Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles how do you keep brass separate for say two 223 cal rifles?

On my two rifles of the same caliber . I use nickel on one and brass on the other. R-P brand. Hasbeen

Win brass for one, RP for the next and LC brass for the third. If I get another I may be in trouble..........

No, not at all - you can segregate your LC brass by year stamp, I have 5 223's and that is the way I do it.
It is initially a bit of a pain to separate the brass by year stamp but it is only a one time thing.

drover

I too separate my LC brass by date stamp, but I'm here to tell you it's a PIA for me. I have to do it while wearing magnifying goggles because LC-15's start looking like LC-16's pretty quickly.

Screw the Golden Years.

I hear you on the initial separating being a bit of a pain. I have a lighted magnifier lamp on my bench for doing things like that, it is amazing just how often it comes in handy. They are fairly inexpensive and IMO a great investment for the loading/work bench.

p.s. - Once separated I keep them in their individual MTM box with the LC date written on it and when shooting just drop my empties back into the box - up for a miss and down for a hit, pretty easy way to track the days percentages.

drover

Why don't you justn set the die to size case's that fit in both chamber's. I don't like having two of the same cartridge around at the same time. Of course you could use to different brand cases. Throw a couple hundred in the the cleaner at the same time then separate them one at a time by head stamp and you might get rid of one of them!

well I have decided that I have three plastic jars from food waste and I label these jars with names for s specific rifle like my son's .223Rem, my .223Rem and a Tikka .223Rem. that will work. and I generally tumble for an hour so I will just clean 50 cases at a time for each rifle along with brass for other rifles that we are working with. My only issue is tumbling the brass. Other than that the reloads for a specific rifle is kept in the case ready to shoot. I think my problem is the lesser of an evil than some of those who may have 7 .223Rem rifles and they all are shot on a rotational basis.

I read somewhere where someone who gets a new rifle to them (new or used rifle) always bought new brass for that rifle. I do not buy new brass but I will use once-fired brass for a specific rifle and label them in the cartridge dump and only use that brass for the rifle.

I understand some folks have multiple rifles for the same caliber that they use at the same time, especially in dog towns or whatever. So I was just checking how ya'all keep your brass sorted. Of course this comes with dies that need constantly readjusted for each rifle reloads. Unless you are able to set up the die for multiple rifles and chambers of multiple rifles are nearly the same.

One set of dies and a set of Skip Otto's shims (although they are called something else now but are available from Brownells). I am too lazy to go to the reloading room right now but I believe the shims are sized .003 through .009, they fit under your sizing die. When full length sizing I set my die for the 223 that has the shortest headspace, then
for the rounds with a bit longer headspace I put the appropriate sized shim under the die. I keep a note on my loading data as to which thickness shim to use with each rifles brass. It sounds more intensive than it is because once you establish the length you want it is very simple - I like to full length size so that I am just shy of a slight resistance when chambering a round. I have 5 223'3 and only one set of dies and have found that this works quite well for me anyway.
Hope that is understandable.

p.s. - I usually only full length as needed, I just use a Lee collet neck sizer until the brass needs full length resized.

drover

I just use baggies for the empty brass and MTM boxes for the loaded. Write on the baggies with a Sharpie indelible ink marker. Boxes get a stick on label.
I mark my work up loads on the head with numbers using a sharp point Sharpie. It comes off after a tumble or two.

Very simple answer. Sell one 223 rifle!

This.

Very simple answer. Sell one 223 rifle!

I don't have time for all that sorting, easier to load your shells like a factory load. On size fits all. If I was target shooting it would make sense to separate, but I'm just a deer hunter.

I have an Axis and R700 223 and 3 ARs, I FL size it all and use the same pet loads for the bullet weights and load them all to fit an AR magazine. I have 2-R788, 222 Rems, the new one (which is older) gets new winchester brass and the old one (which is newer) gets everything it's been fed for the last 35 years (FC, RP, resized LC, etc). It's hell to have several rifles of the same caliber and get to the range and find out what you brought doesn't fit the gun. Always a good idea to check your cartridges in the gun to be used before the hunt as well. I loaded some 270s at one point and ran them through the rifle to check for fit and they were fine, a few months later when in NWCO for deer I discovered only one round would fit in the magazine, the length was to long. I attribute this to them being compressed loads, fortunately I always have a backup rifle and that year I had a new 30-06 Weatherby Vanguard that had never tasted blood. Whatever your system of segregation, stick to it and always bring a backup.

Sell one of them?

I shoot factory ammo only through my AR and save the brass for loading for my bolt gun.