How Many Times

[Glen]

I am presently reloading .308 Winchester and 30/30. I might mostly neck-size the .308 with an occasional full-length resize. With the 30/30 I will always full-length resize. I have not reloaded either a lot yet.
So, how many times do people safely reload these?
One of my manuals talks about throwing them away after so many trimmings. Well, I don't necessarily trim all my cases each time when just a few need it.
And I know there might be variations because of how hot you might load your rounds.
I know you need to be looking for signs of case head separation as you go.
I know cases vary in thickness, especially between military cases and factory; and .308 and 30/30.
I know to discard a case when the danged thing is split anywhere.
I just don't know when I should toss a case if things still look OK, but it's been reloaded a lot.
I will be using R-P, Fed and Win cases.
Headspace on my rifles is perfect.
I would sure like to know what you think.

 

[CoRoMo]

Common question.

Roughly five or six times, give or take five or six times. As you've noted, the "hotness" of your loads will increase/decrease the lifespan of the brass. I load them until they show me that I shouldn't. If a shell looks and measures good, I don't toss it just because I think I've reloaded it twelve times.

 

[rozziboy18]

IMHO,
depending on the case your loading with in 308. most can be reloaded as many as 10 times with lower pressure loads. i reload nosler brass, necksizing 3 times and then fl sizing. im loading a 175 smk over varget to get 2650fps so im on the hotter side of the spectrum and usaly get between 7-8 reloads befor i chunk the brass

 

[nastynatesfish]

I've loaded all my 7mag brass probally 20 times and still goin fine. So long as your headspace inst opened up and you neck size. I neck size 7mm 243 and 308. And I've thrown away more pieces of new brass that had necks split than I have old brass due to stretching. And I have only thrown out brass that's been neck sized because my primer pockets get loose, not due to multiple reload symptons. FWIW

 

[jmorris]

It depends on a lot of things. Chamber, load, brass manufacture and how you size to name a few. After I started annealing my brass the life of the case was extended at least four times, from what I was getting out of them.

 

[Glen]

Well...

Thanks guys for the responses. Gives me some idea of how to proceed.