Lapua 223 brasss?

[rebs]

Is Lapua 223 brass worth the price? Any pros and cons?

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

If you are using a bolt action rifle and want accuracy, then yes it is. If shooting an AR15, don't waste your money on Lapua. Auto feed rifles destroy brass very fast.

 

[nilebartram]

Yes if you shoot a bolt action or service rifle competition. Take care of them properly, anneal them. You can use the brass easily 20 plus in a bolt action. With a AR, like Nick said, "don't waste your time. If it is a AR with custom barrel. (Krieger) and you shoot service rifle competition, another story.

 

[ebb]

There are many that say in the past Lapua didn't make the 223 brass that they sell. I have no idea if they make it today or not, but have read that they do now make their own 223 brass. I bought 200 pieces when i built a 223 rifle years ago, i am not convinced it is any better than the old Winchester brass I also have dedicated to that gun. I've shot good groups with both.

 

[Bill Norris]

For a bolt gun I'd say yes it is. A R s tend to beat it up fairly quick.

 

[padom]

For a 223 bolt gun. Yes...I have maybe 1000pcs of blue box and some have 10 reloads on them zero issues still going strong..

For an AR...I shoot matched prepped LC or NEMO

 

[Rob01]

They are good but if you wanted a good brass at less cost then look at the Starline 5.56 brass. Around $33/100 and excellent. I bought 600 pieces from Grafs and it was $221 with shipping and tax.

 

[JackWagon]

I will put it simply, YES it is.

I get on average 15-20 loading's with Lapua in my bolt gun's (I anneal every firing) and the primer pockets are still tight. For me the next best was Starline 5.56 brass but not quite as consistent. Most of the others I only get 5-6 firings before I start finding loose primer pockets so do the math.

Long term, Lapua wins hands down.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Is Lapua 223 brass worth the price? Any pros and cons?

Most would say yes for the pro, the con would be probably the cost.
rebs, you asked practically this same question in September of '21. You received some pretty good answers. jepp2 did a good torture test on it in a gas gun. However I skipped the Lapua. 223 brass for 600 yard f class and went with what Rob01 suggested, 556 Starline. So far the Starline is doing good for me.

 

[searcher]

You didn't mention what you were using it for - so you are getting a lot of different answers. If you use it in an A/R - it is no better that Lake City military brass that has been uniformed - and won't last any longer. In a bolt gun - it will tend to be more accurate and will last a long time - enough so to make the cost of it no more than any other brass in the long run. If you don't like doing a ton of brass prep (truing necks, leveling primer pockets, etc.), the Lapua will generally be found to need much less of it than many other brands.

 

[whatsupdoc]

My bolt 223 shot in the .3's with Lapua brass and Berger 75's, switched to Starline brass
now my rifle shoots in the .3's with Starline brass and Berger 75's.

 

[Laurie]

Lapua used to be really hard & last a long time. It was a good return on investment.
I don't know about the new blue box stuff, and hold no confidence in the company of late..

I'd say today's Lapua 223 is as well made (weight and neck thickness consistency) as it's ever been, and possibly better. It's also very hard brass indeed, but you can soon junk any make of 223 brass in a strong bolt-action by loading it up to the highest pressure it'll safely take.

What you do have to watch with Lapua is that due to its weight/wall thickness it doesn't have as high a capacity as some makes and this has a noticeable effect on loads and pressures in such a small case.

 

[xswanted]

Is Lapua 223 brass worth the price? Any pros and cons?

Yes.

I formed 223ai from Lapua 223 brass and have run some of it over 25 firings with pretty stout loads.

Still works fine, still has primer pockets that aren’t too loose.

 

[karrarararararar]

They are good but if you wanted a good brass at less cost then look at the Starline 5.56 brass. Around $33/100 and excellent. I bought 600 pieces from Grafs and it was $221 with shipping and tax.

Even cheaper if you buy direct from Starline. .24-.30 each depending on quantity. It's listed as backordered, but I ordered 500 two nights ago and it shipped 12 hours later.

 

[Rob01]

Even cheaper if you buy direct from Starline. .24-.30 each depending on quantity. It's listed as backordered, but I ordered 500 two nights ago and it shipped 12 hours later.

Wasn’t cheaper when I looked on Starline before buying but maybe they are running a sale. If you buy more at grafs the price drops some too. I got it for $32.29/100 for buying 600.

 

[mikecr]

It's also very hard brass indeed,

Do you know the current alloy?
If it's C24000 (like Norma) I wouldn't take it for free.

C26000 is standard cartridge brass, and C28000, Muntz Metal, is brown box Lapua.

 

[hoz53]

What you do have to watch with Lapua is that due to its weight/wall thickness it doesn't have as high a capacity as some makes and this has a noticeable effect on loads and pressures in such a small case.

Yep I found this out lately!!!

 

[Ray123]

I don't use the 223 for competition...and only have 5.56 ARs... so No Lapua brass in 223 ever fired or considered..LC shoots good groups, and 1000s of rds of free brass.. found everywhere on the ground.
I actually ran a test... loaded 308 Lapua brass against random LC primed reject brass with match bullets & same powder charge. Results of two 5 shot groups was Lapua .3" LC .4" so 1/8" might be the difference in 5 shot groups in this small example.
I'm actually going to try a 6 twist in my new 5.56...soon...with new LC brass of course, and I expect good accuracy.

 

[karrarararararar]

I don't use the 223 for competition...and only have 5.56 ARs... so No Lapua brass in 223 ever fired or considered..LC shoots good groups, and 1000s of rds of free brass.. found everywhere on the ground.
I actually ran a test... loaded 308 Lapua brass against random LC primed reject brass with match bullets & same powder charge. Results of two 5 shot groups was Lapua .3" LC .4" so 1/8" might be the difference in 5 shot groups in this small example.
I'm actually going to try a 6 twist in my new 5.56...soon...with new LC brass of course, and I expect good accuracy.

I'm curious why you're going with such a fast twist rate. Not even Palma shooters shooting 90's run a twist that fast.

 

[Ray123]

I'm curious why you're going with such a fast twist rate. Not even Palma shooters shooting 90's run a twist that fast.

I'll be playing with 95 gr SMK for accuracy and velocity, in AR 15 altered mags and brass...already mag feed them in a 7 twist, and they were not stablized...hence the 6 twist. ...and find out how fragile some of the varmint bullets are at faster twists...already running a 3 twist in the limited 8.6 Blackout...where lead bullets will turn to shrapnel soon as they leave the confinds of the muzzle, and must leave off all muzzle devices when testing to see what bullets will make it 50 yrds at what velocity before exploding.
Kinda fun shooting a 338 shotgun, with 225 gr to 285 gr lead bullets at very close range in an AR10, around 500,000 RPM on the lighter bullets. Not every endeavor is target shooting...and So I machined some 300 gr copper bullets, (cause ya can't buy those sub types, always out of stock). Complete with grooves, boatail, point, and drill HP...didn't slit them in the mill with a slitting saw...yet..