brass

[Rem700CDLSF3006]

hello all so far i have just reloaded cases of factory ammo. Im starting to get some that needs trimming ,and dont have a trimmer yet So for right now just thinking of getting a bag of brass till I get a trimmer.My question is Ive used Winchester Hornady and Federal I kinda favor the hornady.
What do you all think is the longest lasting brass? And is Lapua worth the money

 

[119er]

You might want to give a little bit more info to get better answers. Like caliber, what kind of shooting you do, type of firearm, etc.

In pistol calibers it is all the same to me really. I've read to avoid AMERC headstamp but I've never come across any.

I rifle I like Hornady, Prvi, Winchester has been okay, Remington too, but the Federal I've had seemed soft. At least for semi-autos. I haven't sprung for Lapua or Norma but I intend to.

 

[45lcshooter]

Very often I had to trim new brass. So just watch that. Or find one that has the brass prepped already and trimmed to where you need it.

Cheap but effective trimmers are Lee.

 

[MAGGUNS44]

Check new brass, I have had quiet a bit over spec. I think I hate the trimming part worse than any.

 

[Hondo 60]

A nudder voice to watch new brass.

If it's handgun brass, I never trim.

If it's rifle brass, I trim new stuff, so it's all exactly the same.

If you have a drill or cordless screwdriver, Lee has a VERY inexpensive set up.
It'll cost less than $10.

 

[Mike 27]

All I have used for years is the Lee trimmers.....You will find out that you will be happier with all of your rifle trimmed to the same length, and especially any caliber you are crimping. I do trim some of my revolver cases to that the canelure lines up on the brass consistently.

 

[jmorris]

Free brass lasts far longer than any other that I have found, until it runs out.

To answer your question nickel plated brass always seems to split first, as a general rule.
After that, what is it that you are loading?

 

[Jasper1573]

Go on line and search for once fired brass. Places like brassmanbrass.com will often have once fired brass in many different brands. It is cheaper but requires sizing, trimming, etc. If you buy any once fired military rifle brass, be sure to read up on the differences between mil surp brass and commercial brass volumes.

 

[jmorris]

If you are going to buy it, theshooterssource.com Has better prices.

 

[dsm]

Without doubt, Lapua would be the longest lasting and best quality brass. With that, comes with an obvious increase in price.

Worth it? Depends on what your plans are. If you plan on shooting with accuracy and precision...yes well worth it. If you plan on using it out of a semi-auto for plain old pliniking...definitely not worth it.

 

[Jasper1573]

If you might be interested in new, primed Lake City brass, www.patsreloading.com has them for around 35 cents each...they should require only neck sizing since they are unfired.

 

[joecil]

I recently got one of these trimmers from Lee and like it a lot better than the older system. https://fsreloading.com/lee-precision-deluxe-quick-trim-90437.html

It is much quicker and easier to use and they make the Deluxe cutter that cambers the inside and out and one that doesn't which is cheaper. With that you buy the die to fit the caliber for both rifle and pistol. I have the 454 Casull, 45 Colt and still waiting for the 45-70 Gov. I will say it works well as is adjustable from max down 10 clicks at about .001" per click.

 

[gamestalker]

I run all newly acquired brass through the resizing die, and then trim it all to same length.
And I have also found that new factory brass is not very consistent in length.

GS

 

[witchhunter]

New brass needs to be FL sized and trimmed....Just my opinion. The first sign of too long brass is the bolt getting hard to close...measure length and sort out the long ones until you get a trimmer.

 

[Rem700CDLSF3006]

I have about decided I have 3 boxes of factory ammo,some federal other Hornady.I about decided to shoot it and save up and get a trimmer.Looking at the L E Wilson for around a 100$ how are they

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I used a Lee Zip Trim for many years and it works fine especially for the very low cost. I still have it as a backup. Last year I used a friend's Forster Trimmer and I REALLY liked it. It's fast and easy to use and the price isn't all that high. For just under $100 you can get the the Original Cast Trimmer Kit which comes with several collets and pilots to do most trimming jobs. I added the pilot for 45-70 brass and they have a lot of attachments you can buy for this little lath. They also sell neck reamers and outside neck turning pilots, primer pocket cleaners and chamferring tool, and even attachments for adding a hollow point to bullets. I think it's a great tool.

As for brass, most any of the commercial offerings will work just fine. I kinda like Federal best for for no real reason but for it holds it's neck tension well. I rarely buy new brass but when I do I have taken a liking to Starline Brass. I have bought .45 Colt and 45-70 Starline Brass recently and I'm very happy with both. I would not spend all that money for Lapua brass but I'm not the one to ask because I'm fairly cheap. For the most part if you want bottleneck rifle brass to last longer than up to 10 or so loadings you will need to look into annealing.

 

[Walkalong]

The Wilson is superb, but slow. The Forster is great, and faster, but not as fast as trimmers like the Possum Hollow or WFT. The RCBS trimmer is real nice, but can flex if you lean your weight into it while trimming, unlike the Forster. I have all of these I mentioned, and they all do a good job.

I would buy the Forster if you want a hand trimmer that uses collets and pilots. I would buy the Possum hollow if money is tight and you want a power trimmer. (You supply the power). I would buy the WFT if you can justify the money.

If you have a money tree, buy a Giraud.

 

[Rem700CDLSF3006]

id like to stay around a 100$ i saw a clip on youtube on LE Wilson and really liked it

 

[ArchAngelCD]

id like to stay around a 100$ i saw a clip on youtube on LE Wilson and really liked it

The LE Wilson case trimmer kit w/micrometer will run you ~$150, not $100. It's a good trimmer but not in the price range you set. The LE Wilson trimmer without the micrometer is $98 but not quite as good.

If I were to buy a LE Wilson case trimmer I would buy the Sinclair version made for them by LE Wilson because the "sharkfin" case holder is better and so is the crank handle on the Sinclair. (although you can buy them as upgrades for your Wilson trimmer if you want)