64Rambler
Gold $$ Contributor
So I'm usually pretty attentive while reloading, making sure I've got everything sorted, measured, in the right place, etc. But last week I loaded up 50 or so rounds to do some load development with new bullets and powder. While shooting, I had a couple rounds that placed low and the velocity was a little lower as well, but not significantly - only a 1/4" low at 100 and 15-ish fps low and I didn't think tooooo much about it, but it bother me nonetheless.
Then while priming the next set of cases to continue load development I noticed a case that primed very different from what I was expecting. I mostly run Alpha brass, but also have 100 Lapua to play with, as there's a fairly strong camp that prefers one over the other. Franlky, I have yet to get groups as tight with my Lapua brass, as I get with Alpha -YMMV.
Anyway, for those not famliar, Alpha primer pockets have a pressure ring about half way into the hole and priming is usually something like Contact, Bump, Stop. Lapua primer pockets are smooth all the way in and priming is more like Contact, Sliiide, Stop.
While priming this next set of cases, I noticed a Lapua feel in the middle of all the Alpha feels. Hmmm... So I stopped priming took a closer look at the case and sure enough, Lapua. Then I looked much closer at the cases that I had just fired and found 2 Lapua cases - There's the low placement and velocity!
Glad I caught it, but it means that I missed these cases MANY times during the reloading process; sorting, depriming, tumbling, annealing, and priming.
Alpha cases usually have less volume than Lapua cases, and If I run a hot load for Lapua in an Alpha case, it could push things into a high pressure situation.
The spent primers pictured are Alpha on the left, Lapua on the right - you can see the indent from the pressure ring.
The cases are also Alpha left, Lapua on the right, and it is from one of my hotter loads, enough to make a swipe, but the primer was not flat or cratered. This load in an Alpha case would have resulted in a flat primer and a swipe.
Stay safe out there!
Then while priming the next set of cases to continue load development I noticed a case that primed very different from what I was expecting. I mostly run Alpha brass, but also have 100 Lapua to play with, as there's a fairly strong camp that prefers one over the other. Franlky, I have yet to get groups as tight with my Lapua brass, as I get with Alpha -YMMV.
Anyway, for those not famliar, Alpha primer pockets have a pressure ring about half way into the hole and priming is usually something like Contact, Bump, Stop. Lapua primer pockets are smooth all the way in and priming is more like Contact, Sliiide, Stop.
While priming this next set of cases, I noticed a Lapua feel in the middle of all the Alpha feels. Hmmm... So I stopped priming took a closer look at the case and sure enough, Lapua. Then I looked much closer at the cases that I had just fired and found 2 Lapua cases - There's the low placement and velocity!
Glad I caught it, but it means that I missed these cases MANY times during the reloading process; sorting, depriming, tumbling, annealing, and priming.
Alpha cases usually have less volume than Lapua cases, and If I run a hot load for Lapua in an Alpha case, it could push things into a high pressure situation.
The spent primers pictured are Alpha on the left, Lapua on the right - you can see the indent from the pressure ring.
The cases are also Alpha left, Lapua on the right, and it is from one of my hotter loads, enough to make a swipe, but the primer was not flat or cratered. This load in an Alpha case would have resulted in a flat primer and a swipe.
Stay safe out there!
