switching brass, is there a need to adjust the powder charge

[rebs]

I am switching brass from Lapua 223 to Winchester blue bag 223, do I need to adjust the powder charge? I had problems with Lapua brass with donuts and want to start fresh with new brass. I read that Winchester in the blue bag is very good brass. If this don't work out I am going back to Lake City brass.

 

[Bc'z]

Yes.
I just pulled down 25 freshly loaded rounds, wrong brass for the recipe.

 

[Liven The Dream]

Yes..........................

No if you a prone to disaster .

 

[JimSC]

you can always do a water volume test and a bit of research on the comparative brass hardness of the 2 brands. Or go down a few percent on the charge and do a test workup Might just be me but I like to verify myself rather than rely on others opinions when it comes to safety. Opinions on equipment quality are fine but when it comes to safety do the Ronald Reagan thing "trust but verify"

 

[Murray Brook]

Anytime you change a component in your load it is always prudent to back off a couple of grains and work back up. JMO

 

[rebs]

I was loading 24.9 of varget with a 69 gr smk, so I would be safe to back down to 24.0 and check for pressure signs, right ?

 

[SecondsCount]

I was loading 24.9 of varget with a 69 gr smk, so I would be safe to back down to 24.0 and check for pressure signs, right ?

24.9 is still well under the book max of 26.0 so you should be okay.

I usually go down half a grain in 223 when switching between brass or powder lots but I don't typically load at, or beyond max.

 

[bugman]

measure case capacity, and do the math.

 

[rebs]

24.9 is still well under the book max of 26.0 so you should be okay.

I usually go down half a grain in 223 when switching between brass or powder lots but I don't typically load at, or beyond max.

Thank you

 

[RegionRat]

Welcome to the rabbit hole...

https://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/




223 is very easy in many ways, but at the same time it can difficult when it comes to F-T/R or BR level performance.

If you are having difficulty with processing Lapua brass at the necks and shoulders, I expect the WIN will eventually give you the same issues. The causes for donuts will eventually be the same between those two brands. Nothing wrong with exploring other brands since in recent times you can never predict what you will be able to get.

Winchester and Federal headstamp brass can have more than one version over time, and their quality has been both good and bad. There was a time when WIN brass was sought after in XTC but that changed.

Federal and Winchester have owners who have both run the Lake City facility at different times. Both Federal and Winchester brass have produced more than one version of their 223 brass (often all at the same time), so you should learn to track which dimensions and stats you like to be able to sort them out.

Good Luck and In for the range report.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I am switching brass from Lapua 223 to Winchester blue bag 223, do I need to adjust the powder charge? I had problems with Lapua brass with donuts and want to start fresh with new brass. I read that Winchester in the blue bag is very good brass. If this don't work out I am going back to Lake City brass.

As others have suggested, when changing brass, you should check your specific cases you have for their volumes and see what the difference is between what you've been using and the new brass, as you'll most likely have to make an adjustment to your load for the new brass.

This should give you some idea of the differences one might run into between different brands of 223 brass:

You are being redirected...

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

The Sellier &Belloit reference is not accurate from what I culled out of a batch of range brass, the SB was less volume PMC, Win and a couple different years of LC. So much so I threw them in the brass scrap pile.

 

[RegionRat]

The Sellier &Belloit reference is not accurate from what I culled out of a batch of range brass, the SB was less volume PMC, Win and a couple different years of LC. So much so I threw them in the brass scrap pile.

More likely that what you observed is just another instance of what I mentioned above about potential differences in WIN and FED brass. S&B has more than one version too.

At some point, several versions can exist from one brand, with the user being responsible for sorting out those differences.
Notice all the recent questions about Norma headstamped brass? There is no real requirement for brass to follow a tight design standard and when these bigger corporations add multiple facilities that make the same cartridge calibers, often there are internal dimensional differences as well as material and processing differences.
Good thing that you were aware and inspected your brass or you might have been disappointed.

 

[Preacher]

I am switching brass from Lapua 223 to Winchester blue bag 223, do I need to adjust the powder charge? I had problems with Lapua brass with donuts and want to start fresh with new brass. I read that Winchester in the blue bag is very good brass. If this don't work out I am going back to Lake City brass.

Doughnuts will happen, no matter who is the brass maker...

 

[rebs]

I never seen or heard about donuts when I was using LC brass. Maybe because I never heard about them and didn't look for them or because there wasn't any

 

[lotech]

Internal capacity is what makes a difference. I've found with four brands of brass (7mm RM and .300 WM), the difference in capacity was enough to require a change in powder charge. Often, weight of the case will indicate internal capacity, but the actual measured internal capacity is what matters most.

 

[JMA]

Last year I got some 257Wyb brass it was 23 gr heavier them my old brass glad I didn't just use my old loads in it.
I once weight a bunch of 223/5.56 brass the wegiths were all over the the place about 10 gr es
surpiringly the LC 5.56 were at the light end

 

[Straightshooter1]

Internal capacity is what makes a difference. I've found with four brands of brass (7mm RM and .300 WM), the difference in capacity was enough to require a change in powder charge. Often, weight of the case will indicate internal capacity, but the actual measured internal capacity is what matters most.

. . . and it's not just about differences between brands, there can be substantial differences between lots of a particular brand. Like we can see is this chart from Peterson Cartridge Co.: