Hi - I'm a fairly recent reloader and am looking for some tips on how to know how many times I can reload the brass. I reload 30-06, .270, and .223 for hunting and fun, and never push the limit of published loads.
I've read of some signs to look for (flattened primers, a sticky bolt, splits) and haven't yet figured out the whole "partial full resize" thing for my bolt loads so just FL resize every time (and trim of course). I find that it's hard to be organized enough to keep track of the number of times I've fired any given cartridge - far easier to just toss them in the cleaner when I get back from the range!
Anything wrong with simply marking the brass somehow (I'm thinking a small scratch on the base next to the primer) each time I've fired it, then simply tossing it after say 5 or 6 reloads (inspecting each time to make sure nothing is obviously wrong). The brass for these calibers is pretty cheap and/or available at the range to pick up so I'm wondering if it's worth any more effort than that.
Thanks!
I've read of some signs to look for (flattened primers, a sticky bolt, splits) and haven't yet figured out the whole "partial full resize" thing for my bolt loads so just FL resize every time (and trim of course). I find that it's hard to be organized enough to keep track of the number of times I've fired any given cartridge - far easier to just toss them in the cleaner when I get back from the range!
Anything wrong with simply marking the brass somehow (I'm thinking a small scratch on the base next to the primer) each time I've fired it, then simply tossing it after say 5 or 6 reloads (inspecting each time to make sure nothing is obviously wrong). The brass for these calibers is pretty cheap and/or available at the range to pick up so I'm wondering if it's worth any more effort than that.
Thanks!