Buying ammo for the cases?

[HoLeChit]

So I love to shoot 762x39. My stocks are getting low, and I just realized that I’ve only got 200-300 brass cases, 100 of them are brand new virgin cases. Went to go look around for cases online so I can have a good stockpile for when I finally get around to setting up my reloading stuff; and found that x39 Virgin brass is going for $.60-$1+ per piece. Woof. So much for it being cheap to shoot.
I’ve managed to find some boxer primed brass cased fmj ammo for $.55/per round. Awful high in my book for x39 plinking ammo, but at the end of the day, that’s 720 rounds of brass cases I can reload. Is this a terrible idea? Stories? Any companies I should be careful of, perhaps they have crap brass?

 

[cjjtulsa]

If you need the brass, you'll probably just have to bite the bullet (no pun intended). For just "plinking", I'd take advantage of the cheap steel case stuff - while you still can. I'd save the brass for more serious target work, and/or hunting. Just wait until all of that Russian steel case dries up and see what 7.62x39 is going to cost.

 

[Reloading Rod]

AK brass has always been expensive, due to the fact that the steel is so cheap compared to brass cased ammo, so not much of the brass case stuff is shot. Buying ammo just to have brass is not a bad idea on the AK cartridge, finding shot brass on the AK will still cost you .25 to .40 each. At one time H&H was a good source for the brass and they had it for around .12 per, but they raised prices on it several years ago and I have no idea what they want for it now. And yes I bought FMJ 350 legend ammo just so I could get some brass for it.

 

[mr ed]

figure 10 cents for primer, 10-15 cents for powder, 30 cents for bullet. that's 50-55 cents a round to load it.
the russian steel stuff has been averaging about that. but no brass to reload.
Note, If your finding brass case reloadable for 55 cents read the reviews! There's some crap out there.

 

[swampratt]

This is one reason I do not have a semi auto in .308 or anything besides 5.56.
5.56 / .223 brass is everywhere and I do not mind losing a piece or 2 and my guns do not tear it up like some.

Hard to find my brass in tall grass.
Yea I need a good brass catcher.
Now I have done many tests on brass life but it has been in bolt guns and the Winchester brand .308 full length sized I can get
18 reloads from 1 case.
Remington I can get over 50 reloads from those.

Brass will last you a long time if it does not get torn up too bad when fired or ejected.
You start loading max loads in the cases and life will be shorter.

One thing i have done during this time of high priced components is shoot much less.
I used to shoot 800 or so rounds a year for my rifles and now I am way down on that number.

I am finished trying different recipes in a few rifles and this saves a lot on components.

 

[Revolvers4Life]

I've definitely moved to doing this more, especially with more common rounds for plinking. Sometimes it doesn't make sense to buy unfired brass, then all the components, then my reloading time when I could buy factory rounds for the same or less then save the brass.

Are you against using fired brass? I have had really good luck so far with range brass (I'll admit I don't know the prices though for 7.62x39 so not sure the savings vs unfired cases but might want to check on it). So far I have had a few mangled cases, I few I could tell were reloads I discarded, but especially with 7.62x39 I am guessing you would get a lot of once fired brass that newbies shot and left. Especially if you are reloading for plinking and load it light, you can get a lot of firings out of cases.

 

[HoLeChit]

AK brass has always been expensive, due to the fact that the steel is so cheap compared to brass cased ammo, so not much of the brass case stuff is shot. Buying ammo just to have brass is not a bad idea on the AK cartridge, finding shot brass on the AK will still cost you .25 to .40 each. At one time H&H was a good source for the brass and they had it for around .12 per, but they raised prices on it several years ago and I have no idea what they want for it now. And yes I bought FMJ 350 legend ammo just so I could get some brass for it.

H and H now wants $.70 or so for once fired unprocessed x39 brass that looks like it was stepped on.

This is one reason I do not have a semi auto in .308 or anything besides 5.56.
5.56 / .223 brass is everywhere and I do not mind losing a piece or 2 and my guns do not tear it up like some.

Hard to find my brass in tall grass.
Yea I need a good brass catcher.
Now I have done many tests on brass life but it has been in bolt guns and the Winchester brand .308 full length sized I can get
18 reloads from 1 case.
Remington I can get over 50 reloads from those.

Brass will last you a long time if it does not get torn up too bad when fired or ejected.
You start loading max loads in the cases and life will be shorter.

One thing i have done during this time of high priced components is shoot much less.
I used to shoot 800 or so rounds a year for my rifles and now I am way down on that number.

I am finished trying different recipes in a few rifles and this saves a lot on components.

yeah, my ak’s do not typically like brass cases anyways, and they tear them up bad. They’re typically made for steel case and are extremely aggressive with extraction. The entirety of my brass x39 ammo gets used in my Ruger American Ranch rifle. Easy to keep track of the brass then.

 

[HoLeChit]

figure 10 cents for primer, 10-15 cents for powder, 30 cents for bullet. that's 50-55 cents a round to load it.
the russian steel stuff has been averaging about that. but no brass to reload.
Note, If your finding brass case reloadable for 55 cents read the reviews! There's some crap out there.

I did some looking, couldn’t find much. The two brands I’ve been finding are Belom and Igman, both Serbian companies. Supposedly decent stuff, although I was reading about igman making really hard primers back in 2008-2010 that were good for 9mm open bolt uzis but terrible for most civilian guns.

anyone have any experience with Igman or Belom?

 

[PBramble]

I agree the stuff isn't cheap. I got rid of all my x39 guns and had a boatload of ammo. Only sold some of it so I'm pulling the bullets to use in my 300blk.

 

[GnometownHero]

Sellier and Bellot ammo has soft brass. I have had my Garand rip off the case head, had 30-06 and 300 Blackout stuck in my dies with case rim ripped off