Buying new brass vs ammo.

[notchup]

I have noticed some new brass goes for around $20 for 100 unprimed brass. I can get 100 rounds of Federal 9mm for around $24. Is there a benefit to buying new brass over ammo? It would cost more than $4 to load up the new brass with primers, powder and bullets so why not buy the ammo and just reload it. What am I missing?

 

[eldon519]

For 9mm, it probably does not make sense to buy new brass vs. just buying the cheap ammo like Winchester White Box. Where you could get more savings is buying once-fired brass. You can probably find it from $30-40 per 1000. For straight-walled (or I guess tapered straight wall in this case) cartridges, I don't mind using range pick-ups either. Be careful doing that with bottleneck cases though.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Get the ammo for the brass.
Some people might go for new brass if it's super high quality like Starlineand or they want to make very high quality defense/hunting loads with high-end bullets.

 

[GLOOB]

I think a high volume competition shooter might prefer the new brass. It could be viewed as a waste of time and/or even detrimental practice (POI and recoil differences) to have to empty all those cases before loading their preferred load. Maybe they just don't have the time to plink off that many rounds.

 

[mike.h]

With each new caliber that I reload (started with .45ACP, then 9mm, getting ready for .223 ) I'll start with new ammo, which also keeps the gun maker happy and then after a couple trips, the piece is starting to seasoned and I'll have enough brass to get started. At one of the ranges that I shoot at, some of the other shooters have been kind enough to ask me if I would like their brass. I alway say yes.

 

[Bush Pilot]

New brass? I've heard of it, something new? If it doesn't come scrounged at the range it doesn't count (OK, .41 mag is different)

 

[Magnum Shooter]

New Starline brass bought in bulk is about $13.50/100* or less. I only use new brass for those hot loads that start pushing the limits. For anything else range fodder is good enough. Starline brass is the best handgun brass you can buy, IMHO.



*9mm brass that is.

 

[wv109323]

You are not missing anything. If the Promo ammo meets your needs that is the route to go to accumulate brass.
Once brass is obtained then you can load much more accurate ammo than the promo stuff. You also have the flexibility to load Hollow Points,SD or other specialty ammo far cheaper than you can buy that ammo.

 

[beatledog7]

I've bought very little new brass, and only in calibers that are hard to find as once fired or pick up ranges: 44Mag, 44SPL, .257 Bob, 45-70. I have a few .357Mag around that I bought new.

I have on occasion bought factory ammo knowing it was really the brass I wanted, but I will never need to again unless I acquire a new-to-me cartridge.

 

[cfullgraf]

In quantity, I usually purchase new, unloaded cases.

Sometimes with a new to me cartridge, I may buy ammunition for the cases as new cases may be harder to get than ammunition. I recently got a 32 ACP pistol and a 25 ACP pistol. New, empties have been difficult to find.

Occasionally, I will buy larger quantity of ammunition for the cases if it is good cases and a good price. For instance, I purchased a bunch of HXP 30-06 ammunition for the cases. Ammunition was priced about the same as factory new empties and I get to "unload" them in the process.

 

[hAkron]

I get new brass all of the time off of the floor of the range. Doesn't cost a thing.

 

[cfullgraf]

Agreed.

But where I shoot, the only cases on the ground are ones that I generated.

On the upside, I just have to walk out my back door to shoot.

 

[HighRoadRover]

I did exactly what you suggest - buy factory ammo to build up a stock of brass - with my .327 Fed Mag. I bought four boxes of 50 to get started.

I also got a feel for how they crimped it at the factory, and what it shot like. I then bought 500 Starline cases when they became available -- so I probably have 690 cases (or handloaded rounds) now -- having buggered up a few during the learning process.

Of course, with a revolver round, I recover 100% of what I shoot; on the other hand, I don't expect to pick up many .327 cases discarded by other people on the range.

 

[1SOW]

For 9mm, range brass is one key to saving money.
I've never bought any 9mm brass. .
"Search" for a range that you can pick up 9mm. Shoot 100, pick up 3,4, 500.
I really smile when a typical range shooter comes to a table near me with a box or two of WIN white box. 30 mins or less later, 100/200 once fired Win cases.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Depends on the round. Common stuff like 9mm, .223, .40, .45, etc? Definitely not economical to buy and load new brass.

High dollar premium ammo? There can be a savings.

Obscure cartridges? Can DEFINITELY save some coin there. For example, my 8mm Rem Mag. Decent ammo is about $4/shot after shipping. I loaded ammo to the same specs for 1.86/round after shipping with new Remington brass.

 

[Mike 27]

It really depends on what it is. If I can find 10mm I buy it and most revolver brass I have bought from time to time as it is usually a hard find because even non-reloaders take it with them.

 

[FROGO207]

For 9MM you should find brass laying around for the taking. I do not think that after the first box of 9MM I purchased (to test my first 9MM before I had dies) that I have ever had to buy loaded ammo in 25 years. I now have 2 five gallon buckets full of the stuff as well as 5K loaded.
As for the rare stuff I will buy the loaded ammo if it is a better price but I deviate here from most in that I will pull them before firing and reload them to my specs for use rather than just shoot off a bit of sub par ammo. I will reuse everything but the propellant as the lawn can always use a bit of help with fertilizer. I do this mainly with 7.62X54 and 7.62X39 using boxer primed brass so that I have tuned loads with my choice of bullet for hunting if I ever wish to use them for that and then can reload the same brass. Well for 25-20 Single Shot I have to buy the brass and load it as them loaded rounds are almost always unavailable and super expensive as well.

 

[stanmo]

Brass for my 6.5x55 Swede is almost $1 each (not that I ever bought any) loaded rounds are $17 per 20 so that decision is easy.
Unlike the Swede where there is none to be found, I can go to the range any day, any time and pick up all the 45ACP I can carry.

 

[James2]

For 9mm definitely a good option to buy ammo or get range pickups. People who leave brass at the range don't reload, so the brass is apt to be once fired. I recently bought a new 44 Mag, and having never had that caliber, I opted to go for new brass and load my own over factory ammo. Range pickups in that one are unheard of where I shoot. Since I cast my own 44 bullets, the first loading on my new brass was much less costly than ammo would have been to get brass. It can go either way. My new 44 may never see a piece of factory ammo.

 

[Hondo 60]

Is there a benefit to buying new brass over ammo?

Not when you can get 100 rds for $24.

Infact almost all of my brass was once a loaded ammo rd.
It helps remind me of why I reload (added accuracy).
That way I get to laugh at the ammo manufacturers.

 

[Bush Pilot]

Brass for my 6.5x55 Swede is almost $1 each (not that I ever bought any) loaded rounds are $17 per 20 so that decision is easy.
Unlike the Swede where there is none to be found, I can go to the range any day, any time and pick up all the 45ACP I can carry.

Let me know what range you're at, our shooters rarely leave any .45 (unless it's small primer)

 

[thump_rrr]

The only brass I've ever bought was Lapua for my precision rifle.
Alll other brass has been range pickup.
There is so much 9mm brass hanging around that I can even choose not to use Glock fired brass.
I probably have picked up over 10,000 9mm in the last year that I have owned a 9mm.

 

[medalguy]

If your range won't allow you to pick up brass, buy it on this or other forums. You should be able to find 1X fired 9mm brass for 2 cents each.

 

[rromeo]

The public range I go to gets a lot of college kids that tend to not collect brass. I can go there on an average day and pick up all the 9, 40, 45, and .223 that I want. I have buckets full in my basement.
On good days I'll find a bunch of .25-06, .270, and .308.
I do buy some new .44 mag brass now and then, It's $23 at WalMart for Winchester. Those are generally for my hunting loads.

 

[Fishslayer]

New brass? I've heard of it, something new? If it doesn't come scrounged at the range it doesn't count (OK, .41 mag is different)

hehe... I bought 500 new Starline .357 cases when I first got started. Everything else has been either bought previously fired or range pickups.

I'm actually sitting on a pretty good stash of commercial .45ACP ammo I bought at 2009 prices...

If your range won't allow you to pick up brass, buy it on this or other forums. You should be able to find 1X fired 9mm brass for 2 cents each.

And find someplace else to shoot...