Hey I tried looking around for an answer for this and couldn't come up with much. I picked up a 6.5x55 off the EE last year and was getting ready to do some load development on it soon but all I have is new brass. Is there much of a difference for load development purposes between brand new and once fired brass; and if there is, is it predictable? I don't want to waste barrel life by once firing a couple hundred brass, but at the same time, I would hate to work up a load only to find that everything I have done is useless.
Load development and brass
- Thread starter Milner
- Start date
It is ulnlikely that your load characteristics will need to be changed from fire-formed and non fire formed. Depending on the precision potential of the firearm, what you may find is that one type of brass produces slightly better groups, but I would not expect to see a huge difference.
I have actually found in the past that with a 6BR, brand new unfired brass produced some of the very best results.
I have actually found in the past that with a 6BR, brand new unfired brass produced some of the very best results.
Good to know thanks guys. I'm using Lapua brass but its good to know that this load testing right now will mean something when it comes time to reload again. I've seen once fired brass for sale for more than new which led me to believe there was some great advantage to using it.
If the "once fired" brass wasn't fired in your chamber, it means nothing. Likewise, if you are full-length re-sizing your brass, is does not matter either. "Fire-Fromed" brass is brass that conforms absolutely to your chamber. The differeence between the chamber dimensions on an old Swedish Mauser and a match chamber cut on a McPhee rifle will be worlds apart. (in fact you'd never fit the mauser case into a match chamber until after it had been resized) If you use brass that is neck-sized only, then you are truly using "fire-formed" brass.
If you have Lapua brass then you are good to go. Very well could be the most accurate loads you will shoot, with the virgin brass. All I would do is check the mouth of the neck to see if it is square, and the overall length, but you will likely find it is slightly short. It may not hurt to just touch up the face of the neck with a trimmer to get it square, but take as little as possible off. Chamfer the inside after trimming. Sometimes Lapua brass is a little tight in the neck, so it would not hurt to run the neck through the expander ball (but don't size the case).
Once fired brass is a poor choice if you want initial accuracy. The problem is that it has not been fired in your chamber. Better with new brass, and especially Lapua.
