Finding high-quality reloading brass is the initial and crucial step in the process of reloading your own ammunition. After all, it serves no purpose to possess primers, powder, and bullets if you lack the necessary casings. Although the notion of finding the “perfect” brass may be unrealistic, selecting the appropriate brass plays a vital role in achieving the utmost success with your loads. When embarking on the search for reloading brass, it is imperative to evaluate the purpose behind your reloading endeavor.

Reloading for Plinking

While reloading for plinking is certainly a valid motive, it does not demand an extraordinary level of performance. Consequently, the brass utilized for plinking does not need to be of the highest quality. To clarify, plinking refers to the act of shooting purely for the sake of shooting, without emphasizing accuracy or penetration.

However, this does not imply that any brass will suffice. It is still important to ensure that there are no apparent signs of damage before reloading. Even though precision is not a major concern, prioritizing safety should always be paramount.

Staying Safe

Brass cartridges are not intended for endless firings and will eventually reach their limits. Therefore, it is advisable to exclusively work with brass that has a documented firing history. While brass seldom experiences catastrophic failure, even minor issues can lead to complications in your firearm. As a result, it is highly recommended to reload only with new brass that you have personally fired or brass that is known to be reliably “once fired”. When you acquire your brass from Capital Cartridge, you can use it with confidence, knowing that each piece has undergone thorough examination, ensuring the shipment of the highest quality.

Choosing Brass

Reloading enthusiasts hold varying opinions on what constitutes the “perfect” reloading brass. Some may strongly advocate for a particular manufacturer, believing it to be superior. Discovering your personal preference will necessitate experimenting with different manufacturers and setups. However, aiming for consistency in your brass by matching production runs can help maintain uniformity in your cartridges, and sticking with reputable manufacturers is always a reliable choice when prioritizing quality. Verifying manufacturers is a straightforward process: just examine the head stamp located at the bottom of the cartridge.

It’s important to remember that different firearms can react differently to brass, even if they are identical models produced on the same day in the same factory. There can still be variations in how they interact with brass. That’s why the most effective approach to determining the ideal brass for your specific firearm is through trial and error. Keeping thorough notes during the process is an excellent habit to develop.

Brass Production

This brings another important consideration to bear in mind. Despite manufacturers’ efforts to maintain consistency in their brass production, variations can occur along the production line. Just as two firearms from the same manufacturer can exhibit different reactions to brass, the same applies to the brass itself. Even two casings of the same caliber from the same manufacturer may differ in their safe powder capacity. Therefore, it is advisable to adopt the practice of weighing each cartridge to ensure they are within a range of 2 to 3 grains of each other.

If you are wanting once-fired brass you can trust, check out our deals. Many reloaders trust us because we only sell what we would load ourselves.