What brass?

Lapua brass is considered the gold standard for competition shooters. Weight variances are very small, flashholes are drilled accurately and their annealing process gives the correct hardness profile. Lapua brass is simply the best currently available.

Naming the best primer is not so easy. CCI, Federal and other match primers all give excellent results with the CCI primers able to withstand somewhat higher pressures. Experimenting with your load is the best way to determine which one works best for you.
 
Lapua is the standard and readily available. Fed primers also tend to be the standard for some reason. I know why Lapua is the standard but have never proven anything to myself about primers but since I don't think you will find a Fed primer right now it really does not matter, try CCI BR.
 
Although I often use other brass, Lapua is absolutely the best brass I have worked with. It is uniform, dimensions are what they should be, it is hard enough that primer pockets don't loosen prematurely (something that cannot be said of Norma).
Rifles often show a marked preference for one type of primer over others and it pays to test a variety then stock up on the best performer for your rifle. Regards, Bill.
 
Tried Norma, Nosler, and Lapua is still hands down my choice.

Keep in mind lots of folks have no problems with WW brass as well. May take a little bit of sorting and prep work.

Biggest thing with Lapua brass is you should get more use from the brass before replacing it.
 
dizzy dan 1
"Norma here Had some Lapua & I gave it away. DAN">>>

I'm curious Dan, what was the problem with the Lapua brass?
 
Quality brass


Lapua, Nosler and Norma. I don't have much experience with RWS, but they seem to be another good brand.

Win, Rem and Fed ......... no in the same playing field I'm afraid. Quality tends to be poor which means if your trying to hand select/prep qaulity your wastage will be high ......... so why by it. Great stuff for shooting at barns 100 yds away... LOL.
 
Toss in another vote for Lapua, simply the best out there right at present. Norma is good brass, but is a bit "soft", which limits it's usable life if you are loading warm at all. Regards, Eagleye.
 
Been using alot of Win brass in various cals and they have worked very well for me. My F class rifles do shoot in the 1's and 2's so see no real disadvantage to using Win brass.

I have also had great success with Fed GM in 308 and 30-06 but now all gone.

Rem is working great in my 7RM but doesn't handle the toasty loads as well as the Win and Fed GM brass. PMC in the 30-06 I tried was soft.

After fireforming, I do skim the necks to clean up 70 to 80%. Just get rid of any high spots. Of course, trimming if necessary. usual flash hole deburing. I never grind out the primer pockets. I use a lee collet neck sizing die whenever it is available.

Case volumes have always been held to tight tolerances when using brass from the same lots. That is what matters to me. I don't weigh my brass as it doesn't represent case volume very well. I rarely have to cull brass from the same lot. Usually 48+ out of every bag makes it into my loads.

I use Win 308 brass in my 6.5 Mystic rifles. Most of the brass have lived through 20+ firings at toasty pressures. Pockets are still near orig tight and have not lost one yet to head separation or neck splits. I do bump the shoulders slightly with a Redding die to ensure positive chambering and necks are sized using a Lee collet die. Some brass have been annealed once and that seems to help over the long haul.

All yield near zero runout (within the error in my dial indicator) That's match enough for me. I have used both Lapua and Norma. Norma will not handle the beating. Lapua does take a pounding but no more so then the Win I am using.

Jerry
 
Good to see Jerry come to the plate for North American brass. Winchester is very good and probably the most consistant of the American brands. Flashholes are a bit ragged but a little work solves that problem. Most of us will need nothing better. Lapua and RWS, if you can find it, are the very best Europe has to offer. Norma is usually over rated and is very expensive.
 
A number of top ranking LR US shooters use Win brass with excellent results. For a match rifle, you are going to test your brass under fire anyways so why not start with easier to get, way less expensive, very durable brass.

Fed brass is usually poo poo'ed but ask any 308 shooter what is some of the most accurate factory ammo they can use and the Fed GM ammo comes up every single time.

Brass is the last area that needs to be tweaked in an accurate load. primers, powders, and bullets have a far greater impact.

I have even made very decent shooting ammo using LC 30-06 pull down brass. You talk about wacky brass - this is it. But a bit of neck turning, trimming and deburring, had them shoot sub 1/2 MOA in hunting rifles and in a 6.5 -06. Not bad at 15cents per piece "brand new" - dated 1969. Good stuff.

Primers for me are CCI BR2 and BR4, Fed 210M in reg cases. Fed 215M in all magnum cases.

The CCI primers will handle way more pressure then the Fed before showing pressure signs. however, some loads/rifles just like the Fed ignition. Give it what it likes.

Jerry
 
Have tried them both and definately preffer Lapua. Note that the load datta can differ greatly between the two when aproaching max loads. Loads safe in Lapua brass will be way too hot for Norma.
 
Brass

For me the only choice is Lapua, and CCI BR primers, I only use Norma when the Cal I want is not available in Lapua.

There are good suppliers of Lapua here on this board so availability in Canada is not a question. I realize that Winchester brass can be preped to be as good as Lapua, but for me when time is limited I prefer to just use the Lapua and not bother trying to bring Winchester up to spec.
 
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