What do you guys get on extreme spread from one box of Lapua 6mm BR? I just done half of the box and so far 125.4 gr to 128.2 gr that's like 2.8 gr spread... Also I sorted them by hornady headspace gauge and I got 3 different groups. Before Lapua I was buying Norma brass and it had twice less weight spread...
Lapua 6mm BR extreme spread?
- Thread starter LR_Shooter
- Start date
Well got them sorted, 3 groups 56 pieces with 126.3 - 126.8 gr, then 30 pieces 127.0 - 127.6 and 13 pieces 125.6 - 126.0 the one with 128.2 gr was unique and end up in the garbage.
Overall Lapua makes great brass, the extreme spread is only 1.3 grains!!!
Overall Lapua makes great brass, the extreme spread is only 1.3 grains!!!
I purchased 200 .223 and got more spread than I expected. +/- 3.7 gr. (92.8-96.5). about a 4% difference over one lot. Disappointing. I bought into the idea that I would have to do less with Lapua and will get more loadings out of it than my LC match or Winchester. I ended up sorting and put them into three groups and put about 20 or so fliers into my plinking stash (expensive plinkers). I did not do anything to the primer pockets or flash holes since they were very uniform. I trimmed to length and neck turned them.
People rave about Lapua, and I am sure it is good brass, but from an accuracy standpoint, the Lapua brass did not do any better in my gun than LC match or Winchester that is weight sorted, trimmed to length and neck turned. I did not see a dramatic accuracy difference on target or a narrower velocity spread on my chronograph. They say you can get 12+ reloads out of Lapua (I am at 3) which will be a bonus if true.
That all being said, there are people on this forum will say weight sorting does not mean anything so expect to get some passionate responses to that effect. I posted on this topic before and got put down for even sorting by weight. But a lot of people do it and feel it does matter.
People rave about Lapua, and I am sure it is good brass, but from an accuracy standpoint, the Lapua brass did not do any better in my gun than LC match or Winchester that is weight sorted, trimmed to length and neck turned. I did not see a dramatic accuracy difference on target or a narrower velocity spread on my chronograph. They say you can get 12+ reloads out of Lapua (I am at 3) which will be a bonus if true.
That all being said, there are people on this forum will say weight sorting does not mean anything so expect to get some passionate responses to that effect. I posted on this topic before and got put down for even sorting by weight. But a lot of people do it and feel it does matter.
Yeah, I know sort them by H2O capacity, well its going to get messy.., but I did fired few yesterday and had many fliers...
Lapua 6BR brass is about as tough as it comes. I shoot heavy loads in a Stiller Viper SS Drop Port and use CCI 450 primers to minimize pressure issues. I just shot a 3X1000 last Sunday with Lapua 6BR brass on the 18th loading. Tomorrow, I will shoot a 3X600 with the same rifle and brass, now on the 19th loading. Primer pockets are still tight and the brass continues to perform well. This rifle has fired a number of 100 yard, 5-shot groups between .100" and .125".
It is difficult to poke at brass that takes heavy loads for 20 iterations and delivers fine accuracy.
It is difficult to poke at brass that takes heavy loads for 20 iterations and delivers fine accuracy.
I think it would not last as long in my chamber.... :-\
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
WindSurgeon said:
Windsurgeon,
Not to be a jerk or to pick at what you wrote, but I'm one of those "accuracy freaks" who takes great care in the preparation of my brass each and every time I reload. And though this thread started with a discussion of 6mm Lapua brass, I also prep and shoot Lapua .223 brass, along with five other calibers for strictly accuracy and target shooting. Now I must say I have experienced a much closer spread of Lapua .223 brass, but where when one or two pieces were outside a 3% spread, to the trash can they went.
And your comment about not not doing anything to the primer pockets and flashholes, seems to counter the whole notion of making all casings as uniform as possible. That is an integrel part of accuracy reloading regardless what manufacturer's brass you use according to Tony Boyer and Mike Ratigan, whose books I've read and whose theories and practices I believe in. Therefore, when I get new brass, each pieces is not only weighed, trimmed (if necessary) and necks turned (if needed), the primer prockets are run through using a Sinclair Primer Pocket Uniformer along with a Sinclair Flash Hole Deburring Tool (only need be done once when brass is new). Now I know I have done almost everything humanly possibly to make sure each piece of brass I use is as close to every other piece in that group I'm going to shoot. But there is one other thing I do with each and every piece of brass AFTER it is shot, I measure the shoulders using an RCBS Precision Mic for any changes and again look for consistency in measurement or change with a no more than .002 tolerance (if any change exists at all) and then the brass gets the FL Die. Some folks advocate using the FL Die everytime you reload, a notion I do not practice since I measure shoulders, check case length in a caliper and re-run them throught the Primer Pocket Uniformer each and everytime the brass is shot.
Lastly, I guess I must fall into your "bonus" category with Lapua brass because I go to my local range weekly and have for a number of years. And I often take my .223 Savage VLP which shoots extremely accurately @ 100 yds even though my eyesight isn't quite what it use to be. And that "bonus" I get is that with my current batch of Lapua brass I just reloaded is ready to shoot for the 22nd time. I can honestly say that in shooting rifles for over 50 years, I've not been able to match that number of reloads with either LC Match or Winchester brass and I am not exaggerating in the least. I believe endurance and brass life is something those other two manufactured brass will not be able to match.
Just my thoughts. BTW, I'm on 19th reloads on the 6mmbr Lapua brass. Works for me.
Good luck and have fun no matter which brass you choose to use.
Shynloco
You can lead a horse to water, but ........
LR,LR_Shooter said:I think it would not last as long in my chamber.... :-\
Without seeing your brass first hand, I'd say that is a carbon deposit on your brass. I (along with several other 6mmbr guys who use Lapua brass) get in a milder form of that same residue after each firing. But I've been getting that type of deposit from the second or third firing and my brass cleans up very nicely. It has also not caused any issues with my brass as I approach my 20th reloads with this group of Lapua brass. Unless you are seeing other signs of deposit, pressure, or signs of eminent case failure,I'd say clean the brass and move on.
NO the carbon is from candle I just chambered once fired Lapua brass to check on headspace in my chamber.
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