Different brass question

[HuntHarder]

In my previous LR rifles, I pretty much stuck to winchester brass. On my newest gun, Winchester brass was included with the gun.  All was once, maybe twice fired.  I only have like 70 pieces of brass and know I will need more.  Finding Winchester brass seems to be a challenge, so I was going to buy the Lapua brass and had a few questions.  I am not trying to blow the taint hair off a gnat, but want accuracy. 

1. Typically if a good load is found using winchester brass, is it likely that the Lapua brass will be similar in accuracy?  I know case capacity could and probably will change a little, but what are the odds it is still an accurate load.  

2. If I do get Lapua brass, Does once fired lapua brass have any impact on accuracy vs. the unfired Lapua brass.  

[AZAV8ER]

20 years ago I settled on Winchester brass and got decent results. I would uniform the primer pockets and de burr the flash hole and got good enough results. Couple of years ago bought some new Win brass and was disappointed at the quality. Very beat up and some cases not usable. Now shooting a 6.5C and loading both my used Hornady brass, meh and new Lapua. Lapua brass is Sierra Hotel. Just bite the bullet and get Lapua, no need to weigh (cases in a box vary +/- .2 grains) no flash hole fixing or primer pocket work required. Yes I see enough difference in the Lapua brass shooting better than my weight sorted, flash hole-primer pocket fixed Hornady brass.

 

[SHOOTER]

You can expect same or better accuracy by switching to Lapua brass. Winchester brass will get the job done but is junk compared to laupa,adg,Petersen brass.Lapua brass is arguably the best brass you can buy and is worth every penny. Just load it and shoot!

In my experience with higher end brass I haven’t noticed much if any accuracy difference from brand new to fire formed brass.

Just be be careful and adjust the powder charge accordingly for the new brass. I have seen up to 130fps difference in the same load/bullet but using different brass. 

[lancetkenyon]

What is the cartridge?

Weigh the cases.

If the Lapua is heavier, but less than 10gr difference, and your load is not a hot one, drop .5gr and test.  

If the Lapua is lighter, test your load.

Lapua is amazing brass.

[HuntHarder]

Thanks guys!  I was hoping to get those responses.  It's on it's way.  

300 win mag.  

[andyyy]

hard to go back to anything else once you go Lapua. Well worth it! Brass lasts longer. I don't know if that rings true for belted cartridges like 300WM, based on hearsay, but it has been very true for me and my loads.

[recurveman]

I'll tell you what I do.   I buy Nosler preped brass.   I put a mandrel down the neck for neck sizing, add a primer, add powder top it with a bullet and make it go bang.   There are more accurate systems but for a hunter you would easily hit a coues deer at 1000 yards if you do your part.   I only shoot the brass once.   The extra work of cleaning, trimming, sizing brass doesn't get me enough results to justify the work.  

[zackcarp]

41 minutes ago, recurveman said:

I'll tell you what I do.   I buy Nosler preped brass.   I put a mandrel down the neck for neck sizing, add a primer, add powder top it with a bullet and make it go bang.   There are more accurate systems but for a hunter you would easily hit a coues deer at 1000 yards if you do your part.   I only shoot the brass once.   The extra work of cleaning, trimming, sizing brass doesn't get me enough results to justify the work.  

What caliber are you shooting and how can I get your brass?!

[recurveman]

I shoot 6.5 X 284 mostly.   Some .308 too.    Here is the link for the brass I'm talking about.    300 Win Mag Premium Brass (50ct) (nosler.com)  

 

I switched to this brass (used to use Lapua) about 3 years ago and haven't looked back.   It is really great brass if you aren't looking to reload them many times.   It is softer brass and you probably won't get 3 firings if you are running hot loads.   I've has some that only made it one loading because the primer pocket was getting loose (but I was running the loads a bit on the hot side).   

[briant_az]

55 minutes ago, recurveman said:

I shoot 6.5 X 284 mostly.   Some .308 too.    Here is the link for the brass I'm talking about.    300 Win Mag Premium Brass (50ct) (nosler.com)  

 

I switched to this brass (used to use Lapua) about 3 years ago and haven't looked back.   It is really great brass if you aren't looking to reload them many times.   It is softer brass and you probably won't get 3 firings if you are running hot loads.   I've has some that only made it one loading because the primer pocket was getting loose (but I was running the loads a bit on the hot side).   

To each his own I guess. I much rather put in the extra work and get a lot more firings out of my brass. 

[10Turkeys]

I imagine you could get a bad batch of Lapua brass,  but it hasn't  happened to me yet. My experience with Norma brass is limited to .270 brass, but I've found it to be just as good as Lapua, and just as pricey.  I believe I read somewhere that Norma is no longer selling brass in the states, don't know if it's so or not.

[Ernesto C]

I always appreciate this types of topics or questions because I want to learn. I'm not expert or I don't have much experience reloading. But I was told the different brass will have  little effect in accuracy and I'm sure is true and sometimes "little" is to much.

On my 6.5 WSM I saw no difference in accuracy between Bertram and Winchester brass. 

On the 28 Nosler I could never find ADG or Peterson Brass to try. I don't think Lapua makes 28 Nosler (?) So I was stuck with Hornady and Nosler Brass and didn't see any difference in accuracy either between the two.

Great topic guys! thanks.

[Crazymonkey]

After getting a hundred new hornady brass for my 7-08 and starting the prep process recommend by Lance .It was soon real clear that brass matters .The weight was all over the place and yes they were trimmed all the same .I switched to lapua and it was an instant difference in quality .Yes its more expensive but if taken care of it should last longer and preform better making for a more consistent end product and lower deviation.

[Saguaro]

Get Lapua brass whenever that’s possible, but Lapua doesn’t make everything.  There is no better brass out there.  Well some come close.  I can’t get Lapua in 22 Hornet so I bought 4 different brands to fire form my 22 K Hornet.  Of the 4, Hornady was the only one where 100% survived the fire forming.  Nosler was the worst at about 50%.  I stocked up on a lot of 223 cartridges a few years back and have about 5 different head stamps in multiples of a few hundred.  223 happens to be my favorite in a bolt action and it’s not unusual for me to go through 400 in a few weeks, I just enjoy it that much.  Lapua has always been the most accurate, dependable, and longest lasting with about 10 loads so far on one set I have of 100, and a few hundred other Lapua are holding up to loads and accuracy as well as can be expected.  All of the others, even with my best prep, loading and careful shooting leaves a lot to be desired in accuracy.  I would say the best thing is to scrap all other brass and use Lapua only.  It took me a lot of experimenting to figure that out, but it will be money well spent.  

[HuntHarder]

What is everyone's consensus on prep work on new Lapua brass?  I was gonna just Full length size it, chamfer it and load it.  Seems lots of guys like to use an expander and or neck size it.  Some guys just chamfer and debur others say, just load it and go.  

Am I able to half way full length size it?  Just enough to uniform the neck?  Is this a good idea?  On all the cheaper brass I shoot, I would full length size it, chamfer it and then load it.  I have always had good to very good results reloading but now I am looking to expand my knowledge a little more.