations as well. For new reloaders I don't see much of a downside.

 

[Charlie]

I wasn't trying to make my posts lean toward downside, I just don't think there is a great upside on accuracy. I usually keep brass separated just because when I shoot at the ranch I'm usually shooting one reloads that are of the same case manf. So I guess I do technically still separate brass but I don't pick up piles from ranges or other people's shooting, etc. and go through it.

 

[Countryfried Frank]

I mix all my handgun cases and plinking cases together. I'm not loading at the top of the range for these so I have room in my load for error.
Rifles (other than .223) I sperate by headstamp and batched to control the number of times loaded. I shoot a lower volume of rifle so I can afford to put more time into them and get the most out of each cartridge.

 

[Vaquero]

I sort and weigh a hundred or so of the same head stamp just for load testing and accuracy shooting.
Once they are separated from the bulk brass, they stay that way.

 

[Charlie]

I mix all my handgun cases and plinking cases together. I'm not loading at the top of the range anymore so I have room in my load for error.
Rifles (other than .223) I sperate by headstamp and batched to control the number of times loaded. I shoot a lower volume of rifle so I can afford to put more time into them and get the most out of each cartridge.

On handgun and just plinking stuff, I do the same.

 

[picker]

Well I think Im gonna pick me out about a dozen or so with the same stamp and shoot these over about 6 times and then study the targets over a period of a few days.....................Thanks men for your opinion its pretty obvious to me Yall are shooting better brass than I am too, looking at some of this so called once shot online stuff, I have already seen at least a dozen different stamps[smile]
Best/joe

 

[Dawico]

I seperate for precision rifle but that is it. I weigh, trim, and everything else to get them as consistent as possible.

Handguns, never. But I don't shoot for groups either.

But if I did shoot precision handgun, I would go through all the steps that I do for precision rifle.

 

[picker]

Well one thing I see is if you are going to buy "Once shot Brass" buy nickel, seems like the off brands and cheaper stuff don't nickel at least that's the way mine look, I just bought some 40 for my new 23 bought 1K and just 3 brands for far speer/ RP and Hornady, really pleased with this stuff

 

[stemoo01]

Only brass I seperate is the freedom munitions stuff (IMT stamp). There's a brass ring inside the case which changes the dimension vs general brass.

 

[Recoil45]

For bullseye or long range rifle it's worth it. For USPSA/IDPA or plinking it's a waste of time.

 

[ROGER4314]

In competition, I would sort cases by brand. That's not needed now so I don't sort pistol cases at all.....except to remove small primer .45 acp cases.

I still sort rifle cases by brand. The projectile cost is high and the other components are, too. It just makes sense to spend a few minutes sorting cases.

The Dollar Store sells them cheaply so I buy a bunch of their baking/meat loaf pans. I get the same size so when they're stored, they nestle together and store well. You can sort brass in record time and with some good music, it's relaxing.

Flash

 

[Texasjack]

In my experience, it doesn't make that much difference on pistol cases. Rifle cases have some pretty large differences in wall thickness, so I do keep them separated.

 

[SmokeyWhisper]

Reloading has its perks, especially if you are OCD.

With brass, some brass has a different wall thickness. .223 v. 5.56 for example. 5.56 will have a higher pressure compared to a .223. Same bullet, same powder and charge and same primer. This is because the 5.56 brass is thicker.

New brass vs. fire formed brass (once fired brass that is molded perfectly to that specific rifle's chamber) fire formed brass wilk show a lower pressure because there is less that has to give during shooting. This will affect accuracy.

Case length is something to research.

Anealing the brass after X number of firings.

Bullet seating depth is very important to know, not only for accuracy but for safety. Do NOT let that bullet rest against the lands and grooves!

For ACCURACY reloading, CONSISTANCY is peramount. Repeat performance and duplication down to the N'th degree is key. Same brass, same weight bullet, sam OAL, same powder charge. Accuracy isnt acheived over night and it is a constantly changing endevour for each shooter who reloads. Its really one thing that you cant stop learning about!

 

[trigger643]

As others have already stated, "it depends." My pistol and plinking brass are mixed head stamps. My precision brass I keep matched.

 

[Booyah]

...With brass, some brass has a different wall thickness. .223 v. 5.56 for example. 5.56 will have a higher pressure compared to a .223. Same bullet, same powder and charge and same primer. This is because the 5.56 brass is thicker...

Not looking to thread-jack here...but I don't think this is accurate. I have done some research on this (not exhaustive) and have not found any reliable info to support this idea. If you can cite any detailed specifications that show 5.56 is designed to have a thicker wall than .223, I would be interested to see it.

 

[Dawico]

Not looking to thread-jack here...but I don't think this is accurate. I have done some research on this (not exhaustive) and have not found any reliable info to support this idea. If you can cite any detailed specifications that show 5.56 is designed to have a thicker wall than .223, I would be interested to see it.

It is common knowledge that mil-spec brass has thicker walls than commercial brass.

That being said, it is not why 5.56 is hotter than .223. They are loaded to different specs.

Now, the same load in cases of different internal volumes does change pressure. It just isn't the situation with these two rounds.

 

[Booyah]

It is common knowledge that mil-spec brass has thicker walls than commercial brass.

I don't doubt that. What I am interested in though is a cite to the specs that substantiate that assertion. All other measurable specs of these rounds are easy to come by but I have yet to find the spec that defines wall thickness as being different between the two. To change the wall thickness on otherwise identical cases would have one of two, or a combination of two outcomes (with very few exceptions, none that I am aware of): either you would increase the external dimensions of the case or you would decrease the internal volume of the case. If there is another option I am interested in hearing that too.

Now, the same load in cases of different internal volumes does change pressure. It just isn't the situation with these two rounds.

This statement seems to indicate that you believe that the internal volume of these two cases are spec'd the same? If that is the case do you assert that the external dimensions of the two cases are spec'd different? If not, where does the extra space for the thicker wall come from? I have seen specs (from different sources) for internal volume and external dimensions on both of these cases and they all appear to be functionally identical.

I am not trying to argue or even make a definitive assertion here. I am just going on what info I have been able to find so far and I don't like to see inaccurate info floating around on such a "safety sensitive" topic as reloading. I am honestly interested in learning the details on this subject from sources...without too much of a thread-jack.

 

[Younggun]

5.56 is not loaded to SAAMI specs. The pressure is (slightly) higher due to the specs it is loaded to. The pressure is also measured differently than with SAAMI.


If reloading, using identical loads the 5.56 cases would generate slightly higher pressures due to internal case volume differences while new manufacture generates different pressures due to different loading specs and pressure measurement methods.