Many shooting enthusiasts and reloaders prefer once-fired brass ammunition as opposed to brand-new ammunition that's never been fired before, and this is because of the important, but simple reasons of consistency and predictability.
If you are new to the world of shooting, then you might be hearing rumors from all the shooting enthusiasts around you. Once-fired brass is better than brand-new ammunition.
Confused why that would be the case? Well, there are very good reasons for it, which should absolutely not be dismissed for any shooting enthusiast.
Consistency Matters to Shooters
What matters most to shooters? Uniformity. They want the same results from their brass cartridge ammunition every single time, considering all other circumstances are kept the same.
If you know anything about brass cases, it's that they change a little bit every single time you fire them. When you fire a brass case once, it settles into a uniform, stable shape, which hasn't been weakened by years of practice and repeated use.
This consistency matters because:
- Dimensions are more uniform
- Case walls are more predictable
- Performance varies less from round to round
For shooters who care about repeatability and accuracy, they would prefer once-fired brass for exactly those reasons. You don't want to miss out on the following shooting benefits either.
As Does Predictability
Brand-new cases vary from batch to batch. They also haven't been tested under real firing conditions. You don't know if the batch you are going to use will work well or not.
However, with once-fired brass, you can be absolutely sure. Once-fired brass has already proven its mettle, so to speak. It has been fired once and shown that it can handle the pressure.
Repeated firing also wears down the brass and makes it unsuitable for accuracy and predictability. That's why we don't want to reuse brass casing from our firing, but once-fired brass from factory-fired ammunition.
Once-fired brass sits in the goldilocks zone for firing; it's tested, but not tired. It can handle the pressure, but it's not worn out.
Ammo Savings Is a Factor Too
Ammunition can get expensive after a while, especially for shooting enthusiasts who go at least once a week to a range. That's why anything that can improve their accuracy at the lowest cost possible is worth it.
That's where once-fired brass comes in, since it's cheaper than brand-new brass cases, especially for premium calibers. These lower costs can allow shooters to target practice more often while saving money and improving their accuracy all at the same time. It's a win-win situation.
Uniform History Comes Into Play
History matters when it comes to brass casing. Shooters want consistency in three measures:
- Same manufacturer
- Same firing conditions
- Same number of uses
With brand-new brass cases, you can only be sure of the first step. But with once-fired brass, you are sure of all three conditions, and that can result in more uniform history and consistent results.
Brass with an unknown or mixed history can behave randomly and unpredictably, which can create issues in your shooting accuracy. If it's as simple as buying once-fired 308 brass as opposed to brand-new, why wouldn't you take this step?
Easier to Inspect and Manage
Once-fired brass is easier to visually inspect for any issues, since signs of damage or wear and tear are minimal. You can take a quick glance at it and spot issues that could potentially help you:
- Maintain safety standards
- Track usage cycles
- Discard cases before they become problematic
Brass that has been overused can be harder to check for such issues, and this can result in inconsistent results when shooting.
Trusted by Competitive Shooters
The biggest support for using once-fired brass comes from the fact that professional shooters trust and use it on a daily basis. Competitive shooters need consistent results from their daily shooting practice and also during competition days.
Small variations in the brass casing can affect their shooting greatly under competitive conditions. So they prefer once-fired brass, which has been tried, tested, and true.
Competitors can focus on precision and accuracy rather than the quality of the brass cases and other similar issues related to wear and tear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Shooters Don't Like Using New Brass?
You don't have to avoid using new brass completely, but it's a good idea to use it as little as possible. New brass doesn't give you that consistency and predictability that you are seeking with ammunition, especially when you go shooting quite often and want to track your performance from day to day.
Once-fired brass has already gone through that first-time adjustment, which makes it more predictable from the start and more reliable for shooters in competitions or at the range.
Why Shooters Dislike Overused Brass?
Each firing cycle weakens the reloadable brass and makes it more vulnerable to failure over time. So you don't want brass that's overused either.
Like everything, there's a Goldilocks zone that must be respected, not too little, but also not too much. It needs to be just right. Once-fired brass works just great since it is early enough to be dependable, but not new enough to be inconsistent.
You need to know where your brass cases are in their lifespan to get a better result when shooting. That's why manufacturers have been putting out once-fired brass for all the different premium calibers, and they are becoming easier to find.
Speak to professional shooters, and they will be able to give you a better idea of all of this once-fired brass business.
Once-Fired Brass Is The Real Deal
There's a very simple reason why once-fired brass has become so popular among shooters of all kinds. No matter if you shoot once a month with friends or are a competitive shooter, you will want to use once-fired brass in your repertoire rather than brand-new cases.
It's not even a preference thing. It's about getting higher accuracy, predictability, and consistency, all things that shooters desire.
If you enjoyed this article on brass cases, then please check out related articles on our website.
This article was prepared by an independent contributor and helps us continue to deliver quality news and information.
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