Lapua .308 "Palma" cases... just FYI

[DougMH]

I hardly know where to start on this except to tell you to give it a try. I think I'm a decent shooter with a decent rifle (see signature for rifle info) and consistent hand loading techniques and procedures. I recently purchased, in error, 100 pieces of Lapua .308 "Palma" brass. This brass uses small rifle primers and has a small rifle flash hole (which I discovered the first time I attempted to full-length resize it).

I'll try to make a long story short. I drilled out the flash hole to large rifle primer size, but otherwise my case preparation with the "Palma" cases was identical to the regular .308 Lapua cases. I used some CCI #400 small rifle primers that I had for my .223 rounds. For both Berger 155.5 BTHP and 185 BTHP (non-VLD) I use soft seating and my COL causes the round to contact the lands and push back.

I'm sure some of you shoot tighter than this, but my results for me have been the best I've ever achieved. At 300 yds, for 8 rounds of the 155.5's, 3/4" (.25 MOA) in the vertical. At 300 yds, for 9 rounds of the 185's, 1" in the vertical (.333 MOA).

I only have one theory for this. I believe (purely by accident) the combination of the small rifle primer and large rifle flash hole has somehow given me a more consistent powder (Varget) burn.

 

[Killshot]

Without testing how they shoot with Lapua's case design with the small flash hole, you'll never know if this is better or worse than it could be.

 

[Klong]

Either way that is good shooting!

 

[Heavies]

I have been thinking about doing this to my Palma brass as well. I have been having problems with misfires with full case loads. Th is is not in cold temps either.

 

[memilanuk]

Doug,

FWIW... I've been getting similar results with *unmodified* Lapua Palma brass - i.e. tighter vertical than usual during my load testing, some of it *significantly* better than my previous 'norm'.

I think the small primer at least is working pretty well.

Actually what I really wish someone would make a test run of is Lapua .223 Rem cases... with small flash holes. That cartridge needs all the help it can get to achieve low ES/SD, and I think that just might be the ticket.

YMMV,

Monte