So I'm just starting reloading for rifles. Finally found a couple boxes (ie 200 primers) of SR primers, so I can start. Thus far i've found a more moderate load that seems reasonably accurate in my AR. Not max but upper end. Didn't like the minimum loads.

So the question, with 9mm, I pretty much load cases with impunity, have pulled a couple for split necks, but mostly load until lost, many 10+ times. How often can I load 223 and what should I look for on inspection? Thanks!

The answer depends on the brass and the load. Federal: Maybe one to three. Lake City if you neck size only (not for an AR) and use light loads, maybe 10.

Watch for split necks and case head seperation which you can check with a bent paper clip. Good luck.

Just a few things from my limited knowledge (reading), because I've only loaded a handful of rifle rounds in a few calibers: 7 mag, 30-06 and 223, but none enough to wear out cases.

Lyman recommends no more than 3 or 4?? case trimmings, for rifle cartridges. After the 4th? trimming, they claim the brass has been stretched and removed so much that the case wall is getting too thin to trust. Depending on how much cases are stretching and how much you trim off, it could fewer trimmings are advisable before tossing.

They also say I think no more than 5 reloadings no matter what. This could be due to work hardening of the brass from shooting, resizing, etc.

Any sign of a bright ring especially near the base (case web area) is a sign of incipient case head separation - yikes! Toss it and figure out why that's happening. Some of the reasons: 1. too much head space, 2. the case was sized down too much (some dies are not perfect) that pushes the shoulder down too far artificially creating more headspace, 3. too high a pressure (wrong primer, powder, bullet, change in cases, 4. gun not locking up completely before firing (headspace is artificially high), 5. too many reloadings, 6. bad brass.... 7. ??

Of course, split necks, cracks, etc. all mean the waste pile.

Since my brass mostly comes from commercial ammo I have shot, I consider it free or close to free. So for rifles where pressures are very high, and where I don't shoot a TON of rounds, I figure early retirement of cases and having all my fingers and both eyes is a pretty good place to call it quits on a case.

have fun,
rod

I have been reloading for 30 years and found the best way to tell when the case has been reloaded to many times is when you inspect cases after tumbling look for a bright ring just above the web area of the case. Then it's time to recycle it. I have reloaded cases more than 5 times without any signs of case streching but then again I keep my loads on the mild side and they rarely require trimming. Additionally when neck splits occur ditch them. I also mark each box with the # of times it's been reloaded.

On .223 I discard cases after the 6th reload. Most of mine are mil surp so new, once fired have to have the primer pocket swaged and OAL trimmed. Another trimming is required after the third reload. I load 62 and 69 grain bullets with between 25 and 26 grains of 748. I find that extractors and ejectors destroy more brass than split necks and seperations.
Plus some semi-autos are very hard on brass, ie, H&K's. AR 15's are pussy cats.

I discard them after five firings. My Sig 556 is notoriously hard on case necks so I end up tossing quite a few earlier if they're too badly creased. I've had one split neck in 5000 rounds or so, and no signs of ICHS in a random sample of 100 of my retired cases. This batch of brass started off as XM193 ammo; subsequent loadings have not been quite as hot. I use 24.5 gr. of 748 under 62 gr. bullets for "blammo" and 23.9 gr. of TAC under 77gr. SMK's for my good stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by teddy_gammell:
I discard them after five firings. My Sig 556 is notoriously hard on case necks so I end up tossing quite a few earlier if they're too badly creased. I've had one split neck in 5000 rounds or so, and no signs of ICHS in a random sample of 100 of my retired cases. This batch of brass started off as XM193 ammo; subsequent loadings have not been quite as hot. I use 24.5 gr. of 748 under 62 gr. bullets for "blammo" and 23.9 gr. of TAC under 77gr. SMK's for my good stuff.

Pardon my ignorance - what is TAC? I think I understand "blammo" LOL

Here's a good question:

How can you tell the difference between the stretch ring around the base of the case that means it's time to throw it away and the ring caused by the bottom of your resizing die?

They are generally in the same area. I use a Dillon 550 with factory dies to load my 223Rem.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
Here's a good question:

How can you tell the difference between the stretch ring around the base of the case that means it's time to throw it away and the ring caused by the bottom of your resizing die?

They are generally in the same area. I use a Dillon 550 with factory dies to load my 223Rem.

Here's a web site that does a good job:

Exterior ballistics

And here's a very interesting discussion of what can happen with too light of loads (case doesn't expand fast enough to grip the chamber walls):

Concerns with light loads in rifles...