243 Win Palma Brass??

[Eric Leonard]

I just got a Stiller Predator V RBLP action and bedded it in a ST1000-F stock,,I am having an 8 twist Brux .236 bbl chambered in the straight 243 Win,,I got a pretty good stockpile of CCI450 primers and thinking about getting the Lapua 308 Palma brass and necking it down to 243,,I have shot 3,000++ 6.5x47L rounds with the small primers and they are making the 6.5 Creedmoor brass with the small primers,,

I like to run my loads as hard as I can and still get good accuracy and I believe the small primer brass is stronger in the web and seems to take higher pressure loads and lasts longer,I had some 6.5x47 brass that had 25+ cycles ,,shooting 130 VLDs at 3,000 fps,

I really do like the SRP in other cases of comparable size but havent tried it in the 243,,

has anybody done this with acceptable performance or is it doomed from the start,,

 

[Dans40X]

Been there & done that w/ Rem URBR brass in a hand full of chamberings-not Lapua.
.22-250,243,260,7mm-08,308,7.62x51.

 

[AckleymanII]

"I like to run my loads as hard as I can and still get good accuracy and I believe the small primer brass is stronger in the web and seems to take higher pressure loads and lasts longer"

I hear you!

cci 450's are your saving grace, and some powders are harder to ignite than others. You are in for a trial and error on this one, and I hope you are not afraid to experiment(fail).

Please keep us apprised of your wins and failures!

 

[Eric Leonard]

testing,,shooting and trying different crap ,,screwing up and trying more different crap is at least half the fun to me,,

I ordered the brass on sale at Sinclairs pretty cheap and I should have bbl and new bedding compound in mail Monday and hope to get started this coming week,,

I was shooting 42.8 grs H4350 with the 130 VLDs at 3,000 fps in the 6,5x47L and never had one problem with ignition or ES,,

in my other 243 on a Tac30 action in an AICS 1.5 I am shooting WW brass and CCI 200 primers and 42 grs H4350 with 105 VLDH at 3200++ fps and really tight groups,,the bolt lift is really easy and no ejector swipe at all but primer pockets dont last 4-5 shots and they are done,,

I am hoping to run about that same load in my new Predator V action with the Lapua Palma brass,,

I hope this bbl lasts long enough for me to get a handle on this combination of stuff and then my next one will be a 7.5 twist to try the 110 SMK and 105 Hybirds
I will update as I get rounds down range,,

 

[TAJ45]

I know of one wildcatter who has 5-600 Rds on 15 PC's of Lapua Palma pushing the 6mm 107s 3100-3200 out of an overly long XC case. Abt 39-40 gr of powder used, X Cal bbl, groups high ones, low to mid twos. He's looking at any positive effects of burying the turbulence point with a
.400"+ neck length.

 

[Eric Leonard]

I know of one wildcatter who has 5-600 Rds on 15 PC's of Lapua Palma pushing the 6mm 107s 3100-3200 out of an overly long XC case. Abt 39-40 gr of powder used, X Cal bbl, groups high ones, low to mid twos. He's looking at any positive effects of burying the turbulence point with a
.400"+ neck length.

I been running the idea of a 6-6.5x55 AI 40* through my head to try that theory with a longer case at 50+ grs of powder also,,I bet it would be fun while it lasted,,

 

[TAJ45]

Well, 50gr, like you said, fun while it lasts. That was my intention was to back off the .243 barrel consumption with a 40gr loading exceed the 6x47L, still hit the 31-3200 node w the 107 wgt family and with the .400+ neck length, be able to jam or back off w/o hurting capacity plus extend set back life.

 

[TAJ45]

PS. Just because it is a "bad idea" doesn't mean it won't be fun.

 

[Eric Leonard]

nearly my whole life the most fun I had at the time turned out to be a bad idea in the long run,,but I had a lot of fun with some of those bad ideas,,LOL

 

[spclark]

Mr. big, it's at least worth your time to buy a box (or ask for a few from folks here) to try some.

You don't like the results, the unmodified cases will be easy to sell here.

I'm not the guy TAJ45's talking about with the long necked 6XC but I have been making 6XC cases from Lapua's Palma brass since the year it appeared. Reasons were short case head life with large primer pockets and unreliable availability of Norma's factory 6XC.

Depending on your chamber's neck diameter you likely will have to turn necks. Palma brass necks run 0.014"+, sizing to 6mm makes 'em thicker so be prepared.

I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

[AckleymanII]

I am the Mutant that TAJ is speaking of, and the Palma brass is worth the effort. It is work, however and you have to enjoy this kind of thing.

 

[Eric Leonard]

that will suit me fine if I have to turn the necks down to fit the no turn reamer,,that way I can set the clearance how I like it and with the correct bushing the necks should last also,,

I have 105 VLDHs 105 Hybirds 104 BIBs 108 BTs 107 SMK and 105 AMax,,I plan on getting the 105 RDF and 110 SMK also,,


H4350,H4831,H1000,RL 19 ,22,25,26,IMR 4831,7828

CCI450,Rem 7 1/2,Tula 5.56 Mag

to start testing the Palma brass with

 

[TAJ45]

I'm not the guy TAJ45's talking about with the long necked 6XC but I have been making 6XC cases from Lapua's Palma brass since the year it appeared. Reasons were short case head life with large primer pockets and unreliable availability of Norma's factory 6XC.

OK sp - I just noticed last week the diff in the base size. The XC being right at .005" smaller. Thoughts? Did you have your reamer spec'd differently? Orrrr? Ackleyman and I both be all ears.
One little trick he shared was getting an older 22-250 die for base sizing. Nub it off in a lathe. They are several thou smaller than what is found today.
Helps with the "click" iirc.

 

[tclaunch]

OK sp - I just noticed last week TT he diff in the base size. The XC being right at .005" smaller. Thoughts? Did you have your reamer spec'd differently? Orrrr? Ackleyman and I both be all ears.
One little trick he shared was getting an older 22-250 die for base sizing. Nub it off in a lathe. They are several thou smaller than what is found today.
Helps with the "click" iirc.

Just have your XC chambered with someone who has the XC II reamer.....its based off the 308 case not the 22/250

 

[Eric Leonard]

if I hadnt already been tooled up for 243 I would have had you do the XCII chamber,,but now with Creedmoor brass if this doesnt go as planned we may have to invest in a 6 Creedmoor reamer,,

but I have faith in this 243 Palma thing I am gonna start on tomorrow after UPS runs,,

 

[TAJ45]

Just have your XC chambered with someone who has the XC II reamer.....its based off the 308 case not the 22/250

OK Tim, what about running it in another .050-.060 and neck ream to say, .400 length. This should put the boiler room abt 10% less than the .243. Orrr, blow the shoulder to 40° maintaining the shldr to neck junction without the .050 body length increase?

 

[spclark]

I am the Mutant that TAJ is speaking of, and the Palma brass is worth the effort. It is work, however and you have to enjoy this kind of thing.

Effort is right! It’s not “plug’n’play”!

OK sp - I just noticed last week TT he diff in the base size. The XC being right at .005" smaller. Thoughts? Did you have your reamer spec'd differently? Orrrr? Ackleyman and I both be all ears.

One little trick he shared was getting an older 22-250 die for base sizing. Nub it off in a lathe. They are several thou smaller than what is found today.

Helps with the "click" iirc.

No, and yes.

Reamer’s original to Henriksen from 7/03, supposed to be the last iteration he and D. Tubb arrived at for bullets of 105-108 grain.

I had ‘problems’ with a Schneider chambered in 6XC from McMillan, purchased with a T2k I bought in late 2003. Same thing with two PacNor’s from John Holliger. Those have all been sold off, I’m working now with two other barrels chambered with the same reamer profile.

I haven’t had a problem with “click” (sticky bolt-lift) with those two new barrels using Lapua’s Palma brass but ran into it BIG TIME when I started messing with their new 6.5 Creedmoor brass.

Seems the Creedmoor is fatter at the shoulder than 6XC, and sizing the Creedmoor down in a 6XC die doesn’t impart enough taper to allow cases to free themselves once fired.

I bought a 22-250 sizing die, ran the Creedmoor brass I’m messing with thru it, loaded some more test rounds… all extracted just fine.

Just have your XC chambered with someone who has the XC II reamer....

That’s what I’d recommend now to anyone contemplating having a 6XC chambered then using anything made by Lapua to make 6XC brass out of.

I’m pondering whether having a custom sizing + bushing die made would be worthwhile.

Right now that 22-250 die needs to be opened up from the shoulder forward to avoid reshaping shoulder & neck. All I’m using it for is its taper from shoulder to base; it’s not been shortened at the base.

 

[Eric Leonard]

I dont have a working camera at the house but let me just say that the Stiller Predator V action with a Brux Speedy Contour 8 twist 243 bbl in the blue ST1000-F stock and an Leupold 40x LCS scope just plain looks like it doesnt have any choice but to shoot like crazy,,

I will get some pics up when the brass gets here and I get some bullet holes in paper,,

THANX AGAIN TIM CLAUNCH !!!!!!!

 

[tclaunch]

You are very welcome.

 

[Eric Leonard]

my first update,,I crushed the shoulder on the first case in the 243 FL die,,I wound up running 5 pieces in my 260 FL die first and then run it through the 243 die ,
I seated a 105 VLDH and the loaded round measures .278 and the chamber neck is .277 so I turned the necks to where a loaded round measures .273 for 4 K clearance,,I am going to try the next 5 turning the necks first before necking down and see which I like best,,
I have been shooting the 105 VLDH with H4350 in my Tac 30 Krieger 8 twist at 3200 fps so I loaded the Palma brass with CCI450s and had to bump the powder up .8 grs to get to 3225 fps at 42.8 grs,,I shot and loaded 3 rounds with that load 6 times with ES of those 18 rounds 3218 to 3235 and SD was 8,,the primer pockets on the 6th cycle was just as tight as the first cycle,,I been using WW brass in my Tac 30 and it is trash after 5 cycles,,Hornady brass only lasted 2 loads,,

so now I have the Predator V bbl/action curing in the bedding in the Tracker stock and hopefully I will get enough brass worked to start accuracy testing on the Palma brass my next 3 days off work,,

I am tickled so far ,,the Stiller action gets along real well with the CCI450 primers,,at 42.8 grs H4350 and the 105 VLDH there is no cratering and the primers are still round at the edges and no heavy bolt lift at all,,I think it would take more powder but I am hoping to run the same 3200 node in both rifles as it really shoots well on my little 1,100 yard range on the back 40,,my next bbl will be a 7.5 to try the 110 SMK which should be another step up,,

I will update again after I get bedding done and some more brass worked and some paper targets with holes in them,,