Question for guys experienced with lapua brass. I am developing a load for my 308 tikka t3, Bone stock. All I have right now to use is nickel plated winchester brass, and a bunch of other mixed headstamps. (At least 100+ of each). I've read wincheater brass is shite...I can't say as I've never used it. But I can get 350 lapua cases for relatively cheap... $130(CDN) to my door...all reloaded 5 times, annealed after every shot. Previously in a rem 700 action, custom barreled prs rifle. The guy rebarreled and bought new SRP brass for the new rifle. I do not have an annealer yet, and will be loading it in previously mentioned rifle. Using FL sizing rcbs dies. Maybe this is too much information...maybe not but there it is. My goals are simple....have fun and shoot accurate ammo. For hunting and steel...100 new lapua cases are about $160 here...shipped to my door. Are the used cases worth it? Or am I over thinking not using the brass I currently have.
Used lapua brass worth buying?
- Thread starter Huntersuave
- Start date
Doug Beach
Silver $$ Contributor
Total crapshoot. Hard pass. Been there, done that.
Opinions of an old man here.
He's selling it for a reason. I'd pass.
Winchester red bag often has problems. Old blue bag brass is not as bad.
Used Win / Fed / Nosler or Hornady - YMMV
People shy away from nickel plated brass, and for the life of me I can't figure why. I load a bunch of 338 Edge in Federal nickel 300 RUM brass - they're on their 5th loading and I expect another 4 or 5 at least.
Lapua is great. PPU is also excellent. Norma, if you can find it. I like Peterson too, but some have seemed soft.
Some like Sig brass, but I've seen it in the bag with stains, so I passed.
I've had Sako factory rounds refuse to chamber in my Tikka T3 308. Seems it was short throated.
He's selling it for a reason. I'd pass.
Winchester red bag often has problems. Old blue bag brass is not as bad.
Used Win / Fed / Nosler or Hornady - YMMV
People shy away from nickel plated brass, and for the life of me I can't figure why. I load a bunch of 338 Edge in Federal nickel 300 RUM brass - they're on their 5th loading and I expect another 4 or 5 at least.
Lapua is great. PPU is also excellent. Norma, if you can find it. I like Peterson too, but some have seemed soft.
Some like Sig brass, but I've seen it in the bag with stains, so I passed.
I've had Sako factory rounds refuse to chamber in my Tikka T3 308. Seems it was short throated.
NOOOO...I have a 5 gallon bucket full of mostly Lapua 308 brass... how bad do ya want it? It's not worth carrying out of my garage. The primer pockets are loose, head separation is about to happen, they are brittle and some have been fired 40 times...Save your money.
I buy Lapua brass but I'm not a Lapua snob...
I buy crap brass on purpose 14 ea cents to my door, range pickup, then make 35 Rem, 8.6 Blackout, 358 winchester out of the 308 crap brass. It shoots pretty good.
I comparred Lapua to LC primed and dirty brass from pull downs.. bushing neck resized without the decapping pin...still dirty from bullet sealent crap on the cases...got the cheapest 15 cent bullets and old powder w748 $20 lb ran them through the AR 10 first 5 shot group .3" unbelievable so shot 5 more .4" also ran these just outside cleaned with the same powder charge as the Lapua cases in a target rifle... the Lapua cases won by .1" at 100 yds these were random picked no case prep loaded on a Dillion...except for the target loads ...LC uses the same neck bushing as Lapua no so with Winchester. So if you are concerned about 1/8" get Lapua cases...most shooting I do it doesn't matter if I shoot a .3" or a .4" group...especially in ARs So I use a bunch of crap brass and just ordered another thousand.
Plus an extra 500 45 Colt to turn into 44-40.
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
The difference is actually $325 [the $130 is for 350 pices, not 100].
So, the price per case is $ .37 vs $ 1.30.
For me, it would probably depend on whether I knew the seller => if we knew each other, the less likely the brass is already 'crap'.
Well, account for the following too:
Let's say you can get 10 firings out of a case.
1. Even though it is 5 times fired - it's 5 times fired in another chamber - will take at least 2 firings just to get to your chamber dimensions - 2 firings wasted potentially, leaving you with 3 firings (x350) = 1050 firings in total
2. New Lapua will give you 10+ firings if you look after it - so +/- 1000 firings (-200 if you also fire form).
So worse case, you have 200 less firings for the extra $30, but you know the brass history...
Anyone have any experience with alpha munitions brass?
Like what I'm seeing so far with the Alpha Accuracy wise. Just ran them thru with a mandrel, loaded and shot. Takes some effort to seat primer all the way to flush or below for sure, but that's not a bad thing. Only shot a few and haven't done a second firing yet. I have there 6 BRA brass. Was surprised velocity was right there with my shot Lapua brass with same load. .375" group right off with new Alpha at 100 yards. I'm not a bench rest shooter but do have a fresh barrel on a Kelbly action. Wouldn't buy used brass or a used barrel for that matter. I'm too poor to buy cheap
in your case, going from a custom chamber to a saami spec chamber the brass may just work.
the question is how long and what is the mix, is it all one lot from lapua or mixed ?
IMHO your best bet is to buy 2 boxes of 308 from the same lot, sort by weight into 2x100 or 4x50 and go shoot.
the question is how long and what is the mix, is it all one lot from lapua or mixed ?
IMHO your best bet is to buy 2 boxes of 308 from the same lot, sort by weight into 2x100 or 4x50 and go shoot.
jelenko
Gold $$ Contributor
Good point.
But, for PRS, does it matter?
JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
You have to laugh at what some do who refuse to do the things that are important.
primer pockets could be loose; case web could have thinned due oversizing, case head could be oversize because of large chamber, too many unknown variables. Maybe you should ask for a few samples to examine?
Well it only takes a badly adjusted die and the first resizing can line the case up for premature failure with head separation. Two more refirings with the same die setting and the brass could be on its last reload, even though the primer pockets are still tight and loads were only moderate.
6.5 forever
Silver $$ Contributor
This is a case of need. I would not, but my circumstances keep me well stocked. I quit reloading Lapua when fired 20 times.
Your circumstances could say jump on it NOW!
Your circumstances could say jump on it NOW!
Alpha is top notch
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