Should I be worried about the brass?

[clunker]

I ordered some Lapua ammo from Midway because I wanted to use my birthday discount. Every time I have ordered multiple boxes from them before, the boxes have all been from the same lot. Not so this time. One of the boxes was slightly damaged and had been opened (#350k). The other had no damage, and the box was still sealed (#1520). Comparing bullets between the two boxes, they have significantly different meplat hole sizes.

I bought these rounds specifically because I want to use the brass for reloading after I get my equipment setup this winter, but now I am worried that the brass might be inconsistent between lots. Is weighing the cases good enough, or did I just screw myself by assuming I would get boxes from the same lot?

 

[mgunderson]

You didn't mention the sport or caliber. In general Lapua brass is fairly consistent lot to lot. Keep the ones in question separate and test for yourself.

 

[rammac]

Weighing cases isn't of much value, you should check the volume.

 

[JFrank]

I ordered some Lapua ammo from Midway because I wanted to use my birthday discount. Every time I have ordered multiple boxes from them before, the boxes have all been from the same lot. Not so this time. One of the boxes was slightly damaged and had been opened (#350k). The other had no damage, and the box was still sealed (#1520). Comparing bullets between the two boxes, they have significantly different meplat hole sizes.

I bought these rounds specifically because I want to use the brass for reloading after I get my equipment setup this winter, but now I am worried that the brass might be inconsistent between lots. Is weighing the cases good enough, or did I just screw myself by assuming I would get boxes from the same lot?

I would keep them separate, note any different in accuracy and weight. Check volume if you know how"
Unless you're competing at a top level I wouldn't worry to much.
They will make good test brass while you're learning to resize.

Guffey scrounges range brass" if you don't want them send them his way

 

[Homerange]

.............
Guffey scrounges range brass" if you don't want them send them his way

Me too !
In fact all my Lapua has been left behind at the bench........thanks very much........please come again !

 

[clunker]

Me too !
In fact all my Lapua has been left behind at the bench........thanks very much........please come again !

Are you suggesting that people are leaving Lapua brass at your range for you to collect? Nice! The only brass (or steel) left at my range is worthless. I'm totally new to reloading, but I have been researching the art diligently. I have saved all of my brass since my first day ever shooting. I have 300+ cases in .223 from several manufacturers that are up for grabs. Not sure how to measure case volume yet.

 

[JFrank]

Are you suggesting that people are leaving Lapua brass at your range for you to collect? Nice! The only brass (or steel) left at my range is worthless. I'm totally new to reloading, but I have been researching the art diligently. I have saved all of my brass since my first day ever shooting. I have 300+ cases in .223 from several manufacturers that are up for grabs. Not sure how to measure case volume yet.

I used to save all my 308 FED gold metal match brass for future reloading.
I spent more time sorting and tracking ugh !!
finally bagged it all up and gave about 300 cases away" best thing I ever did..

 

[JMayo]

If you're competing for your first year don't worry about it.

You'll learn so much and next year you'll have your chit together better.
I buy from a local mom and pop so I can get special treatment !

If you're hunting don't worry about it at all.

 

[Homerange]

Are you suggesting that people are leaving Lapua brass at your range for you to collect? Nice!

Nice because some aren't reloading and/or don't know any better !
Nah, I have to scavenge it out of my scrap brass bucket at the bench and hope like hell it's all one lot.
Generally it shoots better than anything else I use.
If I can consistently get 1/2 MOA I'm happy and the Hornady, Rem or Fed I mostly use will do this but the Lapua is better still.

I do get given quite a few 20 boxes of empty brass and I've got a little stash of the better stuff tucked away that I pass on the odd box to those getting started in reloading.....seems better than dropping them into my scrap brass bucket.

 

[rammac]

A representative volume is measured by finding the amount of water that a case will hold.

Using your reloading scale;
Weigh the fired case, empty with the used primer still in the case.
Fill the case to the mouth with water, make the top of the water as flat as you can, a curved top will cause your numbers to vary slightly.
Weigh the case with the water in it.
Subtract the weight without water from the weight with water and the difference is the amount of water in grains.

The weight, in grains, represents the amount of volume. It's not a true volume value but it's a way to be able to compare the representative value of volume from one case to another. If you have new cases then you need to insert a used primer in the primer pocket first. Measuring the volume of a fired case (from your rifle) will give you an idea of the amount of volume that the powder sees when it burns. The case will be slightly smaller in volume after it's resized.

 

[Perk]

As High power director at our gun club we put on the CMP garand matches. Shooters would leave there 3006 brass and I would clean the range. Anyone needing brass let me know and we will make arrangement, Thanks Perk

 

[Ned Ludd]

I initially started shooting F-TR using Applied Ballistics 175 commercial ammunition, which came in Lapua brass. When I started reloading, I initially began with 600 pieces representing who knows how many different Lots of the Lapua .308 Std brass I had saved from the AB175 ammo. Over the next couple years, I won a lot of local matches shooting that brass, and posted very respectable scores. As has been mentioned, Lapua brass is pretty consistent Lot-to-Lot. I simply weight -sorted the brass. Although that it is not a perfect method for normalizing case volume, it will generally leave you with much more consistent volume than if you do nothing at all. I strongly doubt that any very slight variance in case volume will become a limiting factor.

For future reference, buy brass from a vendor other than Midway USA, where they don't necessarily provide all the brass in a single order from a single Lot and won't specifically do it even when requested via phone. It's the luck of the draw with those guys.

 

[clunker]

I initially started shooting F-TR using Applied Ballistics 175 commercial ammunition, which came in Lapua brass. When I started reloading, I initially began with 600 pieces representing who knows how many different Lots of the Lapua .308 Std brass I had saved from the AB175 ammo. Over the next couple years, I won a lot of local matches shooting that brass, and posted very respectable scores. As has been mentioned, Lapua brass is pretty consistent Lot-to-Lot. I simply weight -sorted the brass. Although that it is not a perfect method for normalizing case volume, it will generally leave you with much more consistent volume than if you do nothing at all. I strongly doubt that any very slight variance in case volume will become a limiting factor.

For future reference, buy brass from a vendor other than Midway USA, where they don't necessarily provide all the brass in a single order from a single Lot and won't specifically do it even when requested via phone. It's the luck of the draw with those guys.

I have been lucky with Midway in other purchases. Multiple boxes of 20 were always from the same lots, and this was the first time they were different. You point is well-taken, though. I was hoping to start with 100 cases from the same lot. When I start reloading, we'll see if there is a difference.

 

[Ned Ludd]

I have been lucky with Midway in other purchases. Multiple boxes of 20 were always from the same lots, and this was the first time they were different. You point is well-taken, though. I was hoping to start with 100 cases from the same lot. When I start reloading, we'll see if there is a difference.

You've been lucky with certain vendors, I get that. However, I typically buy 1000 pcs at a time. Given the amount of money 1000 pcs of Lapua brass typically costs, I don't want to leave the Lot# question to luck. As I mentioned, many online Reloading Supply vendors are happy to ensure all the brass comes from the same Lot# if you call them. For most, that is their standard practice, whether you request it or not. So I prefer to purchase brass from a vendor that is willing to specify verbally everything is coming from the same Lot#. My guess is that even in a worst-case scenario, vendors that ship more than a one Lot# in a single order probably don't ship more than two different Lots#. However, my [perhaps unfounded] fear would be that I would be the person that ended up with every box coming from a different Lot#. I would generally like to avoid that LOL.