6.5x55 brass, Lapua vs PPU
- Thread starter Joel
- Start date
When you add up the cost of buying brass, components and good scenar or other bullets. The prices that the match ammo is idk maybe because of the shooting comps in Scandinavian countries 2ish$ is a good deal. Worth a drive maybe for you to Ottawa/terso. Lots of info on using scenar for game on 24hourcampfire nice dual use bullet
Been surprised how well it works on game! Wouldn't have thought but all that evidence doesn't lie.
If I didn't already have projectiles and powder I like, I'd be all over that one in a flash.
Tesro's shipping is pretty cheap, if anyone wants to jump on that one. Like you said, its a good deal. Lapua ammo cheaper than Winchester, Federal, Hornady etc.
Joel, PPU brass is OK for hunting but it tends to be quite inconsistent weight wise, which may or may not have enough effect on the accuracy you find acceptable.
If you plan on full length resizing the cases, without proper care procedures, such as annealing and only neck resizing, then keeping the cases separated for each particular rifle it was fireformed in, the PPU will last as long as just about any other manufacturers.
If you choose the PPU route, weigh your cases so that you have shootable quantities that fit into half grain or less categories. Then if you can't find enough for the purpose at hand, widen the tolerances to one grain and so on.
This just helps to keep pressures more consistent etc.
That's the beauty of Lapua brass. Weight and therefore case wall thicknesses are always very close.
PPU is cheaper because their tolerance standards are wider. That doesn't mean the metal used to make the cases is inferior.
I usually stay away from anything PPU, but then I'm not worried about spending the extra $40 by the time taxes are levied.
If you plan on full length resizing the cases, without proper care procedures, such as annealing and only neck resizing, then keeping the cases separated for each particular rifle it was fireformed in, the PPU will last as long as just about any other manufacturers.
If you choose the PPU route, weigh your cases so that you have shootable quantities that fit into half grain or less categories. Then if you can't find enough for the purpose at hand, widen the tolerances to one grain and so on.
This just helps to keep pressures more consistent etc.
That's the beauty of Lapua brass. Weight and therefore case wall thicknesses are always very close.
PPU is cheaper because their tolerance standards are wider. That doesn't mean the metal used to make the cases is inferior.
I usually stay away from anything PPU, but then I'm not worried about spending the extra $40 by the time taxes are levied.
Have a ton of reloads on ppu brass. Its always a fairly safe bet. Really like nosler brass too, It has held up well.
Depends on what your goals are i spose. I'm not a bench rest guy, I load in batches of common brass. They have all chronographed pretty darn close for speed with no pressure signs. Works for me.
Depends on what your goals are i spose. I'm not a bench rest guy, I load in batches of common brass. They have all chronographed pretty darn close for speed with no pressure signs. Works for me.
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What you're not telling us, is what it is you're loading for.
Modern or stronger action sporter or one of the Swede Mausers????
If you're loading for a milsurp, your method is just fine.
If you're loading for a modern action sporter that will easily handle much higher pressures, then not so much.
Loading for a husky 1640 and a custom m98. Throwing 100s at 3100, 129s at 2850ish and 140s at 2700. nothing real crazy compared to some loadings I have seen. If I try to push higher than that maybe ill get some more nosler or lapua. But I think 129s at that speed means a pretty dead deer.
Probably time to toss the RP brass. I do check it carefully but its got quite a few on them.
Probably time to toss the RP brass. I do check it carefully but its got quite a few on them.
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Joel,
For hunting I do not feel it makes any difference. I load both PPU and Lapua for the Swede. I find the weight of 95% of Lapus brass is around average +/- 1 grain. For PPU, 95% of the brass is within average +/- 2 grains. Quite often, I separate my PPU brass into two batches, used to reload 2 different bullets.
I neck turn all my brass. I always full length resize with 0.002-0.003 shoulder bump. The brass of both Lapua and PPU last forever, definitely more than 10 reloadings. I anneal every 3-4 firings on average.
For hunting I do not feel it makes any difference. I load both PPU and Lapua for the Swede. I find the weight of 95% of Lapus brass is around average +/- 1 grain. For PPU, 95% of the brass is within average +/- 2 grains. Quite often, I separate my PPU brass into two batches, used to reload 2 different bullets.
I neck turn all my brass. I always full length resize with 0.002-0.003 shoulder bump. The brass of both Lapua and PPU last forever, definitely more than 10 reloadings. I anneal every 3-4 firings on average.
Thanks!
I don't have an annealing setup yet. Really not thinking there will be a big accuracy advantage to be seen out of a Win 70. Or maybe there is...but not with me behind it lol.
If I can get 3-4 firings out of either that ain't too bad.
I load my Tikka T3 to 2800+fps out of a 22 inch bbl, using IMR7828ssc and CCI250 magnum primers, with 140 grain bullets. I use Lapua, Remington and Federal cases but not mixed together.
I use the same load in all three of them and all of them will shoot groups less than an moa. The thing is, each type of bass will put that group into a different point of impact from point of aim. Not far, but three distinct, tight groups appx three inches apart.
Your 1640 Husky should be able to handle more than you're putting into it quite easily, with slower powders. Same for the 98.
I'm not advising you to change your load, especially if you're happy with it. There isn't an animal out there that would be able to tell the difference anyway.
My Tikka just happens to shoot the best consistently tight groups with the present load I'm using.
mmile, why do you turn the necks on your brass??? Is the chamber so tight that this is needed???
After the first shot is fired, the necks are a uniform thickness and all turning them down does is cause them to expand more and stress more.
3-4 firings is a waste of good cases. I've got cases with over a dozen reloads through them and they're still going strong.
