I love Federal brass!
And if no one here wants this I will probably just add it to my cache of 223 brass.
At my local pawn/gunshop here in SW Montana they got in 1 (one!) bag of Federal 223 Remington brass today - it is priced at $33.50 for the 100.
I have a TON of this stuff (once fired in machine guns) already but someone here may need it.
The phone number is 406-683-9844.
The shop is open 9:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. (M.S.T.) Tuesday through Saturday.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Federal .223 Brass is soft miserable crap to work with.
It's expensive even when it's free.

I have to agree with the above...I have tons of Fed brass, and I use it for lost brass events, and hunting only. Anything more than one reload is a miracle.

Lillysdad: I use Federal 223 brass in several of my 223's and my firsthand observations are exactly the opposite of the two previous posters.
Even the stuff I scrounged years ago from our S.W.A.T. team (that was shot in automatic weapons practice) is still going strong for me!
I get excellent accuracy and NO surprises when using Federal 223 brass.
I like it.
I am just not convinced that a prudent reloader would/should only get ONE reloading from Federal 223 brass?
I will add this "I" am a notorious "non-hotrodder" when it comes to my handloads.
Book max IS max in my mind.
In checking my loading log I came across some nickel plated Federal "222" brass ("MATCH") that I bought and began using in 1985 and am still using it today!
I would guess I have at least 20 reloads for each of these.
These are used in an ultra-accurate Remington 40X factory Rifle, by the way.
To each their own they say.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Well, I am a hotrodder. Book max is only a vague suggestion. That being said, I have Winchester and Lapua brass on 15 reloads, using the same data that kills Federal brass in two, often one, reload. As you said, to each their own.

I'll stick with LC & WCC for my 223 based rds.....

Yep. For some reason that solves my "Federal" problems.

I've got thousands of Federal 223 brass, that I have picked up as range brass after the police depts have been training...

along with Remington, Lake City, Winchester brass, plus a few other head stamps... all have given me reliable service...

to include the Federal...

I have plenty of them that have been loaded and shot over 40 plus times...annealed every 4th time, and sized with a Lee Neck Sizer and a Redding Body Die as required...

I do tend to load a little on the light side, but even my loads with RL 7 clocking 40 grain bullets at 4,000 fps ( hot of course), Federal holds up well...

The other brand of brass hold more powder tho than Federals...

the other take 28 grains of RL 7 with the 40 grainers.. where the Federal reaches that velocity with only 26 grains...

Don't try these loads if you don't know what you are doing.. and especially don't try them in an AR or Ruger Semi Auto...

Maybe I'm seeing a pattern here.
Varmit guy had good luck with Federal brass he bought back in 1985.

Seafire has good Federal brass he's shot 40 time. That didn't happen over night. I wonder if that was bought back in the 80's as well?

I wonder if they changed their specs somewhere along the line?

I cannot say for sure on the 223 brass, but I know I do have some mid 80s 308 Federal brass that has a LOT of loads on it, while current production is junk.

My bad experience was with current production, once fired factory loaded federal brass. Primer pockets were expanded where about a 1/3 of the cases wouldn't hold a primers. I tried to trim some of it to even up the case mouth, and instead of cutting, and producint nice shavings, the brass just tore, leaving jagged case mouths.

I tried a second different batch and had the same results.

I'd never seen anything like it.

Antelope....

can't even speculate the date on my Federal Brass....its ALL police range brass picked up....when I first get it, I have to check each primer pocket.. as some need reamed and others don't...

but I am picking up 500 to 1500 at a time or more...

I know there are some bad batches of anything... bought a new bag of Rem 243 once...after 1 reload half the necks split.. after 2 reloads, most of the other necks split...

didn't make me condemn Remington Brass.. just let me know I was unlucky and got a bad batch...

all of this stuff is a crap shoot really.....some just less a risky than others...

maybe I am just spoiled on the price of the Federal Brass that I have.... FREE is hard to complain about...just pick it up, run it thru the tumbler overnight... deprime, ream the primer pocket if need be, neck size then bump the shoulder.... anneal after the 3rd reload....

I have all the free Federal brass I want as well, in both 223 and 308. It gets picked up, and put in a box for the day I simply cant get anything else. I have had way, way too much hell with it.

I bought a bag of used 243 brass (100 ct) from LGS and found about 30% are Federal brass (headstamp FC). Diappointed to find these are [bleep] brass. Guess I will need to source some more brass but maybe try these FC brass to into my son to his first shoot with his RAR rifle.

-Lapua is the best

-I've had good results with Nosler

-In a 223, I've never had a problem with any year Lake City or IMI

-Shot lots of Winchester 223 with no trouble

-Federal is just something that I use for reduced loads so it can be thrown away later

Yikes: I just saw a couple of bags of Federal 223 brass at a Sportsmans Warehouse in Bozeman, Montana for $29.99 (no tax!) per 100!
Dakota Deer, I wish that I had a CHOICE of brass anymore.
I have NOT been in a retail outlet in at least the last 24 months, where there was a choice of 5 (five!) brands of brass in 223 Remington like you alluded to in your post!
Perhaps you had a happy thoughts moment/dream?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

There fixed it for you.

Mystery solved:

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/08...ammo-to-israel/

Just make sure your "Federal" brass is the good stuff made by IMI.

If it's got an IMI headstamp, I'd leap at it. But I just don't trust Federal much any more. Even if I hate pinko Pali symps.