2000gtacoma
Active Member
1-200 hundred pieces. More if my budget allows. But I have weird stuff (458 socom, 17 hornet)
Brass on hand
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cdherman
Well-Known Member
I'm a believer in 200 for a hunting rifle these days. Let me explain.
First, I tend to sort by weight. Before anyone takes off on a tangent on that, just let it be. But sorting 200 rds from the same lot gives you larger lots that are within 2 grains. IIRC, brass is 20x denser than powder on average. So the volume of 2 grains of brass is the same as would have been occupied by 0.1 gr of powder. Roughly calculated. Many disagree that weight of brass is a proxy for case capacity. I believe they have not understood Archimedes adequately. But not a discussion for this thread. Anyhow. I like lots that are within 2 gr.
Regardless, the whole point its to have lots of brass than can be used over time and be "batched". I like to prep cases in decent sized lots. 40-60 a time is the best. Baggies and little paper notes can identify # of firings, how long its been since annealed etc.
With 100 rds of brass I find I am always just a few cases "short". I prepped all my brass 2 years ago for a hunting rig, say 32 in a lot, used 18 rds for a little group and sighting verification, but now have only 14 rds left for this season. Ugh. Kind of close. This is example.
Other reason to start with 200 -- you always tend to lose some brass. In the heat of the hunt, brass goes flying into the weeds and you cannot find it. Or you loan your gun to a buddy who is far less organized and views brass as "expendable".
And late in the life of the brass, you will lose some brass to neck or primer pocket failures.
At the end of the day, its probably overkill. But I like 200. And 8 lb jugs of powder as well....
Also -- one of my buddies just keeps on buying 20rds of this or that loaded ammo "cause it was on sale" or "cause they had it in stock". Then I get this random batch of brass to reload. Ugh... Don't be that friend. He's really nice otherwise though, and a wiz dressing a deer!
First, I tend to sort by weight. Before anyone takes off on a tangent on that, just let it be. But sorting 200 rds from the same lot gives you larger lots that are within 2 grains. IIRC, brass is 20x denser than powder on average. So the volume of 2 grains of brass is the same as would have been occupied by 0.1 gr of powder. Roughly calculated. Many disagree that weight of brass is a proxy for case capacity. I believe they have not understood Archimedes adequately. But not a discussion for this thread. Anyhow. I like lots that are within 2 gr.
Regardless, the whole point its to have lots of brass than can be used over time and be "batched". I like to prep cases in decent sized lots. 40-60 a time is the best. Baggies and little paper notes can identify # of firings, how long its been since annealed etc.
With 100 rds of brass I find I am always just a few cases "short". I prepped all my brass 2 years ago for a hunting rig, say 32 in a lot, used 18 rds for a little group and sighting verification, but now have only 14 rds left for this season. Ugh. Kind of close. This is example.
Other reason to start with 200 -- you always tend to lose some brass. In the heat of the hunt, brass goes flying into the weeds and you cannot find it. Or you loan your gun to a buddy who is far less organized and views brass as "expendable".
And late in the life of the brass, you will lose some brass to neck or primer pocket failures.
At the end of the day, its probably overkill. But I like 200. And 8 lb jugs of powder as well....
Also -- one of my buddies just keeps on buying 20rds of this or that loaded ammo "cause it was on sale" or "cause they had it in stock". Then I get this random batch of brass to reload. Ugh... Don't be that friend. He's really nice otherwise though, and a wiz dressing a deer!
Very good points, I like your method of sorting and preparing brass. I'm often guilty of preparing 20 pieces of brass and them run to prep more as some hunt/range day happened
cohunt
Well-Known Member
200-250 for me
sea2summit
Well-Known Member
4-500 for hunting with a bolt action. Semi or if I plan on hunting things like hogs or at night it's going to be at least double that.
Having been a gun nut since the 80's and seeing the state of supply over the last ~10 years, I'd prefer to go even higher.
Having been a gun nut since the 80's and seeing the state of supply over the last ~10 years, I'd prefer to go even higher.
QuietTexan
Well-Known Member
Same. Peterson sells 500-case lots for a lot of things so that's an easy button answer, especially if I'm buying a reamer. 2x 250-case lots for the bigger things get's me to the same place.
I'll go as low as 50 cases for a CF hunting barrel, but for those rifles that's on the edge of being a lifetime supply, most likely out of boredom. 100 is better though.
200
This day in age but as much as you can afford!! If it turns out too much and you think you'll never use it all you can always sell some of it.
Lenny Foffa
Well-Known Member
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120 to 150 rds , separated by weight for hunting loads. In one particular caliber. I have a Blue Plastic box of about 40 /45 cases that are meant only for the Model 70 Super Grade, and I do not use those cases in the Weatherby Ultralight. Cases fired in my Ultralight do not work very well in the Model 70. The Bolt is hard to close. I almost never shoot the Model 70 Super Grade any more, 12/15 rounds a year maybe, but the Ultralight gets at 100 to 120 rounds fired through it every year before the hunting season.
Thanks for all the insightful responses, that's the reason why I like this forum so much.
6.5x300 WBY
Well-Known Member
For what I just recently did in this exact scenario was this.
Inherited from my brother's 30-06 I just bought 100 of Lapua brass. Pure hunting only.
My new MPA BA 6mm Creedmoor 200 of Alpha BRASS. This will be shot a lot. Contemplating 200 more Alpha brass just to have.
SIDE NOTE: Alpha brass is the nicest brass I have ever delta with ever bar none.
Inherited from my brother's 30-06 I just bought 100 of Lapua brass. Pure hunting only.
My new MPA BA 6mm Creedmoor 200 of Alpha BRASS. This will be shot a lot. Contemplating 200 more Alpha brass just to have.
SIDE NOTE: Alpha brass is the nicest brass I have ever delta with ever bar none.
birddog 68
Well-Known Member
100-150 but I must admit that I have many more than this for a couple.
Last time I did this, I bought 300 cases. Lasted me 10 years.
