Guys,
I know this could be a Reloading forum question, but I think there may be more practical knowledge about big bore stuff here.

Here goes.
A few years ago, I got lucky and purchased a pre-war M-70 in 375 H&H. Not pristine, but a great field rifle that I am not worried about taking through rough and scratchy stuff.
After I bought it, I purchased a hundred cases, a few boxes of 270 Barnes-Xs (1980s version originals) and some Speer 235s.

I load all my own .375 H&Hs.
I try to always recover all my spent cases.

The Barnes-Xs are loaded up a bit below factory.
The Speer 235s are loaded light, around 1700 fps and work great on my Texas place for deer and wild hogs.

The Big Question:
How do folks keep track of how many times they reload a piece of brass.
It seems to me that some sort of permanent mark on the case would be best. I have thought about filing a small notch in the case rim for each firing.

What do you folks do.
Do some folks "toss" the cases after a particular number of reloads regardless of appearance?
When hunting DG, do you entrust your safety to reused cases?

Note: I used the Barnes-Xs to bring home the dominant "Herd Bull" (Elk) from a Flat Tops wilderness guided hunt. He took 2 rounds throught the chest. Went 30 yards and dropped. (Both Barnes-Xs were just under the skin on the off-side and dropped to the floor when I skinned him.) Hope to take this rig to AK for big bear in the future.

I don't! Just examine each case before priming and reloading.
Peter.

For my 375, I keep them segregated by number of times fired, and pitch them after three loadings. I've had a few that looked like they were about to seperate on the fourth firing. 375 brass is cheap, eyesight and scarred chambers are not.

For most of my rifles I start with 100 cases. I fire them in rotation keeping track of each time I start over. Normally I retire ater 5 loading or earlier if there is a problem.

Some lower pressure loads I've ran as long as 10 loading.

As others have said compared to everything else brass is cheap.

Number empty coffee cans Fired 1x, fired 2x, etc and place fired brass into each can as you go. No mistakes that way.

only during load dev, to know if I am at or over pressure... if i don't get 5, for ME, i am loading too hot...

after that, its load em till they aren't any good

I have been marking cases for many years. The system works very well.

The case above has been fired three times. I removed the primer for the pic, but it is easier to mark with the primer in place.

When I begin the reloading process on a batch of cases, the first thing I do is mark the case head. The number of "scratches" or grooves in the case head is the number of times the case has been fired.

I made the ergonomically formed tool to do the marking. What you want to do is "scribe" in one motion a mark from the primer to the outside of the case head. It should be deep enough so as to not get tumbled off or wiped out when chambering. A little practice with some old brass and you will be an expert.

I made a block of wood with holes in it that fit the different cases that I reload. That way the case is held steady while marking.

Using a small triangular file to make a notch will work also.

Jim

For ALL my calibers I start with 100 tp 500 cases depending on the size of the caliber and it's use...

I weigh sort and depending on the use, toss out any over or under weight cases determined by the sort...one through five grain difference depending on the caliber...17 cal gets plus or minus one grain, 45 cal could be 5 gr and dependent on the accuracy potential I'm seeking...

I pick 5-10 cases to use for load development...at random from the supply...

I usually have already picked a bullet determined a specific bullet's max seat by either the magazine or by dropping a bullet into the chamber and measuring from the muzzle and a specific powder weight and primer from manuals and by experience...

I measure the shoulder to base point with a Stoney comparator, the base and shoulder diameter, fire a round then measure again to determing the chamber dimensions...I adjust my sizer to set the shoulder back about 0.001" to 0.003" depending on the intended use, caliber, expected number of firings...etc...but using Redding competition shell holders

I fire 2-3 round groups, over a chrono, to determing if this combination will work...

While the process is going on I just use a permanent marking pen to mark each time the case is fired...measure the amount of case stretch and trim each firing.

I use only once fired, sizer adjusted cases for hunting...I use the twice and over fired cases for developing other bullet weight loads...

Depending on the case size I reload it until I have trimmed a total of 0.050" off the case or an incipient head separation ring starts forming on the inside.

I have loaded and fire a single IMI brand 223 case, 50 gr Sierra HP, Varget powder, Fed GM primer, sized using a Redding bushing die and set up to 0.001" shoulder set back, over 50 times and it was till going strong when I got tired and quit...this took two days of reloading, walking out to my bench, firing the round, walking back, reloading...etc, etc, etc, and the group measured 0.690" OD. The load was developed for accuracy but was up near the top velocity. I've done a similar test, several times, with several different brand cases and several different calibers just to see what the skinny is.

I've reloaded and fired a single Rem 375 H&H mag case...adjusted as above, headspaced on the shoulde...NOT the belt...with a 270 Hornady SP, a stiff load of RL-15, 10 times and it still could have been reloaded a few more times but 10 is my limit for large cases and heavy bullets. The same goes for 416 Taylor, 45-70, 45-90, and 45-100, up to 600 gr bullets. I have 308 and 30-06 cases that were fired 15 or more times that are still usable...it all depends on how your sizing die and chamber fit together, what type of lubricant you use, how much pressure, what powder, where the pressure peak lies and a bunch of other stuff none but a few ever bother with.

I just keep marking the base with a permanent marker so it is easy to see how many times the case has been fired...use a hook pick to check for incipient ring forming and don't get a brain fart when it comes to loads...

Remember...for the most part with IMR powders dropping the pressure by 10% only looses you 5% in velocity...If you need more stomp get a bigger gun...don't try to make a 458 WM into a 460 WM...it will never work.

Just keep them in the same box and mark the outside of the box using the bars and stripe method. No need to disfigure or mark the cases in any way.

Very simple but it works.

Ther is no way I could track the number of reloads. I just keep going till I get some neck splits then toss the batch and buy new ones.-Rob

Same as mrlexma,

I use those 20 rd. slip top plastic boxes. 20 new cases get a box and I put a piece of masking tape on the box to write on. Times: loaded, aneled, trimed, neck or full sized, and load data

I use different color nail polish on the primer, and maintain a sticky label in each box with reload # to corresponding colors. I normally cycle through three colors so I am not changing numbers on the label as much. Maybe not so convenient for those that reload in the hundreds at a time, well maybe so. I normally reload less than a hundred at a time. Most of the time less than 50 at a time.

When the primer pockets become to loose,I throw the case out.

I segregate the cases into different (clearly marked '1x', '2x', 3x') boxes.

George

quote:

Originally posted by GeorgeS:
I segregate the cases into different (clearly marked '1x', '2x', 3x') boxes.

George

I do the same thing, except that I often use ziplock bags.

I do like the old time High Power match shooters: Mark the case head with a magic marker.

A black line from primer pocket to the edge means 1st reload, green 2nd, etc. When I get past 4, I use a black line across the whole case head. Past 8 I use that plus the first type of line at a 90 degree angle.

This takes 4 magic marking pens and they last forever. The markings come off when I tumble the cases and I remark them when I take them out of the tumbler.

I can mix them in ammo boxes but not in the tumbler.

For hunting any big game, I only use new cases.