The holy Grail of components and forums

[wywindsor]

Let's start this off with components. So if you read the net with all the shooters that will only shoot cartridges that Lapua builds brass for. And Lapua is the king. Why would one only buy anything else? Same for Berger and so on. Let's find out why some of you are so set on one component and not others.

Don't be afraid to join this thread and get bashed. Or prove a point. Come with facts and not my buddy said. Please use example that are posted on other forums. You might just find that certain people back track. Post away.

 

[R.Morehouse]

By components, do you mean strictly primers, powder, bullets, and brass, or everything we use to get it right?

Regards
Rick

 

[SteveOak]

Although they may exist, I'm not aware of anyone that selects a cartridge on the basis of Lapua brass being made for it.

I shoot a 6 BR because I believe it (Along with 105 class bullets) is the best cartridge for the game I play.

I shoot Berger bullets because I believe they shoot better than I can. If that is no longer true I will find better bullets. Same for Varget and 205's.

 

[deep south]

I'm happy with Peterson, Lapua and alpha brass.
Think some folks who neck turn use Lapua cause it was the best along time. now there is competition in good brass but its known what reamers are best with Lapua brass for turning necks.

 

[Mcrider55]

Being retired, I shoot A LOT, and it's overwhelmingly tactical oriented. I have no doubt these name brand components have benefits to their use, but the costs outweigh any of those benefits. Repeatability is paramount for me, not searching for the perfect shot like some are. I admire the precision shooters, have learned much from them, but in the end I'm a SHTF guy.

 

[miningshawn]

I chose, and still choose, Berger because it is always the last one sold.
I choose Hodgdon because it is the only distributor in my area.
I choose CCi because they are the most common in my region.

Most of my choices are built around what I can replicate. Finding Lapua at my LGS ain't gonna happen. If I rely on VV powder I'm going to be waiting a long time. And so on....

There is always the internet, but I try really hard to support my LGS's.

 

[rijndael]

If folks shot in ways where they may not be able to get their brass back, they may not be so inclined to only shoot Lapua.

 

[SecondsCount]

One good look at Lapua brass and you can see the quality. I use it in some calibers and it performs at it's price point. Berger bullets are in the same boat but I have had success with Sierra and Nosler and their prices are more reasonable.

All the powders I have ever used have been high quality. Some perform better than others but I have never dealt with a bad batch, etc. I do like how clean most of the VihtaVuori powders burn.

 

[K22]

Why would you buy anything else was the question.

Supply availability is one. Another is that I can accomplish my shooting objectives with other, more available and less costly components.

What I have learn in 50+ years in the shooting sports is that within reason, the most significant variable in field shooting is not the equipment or ammunition, it is the shooter. I work hard to maintain a high level of practical field marksmanship skills with capable equipment and loads.

 

[JMayo]

I'm old and i don't like Change. I shoot what i was taught in the beginning.

 

[ebb]

The statement about Lapua brass is an old one and at one time there was only RWS and Lapua making quality brass. Finding RWS was almost impossible find then and even more so now. And many if they were going to the trouble of building a fine match rifle didn't want the brass to be the reason for a bunch of problems. So if Lapua didn't make brass for the caliber you wanted or it could not be altered easy enough to shoot in your gun , you just picked something else. With the new American makers of quality brass this is not the case anymore. No one wanted to build an expensive rifle and have to depend on Remington brass to live long with high pressures.

 

[Shifty6br]

My kick is srp...I handload everything from pistol to rifle I haven't had a specific rifle/cartridge that requires lrp since way back. It makes it easy on narrowing down the aspect of primer search and requirement of reloading tools.

That for the most part keeps me at 6mm and under, no complaints, just stock on srp of my choice, brass and bullet selection follows after. Normally Lapua for brass in the bolt guns and Starline for the semi autos, it's been a sure thing for so long.

 

[riverwolf1]

In shooting the .30 BR my choice of brass will always be Lapua! I have chambered 3 other 30BR’s for friends and due to a lack of Lapua brass they chose Petersen brass. When I gave them the load that shoots in my rifle which is 34.6 gr of H4198, they called me and said that amount of powder would not fit in Petersen brass, as for bullets my rifle isn’t that fussy, I shot 3k Berger 115‘s and now I have gone through 2K plus of Entiat River 117’s! For the last 10 years I have shot Wolf SRM primers and have never had issue with them. At one point I experimented with CCI BR -4s Alternating shots with Wolf primers and all rounds shot to the same point of impact.

 

[JB10]

I pick a cartridge based on what's intriguing to me and component availability. Lately ive been sticking to shooting anything with a small rifle primer since thats all that has been on shelves. Just had a 20 cal rifle built last year and really want to shoot bergers, but no where to be found. My next choice was nosler, but are spotty to find. I dont want to work up a load, then not find them in 2 months. So i chose Hornady. Worked up a load and when i found it i stocked up on bullets. If and when the others are back on shelves maybe ill try them depending on homw many i have left.

 

[snert]

I am not a componant snob. I also do not compete. That being said, when I shoot in a postal match, the RWS/Lapua/Sako brass comes out, as well as custom bullets, if I can find them. My issue now is I am out of my preferred primer..Fed GM. So I am stuck creating new loads.

 

[CJ6]

Any (NEW) brass I've bought since maybe 2002-2003 has been Lapua, BUT I also have brass from Norma, RWS, Winchester, and Federal (1 cartridge) and some of these are from the 70s.
Primers .. I have quite a few brands and specs (standard/magnum) most often used is Tula.
Bullets .... Barts/Bibs for custom target rifles, hunting rifles get whatever brand bonded bullet shoots best Swift, Woodliegh, Nosler, Hornady, and some old TBBCs.
Powders .... The vast majority rifles/pistols get loaded with VV but I have about every makers.

 

[Old Navy]

Shooting would be so boring if all I used was Lapua/CCI-450s and Bergers. I don't compete anymore so I use a wide variety of components in multi calibers.

 

[JimPag]

Let's start this off with components. So if you read the net with all the shooters that will only shoot cartridges that Lapua builds brass for. And Lapua is the king. Why would one only buy anything else? Same for Berger and so on. Let's find out why some of you are so set on one component and not others.

Don't be afraid to join this thread and get bashed. Or prove a point. Come with facts and not my buddy said. Please use example that are posted on other forums. You might just find that certain people back track. Post away.

When I use to compete I always bought Lapua brass because in the game I use to play Lapua is King. I bought enough Lapua brass to last me 2 lifetimes when I had to convert it to the chamberings that I use to compete with. As far as primers, I bought hundreds of thousands of Fed 205 and M's because my various 30 caliber chamberings mostly 30BR's liked them. I had to use the CCI BR4's because my 30x47 would not shoot well with 205's because I shoot a good dose of N133 and that 205 couldn't handle that too well. Custom bullets I still have over 130,000 30 caliber and probably 40K 6 mm from at least 20 different bullet makers including my own bullets that I use to make. I never bought 1K at a time. It was always minimum 3K to 20K. I figured with the 100 plus barrels that I own I could find a really good bullet for every barrel. As far as powder goes I have a ton of H4198 and N130 for my 30BR's and a ton of N133 for my 30x37 and 6PPC's. I just kept buying more and more of everything years ago because I saw that ever year everything was increasing in price and I'd only buy it when I could get a deal on it. The last time I bought H4198 was on 10-16-17 and I paid $1728.00 for 12 8 pound jugs to my door with no haz-mat and very cheap shipping. It equated to $144.00 per jug which was a steal because it was selling for $192.00 back then and it was available. So that's the way I acquired what I have and what I use to use.

 

[hoz53]

Shooting would be so boring if all I used was Lapua/CCI-450s and Bergers. I don't compete anymore so I use a wide variety of components in multi calibers.

yeah cause youd only ever make one hole —-lol.— i have so many different guns/cartridges to shoot I will never get to the point where everything is settled and ive got one good load for everything. I used to experiment with about any components i could get my hands on but now for my accuracy guns i try to use the most accurate load every shot. I realize now my time is much more precious to me than saving 20 cents on a bullet i allready know will probably not shoot as well just goofing around. Each to their own for sure- thats part of the beauty of it all

 

[Phys86]

Well.... For me I'm pretty set on Peterson 284win over Lapua because I don't get donuts in Peterson when necking up. That is more beneficial to me than the 1gr difference in case capacity