CouesPursuit Report post Posted April 21, 2022 I sorted out the first 25 pieces from a box of new Lapua brass that had the roundest, most uniform necks and loaded them after an established load was made with FL size prep, no chamfer/debur. They shot identical. I did the same with Norma brass in a different gun and had great results also. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saguaro Report post Posted April 21, 2022 2 hours ago, HuntHarder said: 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. Just like you said, full length, chamfer and go. For the next loads, I will anneal and bump shoulder, neck size, expand then I will neck turn, chamfer and load. Chamfer helps with the flat base Bergers and it’s not really necessary for boat tails. I used to mess with pockets and flash hole prep, but I didn’t see any advantage in my grouping where I did with annealing and neck turning. At least nothing noticeable with the Lapua brass, others, yes. Cleaning, I always use a sonic cleaner because it’s the right size for up to 200 pieces and that’s about what I load in one sitting. Shininess is not the most important thing to me, but the lube needs to be cleaned off. Before I charge powder, I brush the inside of the necks with a 22 cal cleaning brush on a case prep center. I feel the annealing, turning and brushing are important tasks for consistent neck tension. I have had luck with halfway full length sizing. Make sure you check measurements as you go on the brass because I have seen some vary mor than .004 before. You may want to checkout the dies they have now. In the past year, I replaced a lot of the ones I have with interchangeable bushings for seating and sizing and they work better than the old RCBS or conventional Redding or lee of yesteryear. I won’t claim to know everything, I am looking to expand just like you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
briant_az Report post Posted April 21, 2022 16 hours ago, HuntHarder said: 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. In new brass I usually run a mandrel through the case mouth or use the expander in a die, to make sure they are not “out of round”. Then I load them and fire. This will fire form to your chamber (kind of). Then ask Lance what to do next. @lancetkenyon 😂 In the past I would then full length size with the die touching the shell plate and that was it. I learned with my ultra mag that this works but after a couple firings on the brass, it can be difficult to chamber. I wasn’t bumping the shoulder back like I thought I was. Get a headspace comparator set. I’ve found it very useful and have eliminated this issue by measuring after firing and then bumping the shoulder back .002. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HuntHarder Report post Posted April 21, 2022 I have always used a comparator. I dont quite understand how guys don't. Bullets vary so much on nose length. Thanks for the info guys! This gun is already a shooter, not sure I can shrink my groups any more, but I'll try. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
briant_az Report post Posted April 21, 2022 21 minutes ago, HuntHarder said: I have always used a comparator. I dont quite understand how guys don't. Bullets vary so much on nose length. Thanks for the info guys! This gun is already a shooter, not sure I can shrink my groups any more, but I'll try. I'm talking headspace comparator, not bullet. Sorry should've been more clear on that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
