How do you keep track of the # of reloads on brass?

[upacreek]

Is there some simple way to keep track of how many times brass gets reloaded? I have been considering taking a file and notching a mark in the base every time. Ideas?

 

[Canadian Bushman]

I use labels and put one on every box of shells i load.
The label contains all my load info, including the number of firings on a case and some side notes in case i tried something new.

I keep track of the firings, and the type of sizing that was used.

 

[Mikecr]

I don't see where it matters. Just nice to know info I guess.

When I buy a barrel, I already have all the brass, bullets, primers, etc for it's life. Just for that barrel.
So I could always look at the number of bullets used for both shot count and reload cycles.

 

[Birdhunter1]

What I have done on my .243 and the 150 Nosler cases I bought was put them in separate flip top boxes, always shoot out of one box, and put those empties in that box. When prepping cases only work with one box at a time and make a mark on the label how many times that box has been reloaded.
The process seems to work well for me.

On my .223's I just keep loading them till a case splits or the primer pocket loosens up. Of course you can only tell when a primer pocket has gotten too loose once you put a primer in so I paint the casehead black which is universal code in my ammo for 'one shot left for this case.' Seems to work well.

Other rifles I just pitch the case in the scrap bin once it wears out and I don't bother to keep count.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

I don't see where it matters. Just nice to know info I guess.

When I buy a barrel, I already have all the brass, bullets, primers, etc for it's life. Just for that barrel.
So I could always look at the number of bullets used for both shot count and reload cycles.

I dont think a lot of us are able to get as many firings from a case as you are.

 

[FearNoWind]

I reload brass in sets of fifty. The go back into the same plastic storage box they cam out of when they've been fired. If I have a few odd rounds left over I simply keep them in that box until they've been used.
My boxes are marked with labels:
No mark equal newly loaded brass
1F means they've been fired once and reloaded once
2F means twice .....
When they've been fired five times I anneal them
1FA means they've been reloaded five times, annealed, and are now in their second cycle. The code progresses through 2FA, 3FA etc. to 5FA and they're annealed again.
The next cycle takes on a code of 1F2A, 2F2A, etc. Which translates to their being in one of the next five cycles after having been annealed once. So I know that a box marked 1F3A means they've been reloaded and annealed three times and are on their first cycle of five cycles before the next annealing.
It isn't as confusing as it sounds.
I originally just used a felt marker to mark the case head with a dot between the rim and the primer. After five cycles I used laquer thinner to remove the marker and started over again. But that only told me how many cycles the brass had been through prior to each annealing.

 

[IAHNTR]

I've just been using labeled ziplocks.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I keep good notes in a tablet for my rifles and rotate the brass that goes in that particular rifle. These tablets also have round count on the barrels and what type of cleaning has been done.

 

[woods]

This works for me since I have many different calibers and it may be a couple of years before I decide to load some more. Also it is a real PITA when you might go to the range, shoot 3 or 4, go back later and shoot a different load

Anyway first step after depriming with a Universal deprimer I make a mark with an electric engraver

then fill it in with a magic marker

If the magic marker gets worn off I can still find the engraved mark.

Lets me go to any of my dozen boxes of ammo and pick any case and tell you exactly how many times it's been fired, without fail

You could do the same with a centerpunch

 

[MudRunner2005]

I use labels and put one on every box of shells i load.
The label contains all my load info, including the number of firings on a case and some side notes in case i tried something new.

I keep track of the firings, and the type of sizing that was used.

Same here. And when I semi-retire brass (for the summer) every year, I seperate them into large ziplock bags by number of times fired. I have bags that say "1x Fired", "2x Fired", etc... in Sharpie so it's permanent. Which are then stored and stacked in sealed metal surplus ammo cans.

I reload for over 18 individual calibers with multiple rifles in some of those calibers, so I would have an entire closet full of individual ammo boxes, if I stored each load for each rifle. If I have a consistant load I shoot for a rifle I shoot alot, it's ingrained in my memory banks as to the load charge...That said, the rifles I shoot ALOT, I do keep individual ammo boxes for each of those calibers with constantly loaded ammo. Most of my calibers I don't shoot alot, I just store components once I develop a load for them, that way I have my info there and components there if I need them.

I never store and dirty brass either. I only store them clean and polished so they don't corrode.