I used to like Winchester brass, but recent offerings seem to have really slipped quality wise. I have a healthy supply of both 205M, ans 210M primers, and I just realized, that I no longer am loading the 210M for any other cartridge, so I can use them up in the Nosler cases.
Creedmore - 6.5
- Thread starter desjardo
- Start date
I used to like Winchester brass, but recent offerings seem to have really slipped quality wise. I have a healthy supply of both 205M, ans 210M primers, and I just realized, that I no longer am loading the 210M for any other cartridge, so I can use them up in the Nosler cases.
I've read that one of the problems some (one?) brass manufacturers had with 6.5 CM was prematurely loose primer pockets with large rifle primers. I think that's more likely a QC issue than anything specific to the 6.5 CM.
I don't recall which manufacturer it was, either.
I read one article shortly after the Lapua brass was introduced where the authors did a "torture test" to see how many reloads they could get before the case failed. I think they gave up after 22 load and fire cycles, with no primer pocket issues. I'd be happy to get 10-12 reloads from my brass, I anneal after every 4 cycles.
What is the typical failure mode for 6.5 Lapua brass, anyway? Surely some members here have had case failures.
Some calibers seem prone to split necks, for example.
I don't recall which manufacturer it was, either.
I read one article shortly after the Lapua brass was introduced where the authors did a "torture test" to see how many reloads they could get before the case failed. I think they gave up after 22 load and fire cycles, with no primer pocket issues. I'd be happy to get 10-12 reloads from my brass, I anneal after every 4 cycles.
What is the typical failure mode for 6.5 Lapua brass, anyway? Surely some members here have had case failures.
Some calibers seem prone to split necks, for example.
Primer pocket loosening up is my number one mode of failure on all my brass of the cals I shoot - all in bolt guns.
.223 PPU and Lapua (~25 reloads)
6.5CM Hornady (18-22 reloads) and Lapua (~25 reloads)
.308Win Lapua (not Palma) (22-25 reloads)
300WM PPU (15-18 reloads).
My routine doesn't vary much any more. I don't anneal.
With new brass, the first 2 - 4 firings neck size only with Lee collet die to ensure brass is fully fireformed to chamber. The brass usually lets me know when this occurs. I start to get a slightly snug bolt lift.
Then, Redding competition full length resize, bumping shoulder 0.001". Trim to length. Turn neck to 0.013" thick. Both PPU and Lapua brass seem to be in the range of 0.0135 to 0.014" thick when new.
From this point on, neck size and bump shoulder ~0.0015" on average (0.001 - 0.002") with Forster bushing shoulder bump die. Full length resize every third firing and trim to length. As the case work hardens, drop neck bushing by 0.001" to overcome springback. This usually gets move obvious by around the 10th reload. Shoulder bump and full length resizing might require a longer die time or second stroke as well. Yes, I know that this is what annealing does, reducing or eliminating neck area hardening, but the brass is pretty much halfway through its life cycle at this point and annealing does nothing for the slow but sure primer pocket loosening anyway. Sometimes I find a donut forming around the 10th to 15th reload and I do a second full length resize, trim to length, Lee neck collet resize, neck turning sequence.
.223 PPU and Lapua (~25 reloads)
6.5CM Hornady (18-22 reloads) and Lapua (~25 reloads)
.308Win Lapua (not Palma) (22-25 reloads)
300WM PPU (15-18 reloads).
My routine doesn't vary much any more. I don't anneal.
With new brass, the first 2 - 4 firings neck size only with Lee collet die to ensure brass is fully fireformed to chamber. The brass usually lets me know when this occurs. I start to get a slightly snug bolt lift.
Then, Redding competition full length resize, bumping shoulder 0.001". Trim to length. Turn neck to 0.013" thick. Both PPU and Lapua brass seem to be in the range of 0.0135 to 0.014" thick when new.
From this point on, neck size and bump shoulder ~0.0015" on average (0.001 - 0.002") with Forster bushing shoulder bump die. Full length resize every third firing and trim to length. As the case work hardens, drop neck bushing by 0.001" to overcome springback. This usually gets move obvious by around the 10th reload. Shoulder bump and full length resizing might require a longer die time or second stroke as well. Yes, I know that this is what annealing does, reducing or eliminating neck area hardening, but the brass is pretty much halfway through its life cycle at this point and annealing does nothing for the slow but sure primer pocket loosening anyway. Sometimes I find a donut forming around the 10th to 15th reload and I do a second full length resize, trim to length, Lee neck collet resize, neck turning sequence.
