Best .223 Rem brass for reloading

D

DMY

New member
I am about to start reloading .223 Rem for an AR. Picked up a few thousand cases on the ground at the range. Starting to run them through the tumbler and doing a quick inspection to throw out the obvious rejects. Out of the first couple hundred cases, I noticed R-P, Winchester, G.F.L. (Fiocchi), Wolf and what appears to be various military head stamped cases. I want to minimize the amount of case prep and/or wasted effort.

1. Does anyone know which brand of cases typically have crimped primers?

2. Assuming I find other head stamps, what are your four preferred cases to reload?

3. I have heard contradictory opinions on whether it is necessary to lube the case neck when resizing with a RCBS carbide FL die. What is your preferred method: lube or no lube and what brand of lube?

I have a bottle of RCBS case lube, a lube pad and case neck brush, but didn't lube the inside of the case necks on my first 200 rounds. Didn't seem to be a problem resizing without lubing the case neck, although there was probably more friction and resistance than if I had lubed the necks. I did lube the outside of the case. With the exception of an initial light cleaning of my newly acquired range brass, I only want to tumble the brass one time per reloading session. When I reload handgun cartridges, I resize, decap and then tumble to remove the lube and clean the brass (yes I lube even though I have carbide dies b/c it is much easier on the dies). I plan to do the same after I reload and shoot this newly acquired brass unless some of you have a good reason to tumble them twice.

Thanks in advance.
 
If you're reloading plinking ammo all of them are fine. If reloading match grade then I prefer LC brass. Yes their crimped but you only need to swedge the primer pocket one time.
 
I understand that it is Military brass with the crimped primers.

I would soak the cases in hot dish soap with some lemon shine to clean. So you don't scratch the dies. Then dry in the sun.

Sort by head stamp and dump the steel cases. I didn't know that RCBS makes Carbide bottle neck dies. If you lube inside and out you will reduce stretching.
 
I pick up a lot of 223 brass at the range.

I have a habit of sorting brass by headstamp and wait until I get about 200 of the same headstamp before processing.

All the military stuff is crimped but worth the effort to swage the primer pocket. I also uniform the primer pocket, another one time step.

I use Imperial Die Sizing Wax and wipe every piece of brass after sizing. I lube the case neck by dragging my thumb with the sizing wax over the case neck opening. Works well for me.

Trimming is the big pain in the butt. I purchased a World's Cheapest Trimmer for $23.50 delivered to my door and it works great. Still have to deburr by hand but that is not a big deal to me.

Your biggest challenge will be retrieving your ejected processed brass.
 
1. Does anyone know which brand of cases typically have crimped primers?
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In my experience, anything military has crimped primers. Lake City as an example. Anything marked 5.56x45 with the NATO circle cross will probably be crimped. It's easy to see the crimp.

2. Assuming I find other head stamps, what are your four preferred cases to reload?
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I've had the best results with Winchester brass. Worse results with Remington. Federal right in the middle.

3. I have heard contradictory opinions on whether it is necessary to lube the case neck when resizing with a RCBS carbide FL die. What is your preferred method: lube or no lube and what brand of lube?
Click to expand...

I use Hornady One Shot. Stand a group of cases mouth up on an old stool. Spray downwards at a 45 degree or so angle. Walk 180 degrees around stool, spary again. Let the spray dry 3 minutes or more before resizing. If you try to resize wet cases, they will stick badly. Don't ask me how I know this. :o
 
I use Remington, Winchester, LC and PMC all with good results (5+ loadings, no failures yet) also started loading FC more recently but so far seems GTG. Can't really say I have a clear favorite. LC, many FC and WCC will have primer crimps to remove
 
I too, pick up a lot of .223 brass at range I'm a member. While LC, lake city military brass is good, I always ignore it and set it aside to sell it to a scrap metal buyer.....few days ago sold 80lbs of rifle/pistol brass for $1.20 a pound to a local scrap metal buyer.

Anyway, the only .223 rifle I have is a heavy barrel .223 Marlin X rifle that shoots quite well for accuracy. I sometimes use it in a rifle competition at range I'm a member....with sometimes finishing quite high in the competition. Prefer using new Lapua brass when I'm serious about accuracy, but do keep PPU/prvi partizan, Hornady, Nosler, or Norma range 223 brass when I find it. Find them to be pretty decent brass for reloading. Do keep a little of the Winchester, Remington, and Federal brass to use, but bulk of it I sell.

By the way, any Fiocchi .223 brass I've ever picked up at range, and its been a fair amount, has had off-centered flash holes in the primer pockets.

Anything with a primer crimp I don't mess with. Might be an exception to this. Came home today with some NORMA USA .223 ammo today that cost me $8 a box of twenty from a Cabelas. My target 22 rifle absolutely loves the Norma USA 22 match ammo and the .223 box had match grade on it.....had to try it and find out how accurate it is in my Marlin. Its norma brass, but primers are crimped.....so, I might mess with it.
 
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Aside from the Laupa that LC brass is probably better than the rest you are using. Yes the primer pockets are crimped but you only have to swedge them one time.
 
Having access to all range brass. I assume those County police tactical squads that use my club range for their bi-monthly target practice shoot only the best commercial made ammo at tax payers expense. Those gunslingers shoot one brand only >Federal.

Just saying Federal stamped brass is as good as first fire brass gets for a home reloader. Although many home reloaders have their preference. PMC LC Rem Win Hornady /Frontier Norma and the list goes on.
 
If we are talking about best brass, I'd say that free brass is best. But if we have to buy it, Lapua and Norma are the best. Nosler is as good, but doesn't seem to last as long. If you don't mind weighing and prepping brass, I had good results from Rem, Win, Federal, and Hornady. And though I don't have any LC, I'm sure it's every bit as good. I just got tired of prepping brass, so I pay the higher price for Lapua and Norma.
 
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