223 brass likes and dislikes

[Dirtrider389]

Over the last year or so I've taken up reloading as a hobby/therapy. Alot of friends and coworkers have given me their brass. I've collected quite a selection of mixed headstamp pistol and 223 brass. The pistol stuff I'm not worried on mixing headstamps, but I want to know if there is any factory brass cases in 223 to stay away from or are sought after... I've got a bit of hornady. A bunch federal, fiocchi, perfect, remington.... there's a bunch of other too, once fired

 

[culater]

I would size them, trim them and load and shoot them.

 

[mheimer_45]

Tagged in. I’m currently wondering this myself. I sorted all my brass. Had 8-9 different brands. Prolly 15 different years of lake city. My plan was to use the lake city to load up fmj’s and using a matching head stamp for 77 smk work. Am I wrong? I don’t know.

 

[nightman89]

I guess it depends on what level of precision you are going for. Plinking rounds? Grab a handful, load, and shoot. Target rounds with expensive bullets? Might be a good idea to sort and use 1 headstamp for consistency. For the most part all my 223 brass gets dumped in a bin and I just grab what I need and get to loading.

 

[Gee Kay]

if head stamp is an issue grab a box of these

otherwise check for possible case head separation or split necks, decap, clean, full length size, load, seat and shoot.
if you run into any issues, which you shouldn't, just grab a case of lapua and go to town.

 

[zeroz]

I do both. If I get a bunch of one headstamp ( more than 100 or so) I'll use that as a run. For my mixed plinking brass I do separate stuff that is marked .223 from 5.56 stuff and load them accordingly in 2 batches.

 

[Steel head]

For bulk 55 or 75 grain pew pew ammunition I load all brass.
For loads with higher expectations I use LC or lapua.

 

[yakstone]

For bulk 55 or 75 grain pew pew ammunition I load all brass.
For loads with higher expectations I use LC or lapua.

Same here.

 

[lightman]

I do both. If I get a bunch of one headstamp ( more than 100 or so) I'll use that as a run. For my mixed plinking brass I do separate stuff that is marked .223 from 5.56 stuff and load them accordingly in 2 batches.

This is about what I do. I use the Perfecta and FC crimped stuff when I shoot in a place that loosing it is possible. I use Lapua or Norma when my expectations are higher.

 

[Lightning8]

I just throw all the 223 and 5.56 box in one bucket and load it for plinking or practice.

 

[mheimer_45]

For you guys using lake city are you using same year or just mixing it all together. It is by far the most I have but am unsure if mixing it for 77smks is a good idea accuracy wise.

 

[zeroz]

I do both. I have enough of some years , on the same firings, that they are their own "lot" and some "lots" with mixed years. Ive weighed some and the variance year to year seems about the same as variance in same year stuff. I think keeping the same number of firings and load data on a given "lot" is more important than it being the same year. Goods loads in all of the above will yield MOA or a bit better so I don't know how far in the weeds you gotta go before you are just staining your pants. If I was going for ultra precision with 223 I guess I would weigh the cases or......... just buy Lapua.

 

[Skg_Mre_Lght]

For you guys using lake city are you using same year or just mixing it all together. It is by far the most I have but am unsure if mixing it for 77smks is a good idea accuracy wise.

I use the same year for my precision loads. Works great, and stupid accurate out of my precision ARs.

I will never, ever, ever, ever run Lapua out of a gas gun.

Ever.

 

[Dirtrider389]

I appreciate all the insight guy, it's fun to hear everyone's opinions on it

 

[Mr Tibbs]

Over the last year or so I've taken up reloading as a hobby/therapy. Alot of friends and coworkers have given me their brass. I've collected quite a selection of mixed headstamp pistol and 223 brass. The pistol stuff I'm not worried on mixing headstamps, but I want to know if there is any factory brass cases in 223 to stay away from or are sought after... I've got a bit of hornady. A bunch federal, fiocchi, perfect, remington.... there's a bunch of other too, once fired

Dirtrider389 Much like yourself I’ve accumulated a vast amounts of different headstamps over the years. What Ive learned not all brass has the same internal case capacity . Federal & Remington has produced some outstanding groups. Likewise Lake City has shown real consistency, i try to use the same year with these .
From what I’ve seen Starline brass has a lower case capacity then some other headstamps

 

[mtrmn]

I have had lots of loose primer pockets with FC (Federal Cartridge) headstamped brass. I now separate it from my other mixed brass and only use it for experimental loads or plinking rounds. Not much plinking going on nowdays either with component prices what they are.

 

[bax]

For you guys using lake city are you using same year or just mixing it all together. It is by far the most I have but am unsure if mixing it for 77smks is a good idea accuracy wise.

I shoot 223 in an AR with a 16-inch barrel. Maximum magnification is 10x; most of the time I'm shooting a red dot between 25 and 100 yards.

I have lots of lake city and also a lot of federal and RP and lesser amounts of other stuff but I don't shoot it.

I only shoot lake city; 77gr SMK; RL15, CCI 450s. I throw it all together and do not sort by year. I have no idea how many firings I have. I do not recall that I ever had to toss a case for a split neck or head separation. I never trim 223. I load all 223 on a Dillon 550.

My steps: tumble to get the crap off. Lube in a cloth bag with one-shot. I have a die plate with sizing/decap die and a mandrel. Size and decap then prime, then mandrel the neck. Tumble to get the lube off. Check each case to make sure that the primer is right-way-to then bag 'em in 100 case units. When I need ammo, I grab a bag of brass, powder, and bullets, and make ammo on the 550. With the 10x scope, I can hit a 10-inch plate at 500 yards most of the time and a head-size plate at 300 most of the time. Of my carbine, I ask no more than that.