Who makes the best brass?
- Thread starter sbirm
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
First we should define what is meant by the best. Lets say for the sake of argument that the best is consistent in weight and dimensions, it is concentric, has a reasonable life expectancy, it is easily available, and can be purchased at an affordable price. At the present time I would vote Winchester as the best .30/06 brass for North American shooters.
Yup, Lapua makes outstanding, though expensive, brass. If you're serious about hunting / shooting, it is worth the extra cost.
Mighty Peace
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Land of the Mighty Peace
Norma brass is good too
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
While there is no doubt about the quality of Lapua brass, it's cost is comparitively prohibitive, and Winchester brass can be tweaked to make it equally consistant. I have not found that Lapua brass lasts any longer than Winchester brass when loaded to equal pressure. If you want out of the box match brass, Lapua is king.
Lapua is supremely consistent, in all of the 3 different flavors of it I've seen/handled personally (223, 308, and 7.62x39). So long as Lapua makes brass for the caliber in question, I will never shoot Remchester brass again (other than plinking loads).
Also, since when is Lapua all that expensive? Last I looked Remchester brass was about $25 per 50 for 308 Win. That's $50 a hundred, vs the $68 or so a hundred I paid for my last batch of Lapua. Come on -- I'm at least as stingy/cheap as the next guy, but come on, $18 is not even worth considering when you figure you should get a bare minimum of 1,000 rounds down-range out of 100 count of 308 brass. Likewise when I purchased my 7.62x39 brass -- only a few dollars more than Winchester, and wow, is it ever FAR superior to the Winchester 7.62x39 brass.
If there was a monster price difference, I can see the problem -- but when first class is only a very few dollars more than flying coach -- I'm going first class, thanks.
Also, since when is Lapua all that expensive? Last I looked Remchester brass was about $25 per 50 for 308 Win. That's $50 a hundred, vs the $68 or so a hundred I paid for my last batch of Lapua. Come on -- I'm at least as stingy/cheap as the next guy, but come on, $18 is not even worth considering when you figure you should get a bare minimum of 1,000 rounds down-range out of 100 count of 308 brass. Likewise when I purchased my 7.62x39 brass -- only a few dollars more than Winchester, and wow, is it ever FAR superior to the Winchester 7.62x39 brass.
If there was a monster price difference, I can see the problem -- but when first class is only a very few dollars more than flying coach -- I'm going first class, thanks.
I was surfing the net last night and come across a site with a chart that took a bunch of brands and reloaded them till destruction with pictures and measurements. I should have copied it Norma is The Best !!! I will see if I can find it later. PS Winchester was some where in the middle
Norma is The Best !!! I will see if I can find it later. PS Winchester was some where in the middleStarscream
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Considering brand new reminton brass runs $40 per 50 for Lapua (that's how for unfired brass), it's actually a decent deal. Lapua around here runs about $70 / 100. Once fired goes for infinitely cheaper but that's always a given.
Truth be told, if we're talking brand new components, loading Lapua brass and 168 gr Sierra Matchkings is actually cheaper then loading remington 120 gr Power Soft Points and remington brass.
Fancy that eh? Cheaper to buy top quality then bulk.
