6 PPC Question (Brass & neck)

[jalfa]

Hi.

I´m new to short BR.
I just got a BAT DS with a .263 neck, 13.5 twist Bartlein and some 50 turned Lapua 220 Russian brass, about 600 shots fired by the previous owner. I got all the tools I need and have Berger Column bullets & N 133 powder.

In two weeks I will go to my first match. Waiting for my March 48x scope, hopefully I will have it this week. So I won´t have much time to practice.

But I´m thinking ahead. I will order a new barrel and I´m thinking "why not a .268/.269 neck?
Or would it be better to get another .263 and use this one to fireform?

Also if I would change to Norma PPC Brass in the future - to get easier/quicker turning - what neck is optimal for the Norma brass?

 

[ttfreestyle]

We are running both norma and lapua in our 268 neck 6ppcs, norma is a no turn (in my chambers) and lapua is a good cleanup. Personally I won't go back to 262. I like the option of going no turn or turn. Good luck, br will drive ya nutz!

 

[Tim Singleton]

Using what you have to fire form sounds good
The reality is tho you probably don't know what reamer was used and it won't match the body dimensions of your new barrel
The thing to do would be send it to the smith have him set it back and chamber it with the same reamer as the new barrel.
Then use it for practice/fire forming
The neck thickness is really just an individual preference thing.
If you turn your own then it only makes good reason to go 268

 

[BoydAllen]

What ever neck diameter you pick, you might consider buying your own reamer so that all of your future barrel's chambers will be the same. For short range benchrest, shooters generally work with small batches of brass, so turning for a chamber neck like yours is not really an issue. I make two cuts, with two turners. For the first one, I use an old Sinclair tool that has had its mandrel sanded down so that it does not heat or pick up brass. This cut is quickly made, and then I use a turner that is much easier to set to the exact finished dimension, and which has a properly fitting carbide mandrel to remove the last .001. I do not turn large numbers of cases, but do them a batch at a time, as needed.

 

[jalfa]

Thank you all. I contacted my smith and he will make my .263 to .268 in the wintertime. So I will order a new .268 barrel and try Norma brass - will see what shoots best.