.284 Brass

[jsimonh]

Long time reader, new to posting.

I'm looking for advice on what the best option for .284 brass would be. I like the thought of the Lapua brass, but I don't have a clue on what I'd need to prep the brass from 6.5 to 7. If anyone has any ideas if the Lapua brass would be that much better than the WW I already have and how to neck it up, please let me know. Thanks.

 

[TonyR]

I use three expander mandrels from Neil Jones Custom Products to neck the Lapua in three steps, the last of which is sized to work with the pilot of my neck turning tool. You will also need something to clean out the donuts in the neck/shoulder juction. If you use a K&M turner, get the carbide pilot which includes a reamer to clean out the donuts. I have heard of people doing it in one step but that method did not work for me.

 

[ThunderDownUnder]

I use a Sinclair 284 expander mandrel in their general purpose expander die, which takes most mandrel sizes. I lube the neck with a light spray on lubricant (many people use Imperial Wax) and expand it in one step. I have not had any problems in doing it in one step but lubricant must be used!

Donuts are not a big deal and really only occur in cases that have been subject to high pressure shooting with the heavy 180gr projectiles. You can outside neck turn and cut into the shoulder to prevent donuts. The other method is to wait till they form and inside ream with a Wilson or Forster inside reamer. Inside reaming is really case maintenance and not necessary as case prep.

Check this site's guide for case prep if you want to neck turn but if you are a no-neck turn person then use the inside reamer when needed as a maintenance step. You know you have a donut when a new bullet wont push all the way into a fired case.

I use the Lapua brass because it is the best engineered case available. The sooner they start manufacturing the straight 284W case the better as very few people still use the 6.5x284 wildcat anymore.

Ian

 

[arizonajake]

Go with the Lapua. I went the cheap way, to start, and bought 100 Winchester cases. I sorted them out by weight prior to doing any work on them, such as neck turning or prepping primer pockets, etc.

Out of the 100 cases, 54 weighed between 204.5 and 206.g grains. The lowest weight was 200.5 grains, while the highest was 208.6 grains. I managed to sort about 25 cases that went between 206.6 and 207.5 grains and those will be used for hunting.

While I have no experience with Lapua 6.5 mm X 284 brass, The .243 brass I've been using to make .260 brass has yielded over 94%. That is, 6 cases out of 100 that vary by more than +/- 1 grain.

I'll be going with Lapua 6.5 X 284 brass, to neck up to .284, once I have a load established with the Winchester brass.

 

[seb]

I use a Sinclair 284 expander mandrel in their general purpose expander die, which takes most mandrel sizes.
Ian

Ian, could you tell me the part # please?...can't find it in Sinclair's website but the "genII"...anyway it "seems?" for large calibers only???

Thanks,
seb.

 

[ThunderDownUnder]

Hi Seb, The Sinclair #05-3000 standard expander die works well and I use calibers from 22 up to 30 cal in it. The expander mandrel you want is the 7mm #E28. If you want to do it in two steps you could also start off with the neck turning mandrel followed by the expander but not really needed providing you use lubricant.

The info on the Sinclair website shows the same mandrel selection (large cal) for all three expander dies and this is obviously an error.

I love my Neo Rest, keep up the good work!

Ian

 

[nhm16]

I used Lapua 6.5x284 brass, necked up using a Redding .284 Win. full length sizer with the optional tapered expanded button helped along with Imperial lube in the neck (as well as outside the case as usual), then trimmed and chamfered, then neck turned.

 

[Larryh128]

I've used both Win & Lapua & hands down the Lapua brass is worth the effort.

 

[seb]

Thanks you Ian.
Your info is much appreciated.

seb.

 

[jsimonh]

Thanks for all the great info guys! I've got 200 cases of WW that I need to use up, but if necking up is as easy as it sounds I'll slowly start trying to pile up some 6.5-284 lapua brass.