(possible) Stupid question

[Jedabug92]

I have some mixed .308 brass and have seen some guys run Lapua brass......my question, is Lapua worth .70c per brass?? {edit} what is the difference between palma lapua and non palma lapua?
brass and bullet would put it at a dollar ish.
is it worth it? just curious about how yall feel about it.

 

[ASP785]

Palma brass uses a small rifle primer.

Is Lapua brass worth it? In my experience, YES. Getting 10 or 12+ loadings from a piece of brass is nice, but the consitency between cases is the best feature. All I do is uniform the primer pocket, chamfer the necks, and load the brass. The flash holes are drilled so they are very consistent as is. If you enjoy sorting and prepping brass cases, there is no reason Lapua would out shoot a Winchester, Federal, etc, case with the right preparation. The Lapua brass just allows minimal prep for me and I still get the accuracy I am looking for.

With that being said, I wouldn't waste my time with it in a firearm that wasn't capable of sub moa accuracy at distance. It's expensive and the brass is not going to turn a 2 moa gun into a .5 moa gun.

 

[Jedabug92]

10 loadings?! whoa is that normal?
and i dont expect it do drop my moa .000001 but some guys swear by it.

 

[ASP785]

If you are reloading within 'normal' pressure ranges, ie following most published load data, then 10 or more loads is pretty normal.

However during load development for my 260 I went well past published data in attempts to find the most accurate load. I went into what I would consider nuclear territory. Although the brass didn't show any strong visual indicators of a problem, the 15 or so cartridges I loaded to that level all had to be pulled from service. When I was reloading these I noticed zero resistance when seating the primer. I marked all these with a magic marker to pull them and make sure they were not reloaded again. One of the primers actually fell out into my action when I was chambering it. All of the other 14 cases were fired without a problem.

 

[Jedabug92]

If you are reloading within 'normal' pressure ranges, ie following most published load data, then 10 or more loads is pretty normal.

However during load development for my 260 I went well past published data in attempts to find the most accurate load. I went into what I would consider nuclear territory. Although the brass didn't show any strong visual indicators of a problem, the 15 or so cartridges I loaded to that level all had to be pulled from service. When I was reloading these I noticed zero resistance when seating the primer. I marked all these with a magic marker to pull them and make sure they were not reloaded again. One of the primers actually fell out into my action when I was chambering it. All of the other 14 cases were fired without a problem.

so you over pressurized the cases? and why did a primer fall out?

 

[ASP785]

The overpressure in the cartridge caused the brass to expand to the point where the primer pocket was too large to hold a primer properly.

 

[Jedabug92]

oh, well that is something i didnt know could happen but it makes sense

 

[swampratt]

I got .1 that is 1 tenth better groups with lapua in my .308.
Yes the primer pockets fail first in most cases .. that is if you are minimally sizing your brass.
Jedabug i have a simple plumbing fitting that works great for measuring case shoulder setback when placed on top of the case and measuring with dial calipers.

I was setting my shoulders back 6-8 thousandths and my winchester brass lasted 4-8 firings.
Depending on load....

After realizing my errors i shot that same brass 2x more and then primer pockets began getting loose.

I am glad i learned this with my cheaper winchester brass.

The small primer pockets are not suggested for cold cold weather hunting.
You can give the guys at Gene Sears a call as they sell both and I think a few of them shoot the 308 in competition.

I liked the Lapua brass so well i got a second box and a box for my 243 then to help pay for it i sold off the other brass i had.

 

[Jedabug92]

I got .1 that is 1 tenth better groups with lapua in my .308.

Jedabug i have a simple plumbing fitting that works great for measuring case shoulder setback when placed on top of the case and measuring with dial calipers.

So nothing major but noticeable and isn't there a shoulder gauge of sorts?
In new to reloading.

 

[swampratt]

Well one thing really good about the Lapua brass vs my second best winchester brass is that i have eliminated all fliers with the lapua brass.
You know when you shoot a group and one is out in left field.. not anymore .

Yes there is a shoulder gauge..I have used one a buddy got..
Then i came home and sorted through my box of brass fittings and found something that works exactly the same way ,,
but is cheaper.. like pennies.

You just place this (tool) on top of the case and measure overall length of fired case and then do the same to a sized case.
With practice it works perfectly.
they are tapered and you can get different sizes for different brass.
Will not work with loaded ammo.