6XC Norma brass?
- Thread starter TheSwede
- Start date
Swede; I give good marks to the Norma brass. No fuss, available, reasonable price, consistent,...Consider.. my brass 500pc lot, is some of the first offered.I don't load full power loads . H4350,velocity for DTACs under 3000fps.Of the last 100 pcs, after 8 firings ea. I had discarded 9 for loose primer pkt,,Winchester primer). once head space established . I full length re size every time.,Function over form)I'm not into fussing around with 22/250 brass anymore... That said. I recall some years and a few barrels back, some very good groups with formed Winchester 22/250.. JIM
Mudcat
Gold $$ Contributor
We have found the latest Norma brass to be ok and usable. Nothing before that though. But, that being said, I still use nothing but Winchester 22-250 brass and I am still using the original batch I bought when I started shooting the 6XC. I started with 5,000 pcs and all but about 500 have been fired at least once, most have been fired multiple times and have I have some that I test with that have over 20 firings on them, and I have a batch I just shot a reduced course match yesterday with that was on its 13th firing and I dropped 3 pts, all off the shoulder, cleaned the rest of the course. This was also on a bbl with almost 3,000 rounds on it.
I see no reason to switch brass,oh, and its a lot cheaper too!), switch bbls,a $250 Wilson on a T2k), or switch bullets, my favorite short distance bullet, the 80gr Berger FB.
I do run full power loads out of the Win brass and do expect it to hold up, which is does. Every once in a blue moon do I have to throw away brass due to primer pocket and its with loads that we havent been able to run using the orginal brass, or even the latest stuff. I am going out back today to test some Berger 115s at 3100fps or more. I wont do that with the Norma brass, but with the Winchester, I can, and do.
But, ultimately, you have to choose whats going to work in your rifle, your budget, your game. Try both, thats the easy solution.
John
I see no reason to switch brass,oh, and its a lot cheaper too!), switch bbls,a $250 Wilson on a T2k), or switch bullets, my favorite short distance bullet, the 80gr Berger FB.
I do run full power loads out of the Win brass and do expect it to hold up, which is does. Every once in a blue moon do I have to throw away brass due to primer pocket and its with loads that we havent been able to run using the orginal brass, or even the latest stuff. I am going out back today to test some Berger 115s at 3100fps or more. I wont do that with the Norma brass, but with the Winchester, I can, and do.
But, ultimately, you have to choose whats going to work in your rifle, your budget, your game. Try both, thats the easy solution.
John
Mudcat, thanks for your history & endorsement of Win 22-250 brass. I've run Win, R/P, Norma, Graf's 22-250 for 6XC & also three different generations of Tubb,SSA) 6XC & the first batch of Norma 6XC & they all invariably have disappointed me sooner or later.
Admittedly I passed on using Win brass after the first few cases were shot with Tubb's recommended loads when I first got my T2K. One firing & the primer pockets were useless for reloading, but the fault was with the H4350 load recommendations & not the brass I think.
Best results for case longevity have been with the Norma 22-250 & the first batch of Norma 6XC brass I bought into; next up was the Gen2 Tubb/SSA stuff.
I had a new LR rifle in 6XC built up last year that - based on what you've reported - I just might work up a couple hundred Win cases for. It's chambered for the DTAC BN-coated 115 & I've pretty much settled on RL17 @ around 40-41 grains from the limited shooting I used it for late last season.
Admittedly I passed on using Win brass after the first few cases were shot with Tubb's recommended loads when I first got my T2K. One firing & the primer pockets were useless for reloading, but the fault was with the H4350 load recommendations & not the brass I think.
Best results for case longevity have been with the Norma 22-250 & the first batch of Norma 6XC brass I bought into; next up was the Gen2 Tubb/SSA stuff.
I had a new LR rifle in 6XC built up last year that - based on what you've reported - I just might work up a couple hundred Win cases for. It's chambered for the DTAC BN-coated 115 & I've pretty much settled on RL17 @ around 40-41 grains from the limited shooting I used it for late last season.
Wildhog or Jim,
The case with loose Winchester primers, try a Federal Primer before you discard. Then when the Federal primers get loose try the CCI. After 7 firings with Winchester I am at 12 with Federal and they still feel tight.
TheSwede,
I am not going to make any more mushroom free 6XC brass, I use the Norma Brass now. It is cheaper if you figure all the costs.
The case with loose Winchester primers, try a Federal Primer before you discard. Then when the Federal primers get loose try the CCI. After 7 firings with Winchester I am at 12 with Federal and they still feel tight.
TheSwede,
I am not going to make any more mushroom free 6XC brass, I use the Norma Brass now. It is cheaper if you figure all the costs.
Anyone have any experience with the 6XC in an AR10? I'm building one on DPMS receivers with a Bartlein 7.8-twist bbl., and was planning to use cases formed from WW 22-250 in it. Also have 500 of the Norma XC, but am saving it for a bolt rifle project in XC.
You mean like this one?
Actually John has built a few of them.
Mine works very well, but there are drawbacks to the AR10 platform.
This rifle is built on DPMS LR-308 receivers.
I use Norma 6XC and Remington 22/250 brass. The Win 22/250 brass I tried had neck walls that were too thin and I could not maintain the neck tension I was looking for. The big semiauto is hard on brass, even with the port moved out 4", I ended up using a CWS system as well.
In my rifle with the 107 SMK, I had trouble getting above 2850 fps with H4350, a switch to N160 allowed me to drive 107s and 105 VLDs to 2950 fps without pressure problems. The H4350 load actually shot incredibly well,including one 1/4 minute five shot group. The N160 load is consistently 1/2 minute, faster, easier on the brass, and I suspect it is easier on the barrel.
Actually John has built a few of them.
Mine works very well, but there are drawbacks to the AR10 platform.
This rifle is built on DPMS LR-308 receivers.
I use Norma 6XC and Remington 22/250 brass. The Win 22/250 brass I tried had neck walls that were too thin and I could not maintain the neck tension I was looking for. The big semiauto is hard on brass, even with the port moved out 4", I ended up using a CWS system as well.
In my rifle with the 107 SMK, I had trouble getting above 2850 fps with H4350, a switch to N160 allowed me to drive 107s and 105 VLDs to 2950 fps without pressure problems. The H4350 load actually shot incredibly well,including one 1/4 minute five shot group. The N160 load is consistently 1/2 minute, faster, easier on the brass, and I suspect it is easier on the barrel.
Attachments
Ken,
Nice rifle! Any idea of about how much I should expect to pay for a rifle just like that?
You say the gas block is moved OUT 4 inches? What length gas tube and fore grip do you use on that?
Nice rifle! Any idea of about how much I should expect to pay for a rifle just like that?
You say the gas block is moved OUT 4 inches? What length gas tube and fore grip do you use on that?
Swede, I was using the Lapua Brass in my 6X47L, but was getting verticle stringing, I only had Fed 205 and Rem 7 1/2 primers, the 7 1/2's strung a little less but verticle was still there. My friend Roger and I formed up some cases out of Norma 6XC Brass and that eliminated the verticle. Now that I have some cci-450's, I'll retry the Lapua brass. In answer to your question, I feel both are quality brass with good uniformity, my formed 6XC cases run 4 to 5 grains lighter in weight on average that the Lapua but are holding up to the pressures that the 6X47L is running without any failures. They have been fired approx. 8 times and still have tight pockets and neck tensions are still very consistant.
LeoHuhta
Gold $$ Contributor
I have been using the 6XC Norma brass on Molied 107 Sierra's loaded with 38 Grains of RL17 and they are working just fine.
I went to DTAC 115's BN coated with 40 Grains of RL17 and started blowing primers both loaded at the lands and .020 back.
I have backed off the load to 39 grains and haven't tried them yet.
Has anyone else ran into presure problems with the 115's ?
Leo
I went to DTAC 115's BN coated with 40 Grains of RL17 and started blowing primers both loaded at the lands and .020 back.
I have backed off the load to 39 grains and haven't tried them yet.
Has anyone else ran into presure problems with the 115's ?
Leo
I'll just say the rifle is no where near as expensive as a new T2K,somewhere around 1/2 the cost). I really would have gone with a T2k if it was affordable.Ranger1183 said:
The gas tube is about 19' long, I have been told that John makes them out of brake line tubing.
Leo, the DTAC 115 has more bearing surface than the Berger 115 and will therefore not tolerate as much powder before hitting max pressure. Try the Bergers, you might be pleasantly surprised. If you have a 1:8' twist, however, they may not stabilize, in which case the Berger 105 will be the highest BC bullet that is useful.
Mudcat
Gold $$ Contributor
Would agree that you will find that you can run a lot more powder with the Berger 115 than the DTAC for the reason German mentions. You may also find the 1/8 will stabilize the bullet, particularly if you run them fast enough. I have several 1/8 bbls that will put them straight into the target every time but I cannot get them to do better than 1MOA, no matter what I tried. With the 1/7.5, no problems...stable and accurate.
When I tested them originally, I purposefully tried to get them to blow up. I failed...not a single one let go. I even shot 60 in a row as fast as I could and no blow ups...these were really hot loads too,I thought the bbl was toast but turns out its still shooting very well at 300 and in). This same bbls has blown up bullets in the past too.
I would not hesitate to use the Berger 115s with the thick jackets if your bbl will run them.
John
When I tested them originally, I purposefully tried to get them to blow up. I failed...not a single one let go. I even shot 60 in a row as fast as I could and no blow ups...these were really hot loads too,I thought the bbl was toast but turns out its still shooting very well at 300 and in). This same bbls has blown up bullets in the past too.
I would not hesitate to use the Berger 115s with the thick jackets if your bbl will run them.
John
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