Federal Gold Medal Match 6.5 Creedmoor brass

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bearhunter

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Last fall I came across a bunch of once fired 6.5 Creedmoor in one of the range brass buckets at our club's shooting table hut.

I couldn't resist the shiny stuff and took it home.

There were seventy cases in total, 20 Hornady nickel plated, 20 Winchester and 40 Gold Medal Match Federal

I didn't pay much attention to them when I put them in a bag and stored them on the shelf for a time when I might need them

That time came today.

I picked up a very nice ATA in 6.5 Creedmore from a fellow that found it online, last year and never shot it.

So, I weighed all of the brass to keep them consistent and the 50 GMM were at least ten grains heavier than the other two and there was a workable/shootable quantity.

Well, to my surprise, these cases had "SMALL PRIMER POCKETS"

Maybe that's why they were tossed???? Or maybe because some folks just don't like Federal brass??
 
I know Federal brass gets a lot of hate, but I think a lot of it is just people parroting what someone else said. I have used 308 GMM and lots of 223, and don't have any troubles. I do hate nickel plated brass of any brand though. Hard and scratchy.
 
Brass was likely tossed because the person doesn't reload.
I picked up 100 pieces of hornady 6.5 creed brass out of the garbage can at the range last summer. Whoever chucked it was nice enough to put them back in their boxes before binning them. Hornady brass isn't great, but it will work just fine for hunting loads.
 
kawicrash said:
I know Federal brass gets a lot of hate, but I think a lot of it is just people parroting what someone else said. I have used 308 GMM and lots of 223, and don't have any troubles. I do hate nickel plated brass of any brand though. Hard and scratchy.
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I too agree with your sentiments of the parrot talk of what someone else has said for the most part.
Nickle plated brass is a royal pia as has been my experience when I was loading 300 Winmag.
Hopefully .22 hornet will be a better experience.
Tight Groups.
Rob
 
A few years ago I grabbed a couple boxes of Federal GMM for my new 6mm Creedmoor. The ammo shot very well (105 Berger) and the brass has been doing well with reloads. It is large primer pocket
 
FLHTCUI said:
I too agree with your sentiments of the parrot talk of what someone else has said for the most part.
Nickle plated brass is a royal pia as has been my experience when I was loading 300 Winmag.
Hopefully .22 hornet will be a better experience.
Tight Groups.
Rob
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I only use nickel plated brass when I'm desperate.

I wasn't complaining about the Federal brass. I've never had any issues with it that I haven't had with other name brands.

I find some lots of brass to be better than others and it usually depends on where it was made and the mix of metals used for any particulare batch.

I have several hundred each Dominion Ctg Co (Canada) 30-06/8x57/7x57/6.5x55 cases. Most of them have at least 20 reloads on them and are still viable.

About a hundred of the 30-06 cases have been reloaded, for the same rifle 60+ times.

They've all been re annealed several times and of course trimmed when needed. All of the loads used are in the 50k psi range, with the bullets the individual rifle likes.

Usually the only time they get a full length resizing is after re annealing, then trimmed to a consistent length if needed. Appx an average of 4 reloads between annealing sessions and neck sized only for three shots.
 
Ganderite said:
I just bought 150 pieces of 6.5 Creed brass for my ATA purchase. I specifically chose the small primer because I have lots of those, but am short of large.
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I have the opposite issue but I'm still good for the rest of my life.

Talked with a fellow this morning, on the phone. He had 5 x 5 x 1k box flats of CCI 200 LRP and wanted to sell them. I told him to put out an ad in the local paper or go to one of the gunshops there and see what they would give him for the whole lot. He called back later and told me the first person he talked with bought them all at $200/k. $5000 for 25k LRP??? Never thought I would see the day.

He knew prices had gotten very high and he could likely have gotten more if he sold them off 1k at a time, but he wants to take his wife on an Alaskan cruise as part of his bucket list so sold them at a discount as a lot.
 
I have about 30 ish nickel plated brass for the 7-08, and enjoy using them. No problems with them so far, and they are on their 5th firing. I wish I could find a bunch more so I can segregate the two 7-08 rifle reloads easier.

I picked up 200 rounds of 6.5 CM S&B loads with the 142 gr match king for when I finished putting my rifle together. Figured I would use them to try out the bullet, and get some shots into the new rifle before load development. Plus it was nice to use them for setting things up. I was planning on selling the brass after initial use, but decided to reload them instead of buying new lapua brass. They go to the tumbler tonight before I can put some loads into them to try out and compare them to the lapua brass I'm already using, but I imagine they will be just fine.
 
I'm probably telling you something you already know but that nickel plated brass cases need to be annealed just as often as brass cases.

Some people love them some hate them.


wallz said:
I have about 30 ish nickel plated brass for the 7-08, and enjoy using them. No problems with them so far, and they are on their 5th firing. I wish I could find a bunch more so I can segregate the two 7-08 rifle reloads easier.

I picked up 200 rounds of 6.5 CM S&B loads with the 142 gr match king for when I finished putting my rifle together. Figured I would use them to try out the bullet, and get some shots into the new rifle before load development. Plus it was nice to use them for setting things up. I was planning on selling the brass after initial use, but decided to reload them instead of buying new lapua brass. They go to the tumbler tonight before I can put some loads into them to try out and compare them to the lapua brass I'm already using, but I imagine they will be just fine.
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The small primer pockets allow shooters to get higher velocity and accuracy ( and pressure) out of the Creedmoor and 308, etc., but some people run into problems with the temperature changes as well.
I have some Lapua 308 Palma brass that I like for my match rifles.
I personally stay away from nickle plated brass.
Cat
 
bearhunter said:
I'm probably telling you something you already know but that nickel plated brass cases need to be annealed just as often as brass cases.

Some people love them some hate them.
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Yep, same annealing schedule as the rest of my brass, after every firing.


I am using H4350, with large rifle match primers, and I want to say 42.9 gr for my setup, (without looking at exact numbers) and right now 130 berger vld. This is from a 26" heavy stainless barrel.

If I was using small primer brass I would probably try magnum primers for it, but that all depends on your availability.
 
wallz said:
Yep, same annealing schedule as the rest of my brass, after every firing.


I am using H4350, with large rifle match primers, and I want to say 42.9 gr for my setup, (without looking at exact numbers) and right now 130 berger vld. This is from a 26" heavy stainless barrel.

If I was using small primer brass I would probably try magnum primers for it, but that all depends on your availability.
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I'm using CCI450 magnum primers and have several thousand on hand. The powder I'm using is labled WC852(slow lot) which at the time of purchase was about 2% faster than H450, which is basicly a ball form of IMR483/H4831 and the listed burn rate is right in between.

A much more recent powder whose loads seem to be interchangeable with this powder, in this cartridge, is Hybrid 100V.

I shot a ten shot sub moa group with it, just before the rainstorm this afternoon and at 100yds. All ten shots were the first, after factory testing

Very pleased with this ATA rifle. I love it when they come from the factory and don't need to be tweaked to shoot well.

The bullets I used were Hornady 129grn Spire Point Interlock. Good but definitely not match quality.
 
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Check flash hole diameter in small primer pocket brass from any manufacturer.

A .062" diameter flash hole may give ignition problems.

A .075" diameter flash hole will be consistent.
 
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