How many .223 reloads

[albert]

IMI brass, light loads 55gr at 2800. I'm using an X-die so no evidence of trim need yet. I just loaded the fifth time. Would you guys toss the brass after this firing?

[joem]

I load mine until the neck splits. At 2800 FPS you should get a few more reloads out of them.

[MEHavey]

Why? (You state you've no problems w/ headspace/case stretch; and didn't comment on primer pocket looseness, excessive wear & tear on the rim, nor neck splits.)

Without those problems do you see anything else?

(And if a neck split turns up, just anneal *all* the neck/shoulders in the batch and soldier on for another half dozen cycles -- or so).

[cary m2a]

Run them.
In My mini14's the only problems I had was starting with used military brass and it wasnt splits but primer pockets getting loose and who knows how many times they were loaded before I got them,and I loaded them alot.

Cary

[relics6165]

Albert:

With a minimum shoulder bump, and moderate loads, I have a pile of Lake City cases that have made it through more than 10 reloads in my White Oak AR. Loose primer pockets, and split necks will tell you when it's time to quit.........

Your use of an X die should help, too.

HTH

[Matt Anthony]

I use light loads for plinking in a Remington 700 varmint and I'm still using the first 100 Remington cases I bought for it. They are going on the 18th reload, without using an X-Die.
I can't remember the article, but Remington or Winchester did a study on how many times a case can be reloaded. Maybe someone else read the article, and the article stated they reloaded one case 100 times without the case failing.

[jim r]

100 times ? i wouldn't think a primer would be able stay in.

[Sunray]

Case life is entirely dependant on the load used. What load are you using?

[Larry Gibson]

albert

If your X-Die is properly set up you should get many, many more loads with those cases using that load. With "service" loads I get 20+ firings per case out of my AR. I've yet to lose a case out of a bolt action M70 after 20 cases have been loaded 42 times! I've yet to trim a case when sized with X-Dies (I use them with several cartridges). Marvelous dies those X-dies!

Larry Gibson