Lapua 7mm-08 Remington Brass introduced for 2015...

[Matt in Virginia]

Gentlemen,
I'm likely late with this news, however, I thought you might find it interesting Lapua has added 7mm-08 Brass to their line for 2015. .300 Blackout and 8x57is as well...fwiw

Regards, Matt.

 

[maxpower]

Yes and still no 284, SAUM or WSM brass but they bring out 8x57 brass. How many people shoot 8x57 ?????

 

[Bindi2]

Lapua is European. Ask that Q in Europe and the Answer would be about time on the 8x57 and what is a 284, WSM or SAUM.

 

[Laurie]

Even so, 8X57 is a minor player even in Europe, and the European market is small compared to that of the US. (One of Sierra's three UK importers told me once that Sierra sells more bullets annually to its top half dozen US gunshop customers alone than all of Europe!) Even within that overall market, only Germany and Austria are significant 8mm users in sporting rifles.

I was discussing the new cases with a staff member of the UK Lapua / Viht importer's outfit earlier this week, and he can't see the logic either. In the UK at any rate, hardly any deerstalkers (ie deerhunters) use this cartridge and most users are Historic Arms collectors and target shooters, there being a lot of surplus 8X57mm Mauser service rifles spread across Europe. Without being disrespectful to Historic Arms types (I was one myself for many years), they are 99.9% gold plated cheapskates and they all buy and use cheap PPU (Serbian) ammo and brass where available. There are also still surplus Israeli 8X57 military cases and Portuguese (FNM) cases floating around from the days when they were widely available. Since the average K98 military rifle and similar is a singularly unpleasant animal to shoot with full-house heavy FMJ bullet loads, most handloaders keep their loads mild and brass lasts a long time.

I can only wonder if Lapua has got a contract to supply brass to one of the few European ammunition manufacturers which still supply high-end, expensive deer rounds in the calibre? I really can't see the handloading market creating many sales. (Still, who knows? Maybe German dealers keep telling their importer that there are queues of 8X57 shooters and handloaders desperate for high-quality brass? ??? ??? ??? )

 

[Laurie]

Lapua is European. Ask that Q in Europe and the Answer would be about time on the 8x57 and what is a 284, WSM or SAUM.

PS - and we in the UK at any rate know exactly what they are and there are more than a few users here. The more clued-in members of the continental European shooting family know them too especially target shooters, but I do wonder how many sporting shooters have adopted them.

 

[TonyR]

Yes and still no 284, SAUM or WSM brass but they bring out 8x57 brass. How many people shoot 8x57 ?????

I asked the Lapua rep here in the USA the same question a couple of years ago and he said that the SAUM/WSM cases would require them to tool up for a new case head that is not in their product line. This is apparently a very expensive addition. 8X57 might be much simpler. Not clear why they couldn't do 284 Win since they already do 6.5X284 except they seem to be able to sell of the 6.X284 they can make as it is.

 

[Laurie]

Not clear why they couldn't do 284 Win since they already do 6.5X284 except they seem to be able to sell of the 6.X284 they can make as it is.

Happy New Year Tony! I came to the same conclusion too a while back - since we're willing to buy the 6.5 and modify it, there's likely no great mileage for them in producing both 6.5 and 7mm versions.

You're undoubtedly correct on the short magnums too. Unless Lapua were to consider producing a whole range of magnum cartridge brass, it would be an expensive exercise for just two models. Norma has been making magnums for years, so could presumably justify the outlay - they have a good business too in contract manufacture with other company's headstamps on the brass.

It shows how important it must have been for Lapua to develop the 338 LM and invest in the tooling for it. The company has always been aggressive in the government / military ammunition business, so they must have believed a major investment in getting a relatively low volume job going from square 1 would be justified. (Of course, whether the company actually made a profit on it ........ ?)

 

[JabaliHunter]

I can only wonder if Lapua has got a contract to supply brass to one of the few European ammunition manufacturers which still supply high-end, expensive deer rounds in the calibre? I really can't see the handloading market creating many sales. (Still, who knows? Maybe German dealers keep telling their importer that there are queues of 8X57 shooters and handloaders desperate for high-quality brass? ??? ??? ??? )

I think that 8x57 is quite popular for boar shooting, but how that translates to a big market for Lapua brass I don't know

 

[JabaliHunter]

Truly one of the world’s great cartridges, the 8x57mm IS was perhaps the first incarnation of today’s modern sporting and hunting ammunition. When the cartridge was introduced in 1905, its innovative use of a high velocity and relatively light weight pointed bullet design revolutionized infantry combat. This caused virtually every army around the globe to redesign their own service rifles to accept similar bullets, merely to keep pace with this new development. An outgrowth on the original 8x57J military round, the 8x57mm IS round served the German military in both world wars, and became a popular sporting cartridge in any area where there was a strong German influence. From African plains game to European stag and boar, the 8mm Mauser has earned an enviable reputation as a big game round in a wide array of conditions. Accurate, versatile and powerful, the 8x57mm IS still serves the sporting community well for a host of hunting applications.

Finally, in answer to the requests of the many devotees of this fine cartridge, Lapua is pleased to announce our introduction of the new 8x57mm IS case. This new offering follows in our usual standards of unmatched quality, using only the finest materials. With cartridge brass blended to our exacting specifications and then drawn to precise dimensional standards, the new 8x57mm IS will deliver the same accurate, reliable performance for which Lapua cases are world renowned. This means tough, durable cases that will not only withstand repeated loadings, but retain their accuracy shot after shot. Offering very tight tolerances in neck wall concentricity and overall uniformity, the handloading community will find these new cases to be the perfect choice for getting many of these fine rifles back into the fields again cartridges, such as the 7mm Remington Magnum, the 7mm WSM and SAUM, this addition rounds out Lapua’s line for an incredibly wide array of competitive disciplines.

some background here in Lapua's press release.

I can't help but think that the last sentence is part of something that should have been deleted - perhaps an announcement that has been delayed, although it could relate to applications for the new 7mm scenario bullet? Who knows, but it doesn't seem to fit in the final paragraph.

 

[Laurie]

Very odd! (I too suspect it's part of an earlier press release for the new 7mm match bullets that hasn't been deleted.)

I'm glad to see the 7-08 brass introduction personally having just got myself a short-mid range F-Class rifle in the calibre. However, while starting off with Win unprimed brass and some factory Remington and Federal ammo, my intention is to reform and neck-turn small primer Lapua 'Palma' 308 cases for my hotter match loads. So whilst welcome, the new cases will likely be a bit redundant for me.

 

[dkhunt14]

Yes and still no 284, SAUM or WSM brass but they bring out 8x57 brass. How many people shoot 8x57 ?????

I asked the Lapua rep here in the USA the same question a couple of years ago and he said that the SAUM/WSM cases would require them to tool up for a new case head that is not in their product line. This is apparently a very expensive addition. 8X57 might be much simpler. Not clear why they couldn't do 284 Win since they already do 6.5X284 except they seem to be able to sell of the 6.X284 they can make as it is.

That is a logical answer but why did they come out 221 Fireball and 50 BMG last year.They would of required tooling. I would think a WSM case because of the amount of Benchrest and F-Class shooters and the volume of cases they buy would easily outsell those 2. Then you have a lot of guys building longrange hunting guns since they found out they shoot good to 1000 yards. When Norma comes into this country in 300 WSM it gets sold out real quick. Matt