Loading a bunch of different brass.

[Axis II]

So I have accumulated about 8 different head stamps of 223/5.56 brass and have some questions about loading them. I currently use LC 07 and LC 12 for my bolt action and my load is 4 tenths from max. I show no primer issue signs, no extraction signs, etc. I want to load up all this brass but I was wondering do I need to do a load workup with the other head stamps or just load it? Would sorting by water be feasible so I don't have to do 8 different workups? I have an AR that we will be loading for in the winter, but right now I want to get ammo for my two bolt guns loaded. I have about 1500 bullets I would like to get loaded for the bolt actions so I can focus on loading other calibers. I just don't have time to load before a range session or hunting trip, so want to get as much as possible loaded up.


Off the top of my head is what I have below.

Federal-has two different type of head stamps. Have 2 quart bags full.
Aguilla-Only have about 15pc of this.
WCC-two separate years. About 3/4 of a quart bag full of each.
Win 5.56-two separate years. 3/4 bags for each year.
PPU
Remington
Perfecta.
LC various years. I stick with LC 07 and LC 12 because I have the most of it. Half quart bag of mixed years.
Handful of Speer.

 

[Dudedog]

Watch the Perfecta,
I had some where the Flash holes were WAY off center.
Some were ok but I mangled a Lee Decap pin on a couple.
(had it really tight because some of the brass I was depriming had crimped primers)

While maybe not the right thing to do, when I am loading mixed brass in .223 for my AR or MINI14 both of which are ok with 5.56 (and the higher pressure)
I use .223 load data and midrange loads. That gives me some wiggle room pressure wise.
For "blasting" ammo this seems to have worked out ok for me so far.
Hodgdon and some other companies don't list separate data but if you look at Westerns data they have both ,223 data and 5.56 (higher pressure) data.

 

[Blue68f100]

Normally the NATO stamped brass will be heavier, less volume than commercial. Yes measuring water volume of a sample would give you a reference to know how much variation you have. Since your already using LC a NATO round and under max you should be ok. I have all my LC separated by year for I found there was enough variation in volume to impact the accuracy. I do have several years that can be mixed.

 

[Axis II]

Watch the Perfecta,
I had some where the Flash holes were WAY off center.
Some were ok but I mangled a Lee Decap pin on a couple.
(had it really tight because some of the brass I was depriming had crimped primers)

While maybe not the right thing to do, when I am loading mixed brass in .223 for my AR or MINI14 both of which are ok with 5.56 (and the higher pressure)
I use .223 load data and midrange loads. That gives me some wiggle room pressure wise.
For "blasting" ammo this seems to have worked out ok for me so far.
Hodgdon and some other companies don't list separate data but if you look at Westerns data they have both ,223 data and 5.56 (higher pressure) data.

I too broke my decapping pin on some brass. I had everything in an ammo can and started decapping and wet tumbling and snapped it right off.

I made my OP a little confusing when I put the AR in there. Right now I want to load for the bolt gun which likes a close to max charge of Benchmark and H335 and the AR will get whatever brass is left over and a mid range charge of H335. The AR is just used for blasting pop bottles and such.

 

[Charlie98]

.223/5.56mm is cheap and easy to find... I don't waste my time with odd-ball headstamps, let alone stuff like Perfecta or Aquilla. It looks like you have a good quantity of Federal/LC and WCC/WIN... I would just stick with that and put the rest of it in either reserve or the scrap bucket. If you measure water volume, find the case with the least volume, develop your load with that, and then you will be OK to load the rest of it (with bigger volume.)

 

[Axis II]

Normally the NATO stamped brass will be heavier, less volume than commercial. Yes measuring water volume of a sample would give you a reference to know how much variation you have. Since your already using LC a NATO round and under max you should be ok. I have all my LC separated by year for I found there was enough variation in volume to impact the accuracy. I do have several years that can be mixed.

I can remember if the Win 5.56 or WCC stuff has the NATO cross, if so, would it be the same as LC?

 

[Dudedog]

Ah,
if you want MAX loads for the bolt gun probably best to 8 different workups.
Or pick the couple flavors you have the most of, do the works ups for 2, and use the rest for the AR.