pressure difference between brass
- Thread starter FLUXCORE
- Start date
that would depend on the thickness of the case walls and the weight of the brass. There should be little or no difference if you stay within prescribed loads. There are so many variables that create pressure. The minute differences in commercial brass are almost inconsequential. Milsurp brass is another story.
That has not been my experience at all.I have found Winchester brass to be lighter and have a larger interior volume which translates to less pressure with a given load.If you are already at the maximum load for your gun,the difference in brass can be significant.I have had to reduce powder charges by a full grain and sometimes even more when changing brass.
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
with my 30-06 and 6.5x55 i've found federal brass has slightly less case capacity than remington or norma
- Location
- a foxhole 3 miles behind enemy lines
I overheard at the gun store (Reliable) the other day that Winchester brass has thinner case walls than Federal brass. This mean higher pressures for Federal with same loads in Winchester. Try weighing the brass empty and compare to see the difference. I haven't tried it yet but . . . so I've heard
I think what Bearhunter was saying is that any commercial brass could be used with any of the loads given in modern manuals.
The loading manuals that many of us cut our teeth on, did not say what type of brass to use for a given load. For example, a typical listing would show, weight of bullet, kind of powder, charge of powder, along with velocity and probably pressure.
Nothing would be said about brand of brass, kind of bullet, kind of primer, or anything about OAL.
I went for years without paying any attention to what kind of brass I had, and other handloaders of the day, did the same thing.
If, today, I was trying for great accuracy, or was loading the cartridges to higher charges than shown in manuals, I would weigh the brass and maybe adjust the charge, according to the different weight cases.
For ordinary plinking, and using standard loads, I would just ignore what type of commercial brass I had.
The loading manuals that many of us cut our teeth on, did not say what type of brass to use for a given load. For example, a typical listing would show, weight of bullet, kind of powder, charge of powder, along with velocity and probably pressure.
Nothing would be said about brand of brass, kind of bullet, kind of primer, or anything about OAL.
I went for years without paying any attention to what kind of brass I had, and other handloaders of the day, did the same thing.
If, today, I was trying for great accuracy, or was loading the cartridges to higher charges than shown in manuals, I would weigh the brass and maybe adjust the charge, according to the different weight cases.
For ordinary plinking, and using standard loads, I would just ignore what type of commercial brass I had.
Not all loads listed in all manuals,are safe in all guns,even if you use the brass listed in the manual.That is why the manuals include a disclaimer,and a warning to work up the loads in your gun while watching for pressure signs.
I have seen pressure signs while testing loads that were still below the maximum load listed,even though all components used were of the exact same brand.The most recent example for me would be when I worked up loads for my own 308win rifle,a 700-5R.Because my Lapua brass had not yet arrived,I worked up some 168 and 175gr loads with Winchester brass that I had on hand.There were no pressure signs showing at all with the Winchester brass,but when my Lapua brass arrived,pressure signs appeared at 1-1/2gr below the loads that I had developed with the Winchester brass.The velocity was also significantly higher with the Lapua brass which explained the pressure signs.
If you are using milder loads,substituting a different brand of brass won't likely cause you any issues,but if you are using maximum loads,it certainly might create an excessive chamber pressure issue.
Pathfinder
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northeast Ontario
I found a noticeable difference in between Remington and Winchester.....Winchester gets my money these days.
I'm switching over the brass from Federal to winchester as well as the load, 43.0Gr varget with a 168 Amax. Federal brass has been good to me I'm shooting 1.88" groups at 5oo yards with a velocity variation of only 18 (fps)! If the brass was easy to come by and the primer pockets never loosened up so fast I would never change, It took allot of work to find my honey load I hope I don't have to start from square 1
You can't just weigh empty brass to ascertain which brands have more or less internal capacity - you have to measure the internal capacity of sized brass, and then sort accordingly for accuracy. There is a loose correlation, but my (and other's) tests have shown that some brass has for example, more internal capacity than other brands of the same or lighter weight.
As for "pressure signs", that too has been proven to be notoriously unreliable. Some brass (such as Lapua) is softer from the factory, and will show more casehead expansion, extractor marks, etc. than other brands - at safe pressures.
I agree with what was said - that for commercial brass, published loads will be safe, regardless of what "signs" you might see.
As for "pressure signs", that too has been proven to be notoriously unreliable. Some brass (such as Lapua) is softer from the factory, and will show more casehead expansion, extractor marks, etc. than other brands - at safe pressures.
I agree with what was said - that for commercial brass, published loads will be safe, regardless of what "signs" you might see.
The strength of the brass is a factor in what chamber pressures are safe in your rifle.If the case ruptures,you could end up with a face full of hot gases and particles.I load according to how the primer pockets hold up,if they are loose after a few loadings,I reduce the load.
