Federal Brass worth keeping?

[WWWJD]

I'm slowly working my way up to reloading; a buddy at work just gave me a Lee Turret press, and I've been keeping all of my brass from the Federal Gold Medal Match stuff I've been shooting in my .308. I figured I'd hang on to all of it, since it's fire formed, letting me neck size it only. But now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just ditch this stuff and go get some better brass as a starter. I've got close to 200 cases in a plastic Folger's coffee jug. Meh..

What do you guys think?

I guess I'll add my second noob question: Is it possible while being new at this, that I'll be able to find a load that target shoots as well as the GMM .168 and can also serve as a hunting round for white tail? (these .5 minute groups I've been laying down with the Federal stuff have been giving me some serious grins.) I'm about halfway through "The ABCs of Reloading".. honestly still don't know where to start, or how I'll know when I've got it "right". Maybe that's in a chapter yet to come.

[bullspotter]

should be good to load

[Sevens]

Of course you should keep it! Even if Federal doesn't have the best reputation in the industry, it's still safe usable brass until you get a neck split or incipient head separation.

It's once-fired brass, it's perfect for you to start loading with, whenever that should happen.

[cornbush]

The only issue I have ever had with Federal brass is the primer pockets loosening up, but that was after several loadings.
Once I notice the loose pocket I still load it one more time for days when I know I'm not going to find my brass....Snow, Sagebrush chasing rabbits, just general plinking.........etc.

[PawPaw]

Sure, I'd keep it. I usually do. Our Sheriff's office marksmen use Federal Gold Medal Match ammo in their rifles and when they've been to the range for training, I normally pick up as much of it as I can find.

Is it possible while being new at this, that I'll be able to find a load that target shoots as well as the GMM .168 and can also serve as a hunting round for white tail?

Sure! Study your manuals and buy some 168 Sierra Matchkings. Use either Varget or Reloder 15 powder. I'm sure that before long, you'll find a load that works fine in your rifle. Then, buy some hunting bullets of the same weight.

Sierra doesn't recommend their MatchKings for hunting, but they make a great hunting bullet called the GameKing. I routinely shoot 165 GameKings using the same load I use for target ammo. They fly great.

Reloading for the .308 is fairly easy and is forgiving to newcomers. It's not a round that takes a lot of tinkering, unless you want to do a lot of tinkering.

[Doodlebugger45]

For sure it's good to use. It might not be my favorite but I would sure take it and use it if someone gave it to me.

And yep, it's possible to get the same accuracy with your own loads as you get with the Federal GMM. Get some Sierra 168 gr Match King bullets or Hornady AMAX 168 gr bullets and either Varget or Alliant Reloder 15 and start playing around with charge weights and you'll soon find loads identical to the GMM for about 1/3 of the cost. Should you use it for deer hunting? They don't recommend it, but I know several people who do it anyway. The match bullets have thin jackets, so they tend to blow up on game sometimes. But they still work usually. But for deer hunting, you should really use a Sierra Game King or a Hornady Interlock or something specifically designed for hunting. Stick with the same bullet weight of 168 gr in the hunting bullet and you'll find that the accuracy and load data will be about the same as your match ammo. Maybe not 0.5" groups but certainly less than 1.0"

[Clifford L. Hughes]

WWWJD:

Federal's only products are primers, brass and ammunition. I have found that their products are as good as any other manufacure's. I have reloaded many thousands of both their rifle and pistol brass with complet satisfaction.


Semper Fi.

Gunnery sergeant
Cliffprd L. Hughes
USMC Retired

[shootniron]

I have always found it to make good reloads. If you have some you do not want, pm me and I will forward my address so that you can send it to me.

[alloy]

The FGMM cases I've used were slightly thinner than regular Federal brass.
At least they were alot lighter on a scale.
Federal brass might have a so-so reputation but I've had good luck with it, both commercial types.

[engineermike]

Probably is not very good. Why don't you mail it to me and I'll dispose of it properly, no charge to you for disposal.

[limitdown]

Definitely good to go for reloading. I inspect every case visually and by touch
as they go into my press, regardless of brand.

[cracked butt]

If you can't find a very accurate load with a 168gr SMK and IMR 4064, there is something very wrong with your rifle

[WWWJD]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I suppose this is a good thing.. found out I got a radiator leak on the Jeep tonight. There goes $150.

[temmi]

I would keep it and use it.

[Saltydog235]

I routinely shoot 165 GameKings using the same load I use for target ammo.

Me too,the only thing is I cannot seem to find any at a decent price right now. Sierra has them but they're $6-7 more per box.

[Paul B.]

"I routinely shoot 165 GameKings using the same load I use for target ammo."

"Me too,the only thing is I cannot seem to find any at a decent price right now. Sierra has them but they're $6-7 more per box."

A bullet that has worked very well for me in the .308 for hunting is the Speer 165 gr. Hot Core. Deer die very nicely usig that bullet. Speer is dropping them but you can still find some.
s far as prices go, I was at Sportsman's Warehouse just yesterday and prices had gone up some.
I have a very large supply of Federal Gold Medal match brass. Using my normal 165 gr. load in that stuff leaves with too loose primer pockets. In fact, the once fired brass already has pockets that are a lot looser than I like to see. My prefernce in brass runs to Winchester first, Remington a close second and Federal at the bottom of the pile. If you stay away from gut buster loads, that federal brass should work out OK.
Paul B.

[Unclenick]

WWJD,

Before ATK, who also owns Alliant, bought Federal and got them to switch to Reloader 15, Federal used IMR 4064 in the GMM loads. I pulled some down one time and found it was a slightly compressed load of 43.5 grains ±0.2 grains (0.4 grain spread). Two lots I've had of canister grade 4064 proved to be a very good match to that (but lower it at least 5% (41.3 grains) and work it up watching for pressure signs in your rifle, anyway; never know when a lot might be off a bit on the fast side. Use the Federal 210M primer and copy the average COL your purchased rounds have (I've forgotten what I measured before).

I don't know what the Reloader 15 charge weights in the current GMM average.

The Federal brass is soft. Dan Newberry doesn't consider it reloadable because of that, but you talk to so many people who've used it without incident that I've concluded you just can't expect it to handle maximum loads for long. For moderate loads it seems to hold up.

[crowbeaner]

Most current production Federal primer pockets SUCK compared to the brass they made 30 years ago. MUCH MUCH too large; I've had new primers fall out of once fired 270 brass! I'm very disappointed with their brass lately.

[Hunt3006]

Rifle ammo loaded with Federal brass uses Federal primers. Federal primers are a few thousands of an inch larger in diameter than all the other primers. Therefore, the primers will be loose if you use another brand. I think the brass is OK. I don't usually make full power loads, due to the accuracy sweet spots of certain combos of brass, primer, powder and bullet. The brass doesn't wear out quite as fast with my loads.

[F. Guffey]

Federal Brass worth keeping?

And no one knows? They take new ammo to the range and fired it, then they eject the case and declare the cases are fired formed . When I eject a fired case I declare it once fired. Then there are opportunities, if the parson doing the fire forming? does not measure the case before firing they passed up every opportunity to draw a conclusion.

New ammo is minimum length/full length sized, in the perfect world the chamber is go-gage length from the shoulder to the bolt face. Then there is the case head. A case not worth reloading would be a case that increased in diameter at the case head when fired new. And if the case head increased in diameter the primer pocket increased in diameter.

F. Guffey

[condor bravo]

Prefer Federals across the board for both handgun and rifle and especially for '06 Garand loading since they are heavier than Wins and Rems and slightly thicker necks that result in greater neck tension. Difference is obvious during bullet seating between the three. The only thing I seem to have noticed is that slightly more reaming is required for Federals with the Redding primer pocket depth uniformer tool to bottom out the optimum depth of the pocket (as compared to Wins and Rems). Never a loose primer with CCIs. Don't recall any split necks but the cases are usually lost before that many loadings anyway. When buying once fired '06 brass, it's always Federals. There is a good source for once fired Federal '06 brass in New York state although I'm near the other ocean.

[F. Guffey]

Ouch, the dreaded "M-1 thumb", you just know it will happen eventually, so why not do it now and get it over with??

Could not help but notice, it reminds me of the day I was on a firing range at Fort Hood. A soldier panicked, there was all kind of help but he had to be caught to have the rifle removed from his hand. At the time I did not believe in hypnosis, removing the M1 from his hand did not calm him down. A lieutenant on the firing range started talking to him, basically he told the soldier he would get into the ambulance front seat, go to the hospital and when asked about something to reduce the pain he was told to say no. I still do not know how but he came back that afternoon after having his thumb reattached, the medics said he never felt anything from the time he left the range to the time he returned to the barracks.

F. Guffey

[stubbicatt]

When you get to the point of buying replacement brass, I have had really good luck with the Lapua small primer 308 brass. For some reason that brass tolerates a good deal more reloadings. You *may* need to bush your firing pin, but it shoots good and lasts a long time.

Back to your regularly scheduled Federal brass commentary.

[Road_Clam]

FC brass is very soft. +1 on the issue of primer pockets loosening up prematurely compared to other brass. I typically am seeing about 4-5 reloadings and then the primers feel too easy going in. However in a circumstance where I need softer 30-06 brass ( I re-form 30-06 brass to 8mm mauser ) , the soft brass makes for easier time pushing the shoulder back. I can buy dirt cheap FC -06 brass everywhere.

[4runnerman]

Guffy has it right- Once fired new brass is not Fired formed, It is Once fired. Good Brass will take 2 or 3 or sometimes even 4 times fired to be called fire formed. Federal Brass on it's worse day is Miles ahead of Remington brass.
As one other said-Primer pockets will go to heck on you first. While Lapua Brass is by far the best, it is not cheap. I buy Lapua for my 2 good rifles ( 308 and 6MMBR ) All other get Winchester Brass.