The reloading process starts the moment the warm casing hits the ground. Whether you call them casings, shells, or brass, one thing is certain; if you want to reload, you’ll need as many as you can get your hands on.

Casings come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. If you are out on the range shooting different calibers and plan on reloading those different calibers we recommend sorting your brass before it goes to your press. If you sort it before depriming and prep you won’t have to switch out your dies over and over for each different caliber. To make it easier, you can even get a Brass Catcher for your rifle. Whether you sort before or after cleaning your casings is up to you. If you’re shooting and reloading large quantities of shells you might want to sort them into separate bags right on the range. Staying organized can help reloading stay seamless and consistent.

The Boxer shell contains a single “flash hole” between the primer and an anvil. When the firing pin hits the primer, there is a single small space between the cup and anvil in which the ignition of the powder occurs. The anvil in this shell is part of the primer, so it is removed when reloading and replaced with a new one.

The Berdan, however, has two flash holes for an ignition to take place. In a Boxer cartridge, the anvil is part of the case, not the primer. Since the Boxer has the anvil attached to the actual shell it can wear after many uses.

Ultimately, the Boxer cartridge is the better choice for those looking to reload. You don’t have to worry about your anvil wearing down because you replace it each time with a new primer; plus, the Boxer shell is far more common than the Berdan in the United States, making it more accessible.