Why do you guys rarely mention Sierra/Lapua target bullets?

[smoking-brass]

I'm with Erik...I use scenars 300-1000 yards...great bullets!!

 

[Laurie]

Laurie,

You commented that 150 gr 7mm Scenars create a lot of pressure in your rifle.
I am asking out of ignorance, but at one time 7mm in Europe meant a 0.285 bullet and here in the USA it is 0.284, what is the diam. of the bullets causing the high pressure?
I know military Mauser barrels in 7X57 are cut for 285 bullets.

Norm,

0.284" for 150 and 180gn models. A tad more on the 150's pressure ring, and just the tiniest shade above on the 180's bearing surface, but no apparent pressure ring on the couple of examples I've just measured.

 

[Bob3700]

Green box bullets do require sorting for bearing surface length, most of the 6mm stuff that I have purchased recently are factory pointed, my X counts are always higher with them. My BRX is killer at 600 yds with the 107s and the SLR is the same at 1K with the 115 DTACS. I won't be switching from them anytime soon.

I have shot the 105 vld and Hybred 6mms Berger bullets and they are excellent, but not up to the sorted green box bullets in my rifles. For the price of those yellow boxes, they should be.

Is some of the larger calibers, I do sort the Bergers cause they need it.

Just my .02 worth.

BB

 

[johara1]

Donovan, I just got some Lapua L's to try but when i checked the shank and pressure ring, i found them not to be round…… jim

Hi johara.
What did Lapua or there distributor say when you reported your findings to them? These are the things that really interest me.
Did the company/distributor reply to you with an explanation and an RMA number to send them back for an exchange on the whole order or WHAT? Where you satisfied?

Why bother, I'm still waiting for a problem with brass that split the shoulder on every one 3-4 years ago……. jim

 

[Erik Cortina]

Johara, why don't you shoot the bullets? They might just shoot lights out.

 

[johara1]

Johara, why don't you shoot the bullets? They might just shoot lights out.

Erik, I deal with extreme precision, I don't want put wear on a good or excellent barrel with bullets that are not the best. No big deal, i've went down this road before. …… jim

 

[mac86951]

sssshhhhh! it's a secret don't tell anyone about them

Ack, don't let the secret out!

for my .223, Sierras are my default bullet, I love the Lapua's but I can't catch the sales at the right time. I instead got onboard before a price increase making JLK the same price as Lapua. I'll keep my JLKs for now.

Bergers are the same. My rifle likes the Berger 77gr OTM better than the Sierra 77gr, but I'm sure if I sorted bullets I'd find the Sierra might have just a little more variance. If I loaded to measured batches, I bet I could do better with my Sierras.

Super SHHHH the 75gr Hornady when sorted shoot quite well too.

IME
Higher price means less sorting, lower price means more sorting.

-Mac

 

[dedeadeye]

Jim, many years ago when I was shooting short range I set a number of records with a PPC light varmint. One being a 200 meter record that stood for 3 years. The bullets I was using at the time were made by a gentlemen from upstate New York. Those bullets shot through anything. Some years later a friend purchase a very accurate bullet spinner and we checked some of the bullets I had left and discovered those record setters were very out of round. I agree with you it's best to start with the most precise available, but sometimes the best way to check them is SPIN them down a barrel. Roger Gower

 

[Erik Cortina]

Jim, many years ago when I was shooting short range I set a number of records with a PPC light varmint. One being a 200 meter record that stood for 3 years. The bullets I was using at the time were made by a gentlemen from upstate New York. Those bullets shot through anything. Some years later a friend purchase a very accurate bullet spinner and we checked some of the bullets I had left and discovered those record setters were very out of round. I agree with you it's best to start with the most precise available, but sometimes the best way to check them is SPIN them down a barrel. Roger Gower

This is my point. I once loaded 300 rounds for a big match, after I finished loading, I checked runout. I had .015" runout on some and the best had .010"!!! I was in freak out mode but decided to go out and shoot them and find out how they did. I shot 4 groups and the gun agged around 4" at 1,000 yards. I reloaded the 25 I shot (20 + sighters) and went shooting. I shot some of my best scores with that gun and ammo!

"You have to be careful with what you think, because sometimes what you think... is wrong"! - Andy Andrews

 

[Changeling]

I think that you are closer to the truth then some of the BS above statements.

Think about this: if you had a batch of out of round bullets how long would it take you to contact the manufacture and send them back for a refund or replacement?

Changeling

 

[johara1]

I think that you are closer to the truth then some of the BS above statements.

Think about this: if you had a batch of out of round bullets how long would it take you to contact the manufacture and send them back for a refund or replacement?

Changeling

I never was contacted again about the bad cases, it was a blessing now i anneal new Lapua cases before i fire form to stop the shoulders from splitting. So if i wait long enough i'll figure out what to do with the bullets, may even find some round ones. 500 bullets is nothing, but when you get 2-3000 that are junk that does get my attention. …….. jim

 

[Erik Cortina]

I think that you are closer to the truth then some of the BS above statements.

Think about this: if you had a batch of out of round bullets how long would it take you to contact the manufacture and send them back for a refund or replacement?

Changeling

I never was contacted again about the bad cases, it was a blessing now i anneal new Lapua cases before i fire form to stop the shoulders from splitting. So if i wait long enough i'll figure out what to do with the bullets, may even find some round ones. 500 bullets is nothing, but when you get 2-3000 that are junk that does get my attention. …….. jim

Jim, you were trying to fireform into Dasher without annealing and blamed it on the brass when it split? I see now. :-\

 

[Raythemanroe]

Should you anneal the first time out when fire forming?



Ray

 

[Erik Cortina]

Should you anneal the first time out when fire forming?



Ray

Yes, especially if you are going to push the shoulder out ~.100" and change the shoulder angle to 40°

 

[LRPV]

Aren't Lapua 6br brass annealed to perfection out of the box? Since it seems a lot of people judge there personal results by how closely the colors they get resemble new Lapua brass I always assumed that it was.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Aren't Lapua 6br brass annealed to perfection out of the box? Since it seems a lot of people judge there personal results by how closely the colors they get resemble new Lapua brass I always assumed that it was.

I'm not a metallurgy expert, but when I get my brass, I expand it, turn it, anneal it, and finally fireform it. I have had not problems splitting cases ever. I do mainly .284 Shehane, but have also done 6BRX and 6 Dasher.

 

[LRPV]

Yea, I've been annealing the last couple of years too but I didn't always. It sure can't hurt. Not sure how this thread went from the what/where/why of bullets to annealing but oh well.

To the bullet point, With the groups being shot in 600/1000 yd benchrest, do yourself a favor and buy the best bullets you can.

 

[Changeling]

You guys shoot a lot more than I do but but I have been fire forming brass for a long time basically making 6mm AI, 280 AI and such. I usually just use anneal the brass load and fire with some split necks and head separations.
However I watched my old gunsmith make lots of brass and blow out the cases.

If he was pushing the shoulder out, changeling taper, different degree shoulder (like dasher) he always annealed the cases first.
Back then brass and bullets didn't cost like a new set of tires!

Now we both used Winchester brass because Remington brass had more of a tendency to split cases, necks and head separate. I have no experience with Lapua brass yet.

However if Jim's brass is neck splitting that bad, just try annealing before fire forming, wouldn't hurt!
The way companies are these days WHO knows if Lapua annealed them correctly!

 

[Erik Cortina]

The way companies are these days WHO knows if Lapua annealed them correctly!

How are companies these days?

 

[Changeling]

To answer your question: When companies get pushed, as is going on now and for some time there observations and product control starts to diminish and loose sight of direction and order.
With some companies GREED steps in and push comes to shove, harder and harder till the consumers of that product become tired and uncomfortable believing in it any more and it migrate to other similar products.

It is the same regardless of the product. FACT!