Let's Talk .223 Brass

[bigedp51]

thanks for the response bigedp51.
I have been messing with this mixed brass all weekend, and just yesterday I gave up on it, dumped all, except 200 hunting/practice cases in 100 count bags to sell at the LGS. I am looking for 200 new matching lot number cases of Laupa, Norma, Nosler, or Hornady brass. I just can't find any, so I was trying to use what I have. I'll just have to wait until the smoke clears on the panic buying of .223 components.
Even if I find brass, I still can't find any match bullets.

ShowMeShooter

I resized, trimed to length, uniformed the primer pockets and flash holes on 200 of the mixed Remington .223 cases I have.

I then sorted them by weight to within 1/10 of a grain, I then measured neck thickness and body thickness at given points. There were variations in case thickness which made just weighing the cases pointless and this test pointless.

I loaded 20 of my best mixed cases against a new box of 20 Winchester cases of the same lot number and these Winchester cases had a more weight variations between them. The Winchester cases out shot the mixed brass by a good margin and a lessen was learned. There is a difference between military shooting in minutes of man, and accuracy shooting in minutes of an inch. You will never shoot a bug hole group using mixed brass.

Complete Precision Case Prep
http://www.accurateshooter.com/techn...ion-case-prep/

Below is mixed brass humor when shooting Zombies with a AR...........
Your going to need a lot of 30 round mags.

[JCalhoun]

ShowMe,

For now let's keep it simple. You probably won't find any .223 brass or bullets for a while. You may be able find match bullets at Berger though. The 52gr is a good one for BR.

Take the brass you have and full length resize it, trim it, chamfer it clean the primer pockets, clean the flash hole and be happy. Take it to the range and work up some loads until you find what your rifle likes. Most BR shoots don't use a lot of ammo so I'd imagine you'll be able to make use of all of it if you have 50 or so pieces of each brand.

Take this time to learn the rifle, the game, handloading and just have fun in it. When you get better and supplies of .223 become easier to get you can buy better stuff.

[ShowMeShooter]

today I was looking through bullets I have, and in 100 or more counts I have 50gn Nosler BT, 50gn Sierra varminter sp, and 200 60gn V-max.
I'll load up a bunch of this and go see what this rig will do....

thanks for all the advise fellas, when .223 components start to resurface, I'll be stocking up and getting more serious.

[ShowMeShooter]

I was able to score 200 rounds of new Lapua .223 brass today. SO now I can get back to business here. sorting brass right now. Even this Lapua brass has some variation....more than I thought even.

[seanhagerty]

Good luck finding primers for those.....

[ShowMeShooter]

Good luck finding primers for those.....

I scored 1k Fed Match small rifle primers too.

[jibben]

what 2 flavors of brass do you have the most of?

[ShowMeShooter]

All I have left is Remington that I have loaded for varmint hunting, and Lapua for matches.

[ShowMeShooter]

I just remembered I have 2-300 rounds of PMC brass too.

[outback andy]

Where did you find primers these days ???

[5spd]

I would see if you can find any IMI brass, as good or better than the lapua stuff.

[jhelmuth]

I would see if you can find any IMI brass, as good or better than the lapua stuff.

Hmmm... I can't say that I agree that its as good (and definately NOT better) compared to Lapua brass - but IF you can find any IMI brass in .223 (should be in 5.56 actually), then it will be very good brass indeed. I personally think IMI is better than LC (which is my go-to for every load except when the very best is needed (then I use the Lapua brass).

[ShowMeShooter]

Where did you find primers these days ???

I have a friend....