Lapua .223 brass

[dbaird]

I have access to 400+ Lapua brass (older Gold box)-If I am going to get a .223 built, what neck diameter should I get it chambered for?It has been suggested that I get a .250" N.D. Any thoughts as I am not sure what the thickness will be of the necks of this brass?

 

[watercam]

Load a round and measure the diameter of the neck with a bullet installed. Add about .003". That would be a minimum chamber neck diameter. Or measure the thickness of the neck brass. Double that measurement and add .224" (bullet diameter) + .003" (clearance).

 

[areaone]

250 neck will not work on lapua., try 252 minimum, 253 would be better. 250 will work with winchester brass. SAAMI is .255 I believe.

 

[rocketron]

250 neck will not work on lapua., try 252 minimum, 253 would be better. 250 will work with winchester brass. SAAMI is .255 I believe.

good advice on the lapua brass. average loaded round is .2495 on mine.

 

[308sako]

My Gold boxed Lapua has a loaded round neck diameter of .2475" I would recommend the .250/.251 area if you are looking for extreme accuracy. Most all of my other brands come in thinner.

 

[Shynloco]

dbaird,
As an aside, I discovered that with my last purchase of Lapua 6mm brass (some 6 months ago), the brass thickness was not as thick as before, by some .002. Now I use Lapua brass exclusively in several different calibers and still have brass from purchases more than 2 years ago, including the Gold box you mentioned. I say this only because you might be in for s surprise if Lapua has reduced the thickness of ALL THEIR BRASS which means you could be in for a bit of a surprise in future purchases of .223 brass. Might want to get hold of Kevin Thomas, Lapua Rep, or any of the other Lapua Reps who also posts on this blog for further scoop. Info only.

 

[wapiti25]

Buy the brass, measure the neck's then have the chamber cut. You could turn the necks to use several brands of brass.

 

[fdshuster]

My older PTG 223 reamer was setup with a .253" chamber neck diameter, for the Lapua brass that was available at that time. No outside neck turning required with a loaded round neck diameter of .250".

My loaded round neck diameters with Winchester, Lake City, etc. is anywhere from .247" to .245" for really thin neck walls, so a lot of slop there. Tough to get a chamber neck diameter using brass with thicker necks, like Lapua, and thinner necks of others. My .253" chamber is used with Lapua brass only, sizing with a .248 neck bushing, so I'm working the brass a maximum of .005"/ .0025" per side, one of the reasons my Lapua brass has 18 to 20 reloads with no loss to neck splits.

As others have said, buy the brass you intend to use, take measurements & spec the reamer about .003" larger.

 

[Scott Harris]

My Lapua brass measures .013 with loaded round at .250. Get a SAAMI minimum .253 neck and be done with it.