Lapua 223 brass?

[Ackleyfan]

Dimensionally is there a big difference between Lapua brass and winchester?

Have heard that Lapua is a little longer from the base to shoulder datum line than Winchester any truth to this? thanks!

 

[Larryh128]

All brass is manufactured to SAMMI specs, any difference would be very minute & after it's fired, will be the dimension of your chamber which is also a different size. It doesn't matter whose brass it is, new brass will fit every standard chamber.

 

[jasonf]

Dimensionally is there a big difference between Lapua brass and winchester?

Have heard that Lapua is a little longer from the base to shoulder datum line than Winchester any truth to this? thanks!

In my experience the Lapua was more consistent and fell within the range of the Winchester dimensionally. Volume appears to be very close too. I worked up my loads again when switching from Win to Lap and ended up at the same charge weights - YMMV so do work up again.

 

[SS427]

If you use bushing dies you will need a different bushing when you go from one to the other. Lapua and
Winchester have different neck wall thickness. Never noticed any other dimension difference.

 

[Ackleyfan]

I appreciate the imput...thanks guys!

 

[dboyles]

I bought 500 from Midway earlier this year (lot P00537701) and these are my notes from sorting it:

- headspace looks good; about .002" below SAAMI min
- neck diameters look really good: 0.2487" +/- .0005"
- from experience, a .249" Redding bushing will give this same neck size

I guess I got bored and checked them for concentricity, putting them into "soft reject" piles and "hard reject" piles. The soft rejects have a neck concentricity of .002-.0025" (measured on a Sinclair gauge) and I'll use them for foulers/sighters and whatnot. I've got about 60 of those cases out of the batch of 500. I only had 5-10 that met the "hard reject" threshold of .0025-.003" out-of-roundness.

I've had a few hundred rounds from a previous lot that were similarly well-dimensioned and with little variance between cases. Good stuff.

 

[1000yardstare]

I have never noticed any accuracy difference between Win and Lapua .223 brass in my MacLennon F/TR 30 inch 8 twist barrel with any bullet weight.

Only difference is the price.

But the human brain is a funny thing. If you think you will score better with a particular brand of brass, you probably will.

Bill

 

[lloydx2]

Lapua weighs 3.0-5.0 grains more than winchester. The winchester as of late has not shown to be of the same quality as in the past. Split necks-shoulders on first fireing. Primer holes not centerd. I have heard others complain about this also. I have been anealing new brass and seems to be working? Lake city brass is even lighter 3.0-4.0 grains than WW.

 

[SS427]

My last bag of 100 Winchester 22-250 brass had at least a 25% split neck failure on first firing. I assumed this lot got through the process without getting annealed, but maybe not.

I know after that experience I only buy Lapua brass now, provided they make it in the caliber I need.