I need advice on if it's safe to load the same charge in Remington brass, FC, and W-W. I am currently loading for a 243 and have boxes of each. I load by the book and generally load about middle of the scale, never to max load. Will shooting a Winchester case then a FC case cause higher/lower pressures? And will it compromise accuracy? Thanks

As you are doing it ,not going book max., it really sounds safe. There are differences in case capacities from one source to another. I have found that this can definitely cause a significant spread in the POI. roger

Using "moderate" loads it is safe enough, but if you will segregate the brass and use only one kind in a shooting/hunting session your accuracy and POI will likely be more consistent. In other words, zero your rifle with the same headstamped brass that you intend to hunt with.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Using "moderate" loads it is safe enough, but if you will segregate the brass and use only one kind in a shooting/hunting session your accuracy and POI will likely be more consistent. In other words, zero your rifle with the same headstamped brass that you intend to hunt with.

I absolutely agree. I have several rifles that POI, group size and velocity changes with different brands of brass.
I think it would be safe to load but follow the above advice for accuracy.

I've known/know several hunters that mix and match cases AND bullet brands...not something I recommend, but for their hunting purposes it works fine and is safe.

They load middle of the road, at recommended COAL's for the bullet weight/mag length and their accuracy is 2-3 in a pie plate at 100 yds...ESTIMATED????

I've hunted with these guys/wives and some of their kids for 20-50 years. They just snort when I wave around my latest fancy whatever then drag out rifles whose bores only get a lick and a promise every year or so and are OLD...many '03's and ' 17's and 7-8mm military, pre-64 Win 70's...only a few have scopes for the "long" shots.

The shooters work for them and their style of hunting.

If you've ever actually weight sorted by H2O volume various cases of the same cal size, by brand and within brand you might just have torethink all this hoohaw about "mixing brands"...try it and see...I have.

Luck

As long as you are not loading near MAX it should not be a problem.

I do it with my 308 loads. I use 39.5gr of IMR 3031, with any 308/7.62 case and any 165/168gr bullet.

You should check these different combinations in your rifle to see if it adversely effects accuracy.

quote:

Originally posted by 64rcs:
Will shooting a Winchester case then a FC case cause higher/lower pressures? And will it compromise accuracy? Thanks

In a word, yes! But if you weigh the cases you can alleviate a lot of discrepancy, even among mixed headstamps.

If the brass is the same weight, it won't matter, as that (usually) means the powder capacity is the same. Best way is to measure/weigh the water capacity and then you will know. If you use medium loads; no problem. Accuracy? Depends on what you mean by that. If you are shooting .5 MOA; then yes it will affect it. If you are blasting 2 inch groups at deer, then you will never know the diff.
I always separate the makers and load them and shoot them together, with the same loads. No reason to alternate them when you are shooting.

I'm anally retentive about it in any and all rifle loads. I don't do it.

Why? Because if I get a "sweet" load then I know beyond doubt that in with that bullet, that primer and that powder AND IN THAT HEADSTAMP CASE I have something that I can work up or down to play about with.

With mixed headstamps then I really have n idea. It isn't just capacity it is neck thickness and thus tension on the bullet too. Plus mixed headstamp cases often stretch at different rates and being different brass show different pressure signs earlier or later than other headstamps.

In pistol loads at normal levels I doubt it makes much if any difference except balloon head cases vs modern solid base cases.

Powder and bullets just cost too much in rifles to not now what EXACT combination works best.

Yeah, that is why I said that if you are just blasting, it don't matter; if you are seriously trying to shoot small groups, it does.