.223 Will any Brass Do ?

Edchef

Well-Known Member
Hi
I am hoping to be able to reload .223 when I get my FAC (looks like my local Firearms Officer is going to look favourably on me!)
Is it worth reloading .223 ? - or can it be purchased cheaply enough from RFD's ? or does it depend how many rounds I am going to use?
I have 50 empty cases saved from my last visit to my local club - make is GECO - assuming they aren't 'berdan' primers could I reuse them ?
What is the average number of reloads for a case ?
Just realised there are loads of questions here - sorry :confused:
Ed
 
Yes, you'll get good results from reloading.
Economy depends on scale, more you shoot more advantageous it is. Setup costs vary greatly so you need to figure how much you'll shoot.

Twist rates in .223 are important, probably more so than in most calibers. heavy bullets i.e. 65gr and up want fast twists 1:7 to 1:9 being the norm. Lighter bullets go slower twist 1:12 being the norm. Limitations on both ends of the spectrum but my pref is for the fatboys, buck the wind much better.

Gecco is made by RWS if I'm not mistaken, likely to be fairly decent for budget brass and if you don't load it hot you'll get a fair number out of them >5 probably so a good place to start. .223 necks do tend to flow with warm loads so they need trimming fairly frequently. Use them till you see the first signs of work hardening or splitting, bin them and upgrade.
 
Good advice from Milligan there. I wonder how many rounds you will shoot and how often. Be aware that changing cases, you will start again at working up a new load. If they work out for you, can you get more? I asume you will be buying a rifle. My Tikka has 1 in 8 twist and will happily go up to 75Gn, though i use 69 for targets and 55 for Vermin. Reloading, apart from the initial outlay, has proven worthwhile for a number of reasons. Cost, accuracy, Less visits to the dealer etc. Have you chatted to the FEO about quantities? If buying expanding heads, they will usually come in 100s. You will need this on your FAC as a minimum if reloading!
 
Oh Dear - twist rates are something that I haven't given any consideration to at all I will be looking for a left handed rifle so my choice is limited anyway
it will almost certainly be used more for targets than vermin
Something else for me to think about!!
Many Thanks for your comments so far - good job there is someone here to help out
Cheers
ED



Good advice from Milligan there. I wonder how many rounds you will shoot and how often. Be aware that changing cases, you will start again at working up a new load. If they work out for you, can you get more? I asume you will be buying a rifle. My Tikka has 1 in 8 twist and will happily go up to 75Gn, though i use 69 for targets and 55 for Vermin. Reloading, apart from the initial outlay, has proven worthwhile for a number of reasons. Cost, accuracy, Less visits to the dealer etc. Have you chatted to the FEO about quantities? If buying expanding heads, they will usually come in 100s. You will need this on your FAC as a minimum if reloading!
 
Oh Dear - twist rates are something that I haven't given any consideration to at all I will be looking for a left handed rifle so my choice is limited anyway
it will almost certainly be used more for targets than vermin
Something else for me to think about!!
Many Thanks for your comments so far - good job there is someone here to help out
Cheers
ED

Then look for a fast twist; you'll find something in a left I'm sure. <50gr bullets are really limiting in all but ideal conditions.
Quite a few manufs do them, Tikka and Savage definitely do 1:8 lefty's. Might take a while to arrive mind...
 
lapua brass its a bit more expensive but they will last more than 5 or 6 reloades i have just reloaded cases fir the 8th time and are still good
 
Oh Dear - twist rates are something that I haven't given any consideration to at all I will be looking for a left handed rifle so my choice is limited anyway
it will almost certainly be used more for targets than vermin
Something else for me to think about!!
Many Thanks for your comments so far - good job there is someone here to help out
Cheers
ED

Hi Ed, no probs. I have a Tikka T3 Tac in 223 with the 1 in 8 twist. Excellent on the range and great for Foxes, also ok for Roe in Scotland. That will raise comments no doubt, but thats not what the question is about. Do some research about twist rates and bullets. The Tikka has proven thoroughly reliable and I have developed a very successful 69gn Sierra load for Targets. As Yet, I have not loaded for Fox / Deer - Load development takes time, I still have plenty purchased rounds.
For reloading Lapua brass in 223, is not too expensive and worth the effort, Varget working nicely with it. If already a target shooter, and club member, you will be able to get a higher purchase / storage limit - remember 100 rounds is usually minimum qty to buy. 200 / 300 if shooting regularly should be a sensible figure. If new FAC, he may want this lower. If not a club member, then quantities will be lower, i.e. 100 / 130 maybe... Lots to think about. Good luck
 
Hi
I am hoping to be able to reload .223 when I get my FAC (looks like my local Firearms Officer is going to look favourably on me!)
Is it worth reloading .223 ? - or can it be purchased cheaply enough from RFD's ? or does it depend how many rounds I am going to use?
I have 50 empty cases saved from my last visit to my local club - make is GECO - assuming they aren't 'berdan' primers could I reuse them ?
What is the average number of reloads for a case ?
Just realised there are loads of questions here - sorry :confused:
Ed

Reloading is great fun, you can get into it really cheaply with a Lee Classic Loader. I did and found that very quickly I could make rounds that were better than the cheap ones I could buy.

Give it a go, but remember it's infectious and you'll end up buying more kit, reloading more calibres, developing loads etc, etc...:D
 
lapua brass its a bit more expensive but they will last more than 5 or 6 reloades i have just reloaded cases fir the 8th time and are still good

new lapua brass is the same price as some brands of ammunition! I reload with RG/RORG, FC, PPU, IMI, etc no name brass and while the case weights do vary through brand (and so the fine performance of propellent due to volume) if your rifle does not perform to less than 1/2 moa, you could never tell the difference! It's good brass yes but not brass that can make a normal rifle perform better.
 
+1 another for Lapua.

EdChef,

Without any experience of reloading I would steer clear of GECO salvaged cases. Okay, so you've bought these cheap or 'acquired' them. It's a good question. If you had several hundred the answer would be obvious.

All the GECO I've seen so far have a 3-point impact crimp applied to the primer pockets for use in semi-auto rifles. Other brands like RG, Lake City (LC yy or FC 223) are treated in a different way. They deprime easily enough, but it can be a herculean effort to re-prime them without an extra step beforehand.... if at all. The quality of the GECO brass matches other inexpensive .223 brands like DAG or HP, but these don't need special preparation.That's a potential problem with many of the headstamps in .223. You can't assume these are junk and designed for one firing.... they have to withstand use in all weapons under extreme conditions.

Lapua cases are good for consistency, but they carry a price tag. Other brands will survive multiple reloadings, and are arguably just as good for target use. Neck-sizing only is common practice here, and not everyone is loading to the absolute maximum. There is just so much free or incredibly cheap .223 brass around, and these are a bargain if you know what to look out for.

There isn't any guarantee that Lapua, Nosler Custom, or similar will be more accurate or last longer than any other brand but perception can be everything in match rifle use. So, in answer to your question.... it depends on how much time and money you've got. I have more of the first than the second.
 
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be careful of crimped cases, you must remove the crimp with a countersink and drill. Just a quick buzz for a second or two so that primers locate and seat properly, with a crimped case you can easily pop a primer if you don't remove the crimp first.
 
I would (and do) use wolf and Barnault for "plinking" and if you find you want more accuracy then a good quality milsurp such as GGG will leave you with a good boxer case to reload, at £20-25x100 its not worth reloading for "plinking" the GGG will set you back£33-38x100, if you are using it on live game then a whole different story, reloading will cut your costs as long as you are shooting enough to justify it.
 
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