What's the best way to mark reloads?

[HMdoc]

I trim all of my 30-06 reloads, so what's the best way to mark them to easily identify against the other brass at the range? Marker, paint, what do you guys use? Do you put the mark on the neck, body, or base of the case? Thanks in advanced.

 

[larryw]

Sharpie on the headstamp.

 

[Tory]

Forget Sharpie - think BIG

As in "44 Mag", a 1/4" thick, 3/8" wide marker. They come in red or black and will cover up to about a .40 S&W with one swipe.

I just run it down each row in my cartridge box - it beats the heck out of trying to draw a new version of a line/cross/whatever to distinguish my brass from everyone ele's.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I HATE marked up cases. I mark them when I do not plan to recover them at the range. The range that I go to has a broom and I sweep the area that I figure that my cases are going to be and remember the head stamp. Mine are also the shinny ones on the ground. I mark the plastic boxes and rely on my "steel trap" memory as to what is loaded in each case. No "old jokes" here...Memory is still good enough to remember who made the "old joke" and where you post.

 

[HighVelocity]

Sharpie on the headstamp.

Me too.

 

[Chawbaccer]

On rifle rounds I lightly mark the rim with a file, just a small nick will do. Make another mark with each reload too. Permanent record of how many times the case has been reloaded.

 

[rick_reno]

Magic marker on the headstamp.

 

[ocabj]

I don't bother marking rifle brass. It's easy to recover rifle brass from bolt guns (obviously) a most shooters on shoot bolt as well, so if I use a semi-auto, my brass is easy to distinguish if there's any on the ground.

Handguns on the other hand I will mark unless I use nickel plated brass, which I usually use for range practice rounds. It's easier to see and identify on the ground when mixed with other people's brass.

 

[HMdoc]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

 

[caz223]

I only mark brass that I don't intend to pick up.
Well, I do occasionally make wax bullets, and to do that, you have to modify the primer area to accept shotgun primers, and drill out the flash hole to a bigger size.
I mark those cases by dipping them in a little bowl of instant cold bluing.
It may weaken the cases a little (I don't know.), but for wax bullets, they're fine.
Turns a whole batch of cases a deep jet black in a minute or two.