Comments on: Lapua .260 Rem Brass Proves Very Uniform

By: Mystic Precision

Mystic Precision — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:43:28 +0000

Ideally, you will just outside neck turn any brass to a set thickness. This makes life so much easier in the reamer and neck bushing choices.

With Lapua, you may find that the alloy is tough or “sticky” making turning a royal PITA. And because you will need to take a fair amount of to get to “normal” thickness, you may need to do it in a few passes.

LOTS of shooters use Lapua so it is not the end of the world but just a heads up.

If you want superb, give the new Norma stuff a try. This stuff comes in a pretty 25rds box with egg carton partition inside.

Expensive? You bet but how much is your time worth?

Norma/Lapua – same corporation so they thank you for your support either way

Jerry

By: Mystic Precision

Mystic Precision — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:32:21 +0000

Justin, see Gun of the Week #75. I have been beating on ALOT of Win 308W brass in my 6.5 mystics and 260AIs.

When you push a 140gr Berger close to 3000fps, the load is very hot no matter how you slice it. Brass lived just fine.

I found a more accurate node at 2900ish fps and that is where I left it. Got bags of still useable brass and a box full of fried barrels.

I think you need to shoot the stuff before thinking it “no good”.

If you have a brand preference, by all means, enjoy BUT there is alot you are missing out.

Besides, you can thank your Uncle Sam for allowing Win 308 and 223 brass to be some of the best stuff on the market.

Someone mentioned that more then a few rds are fired in these two chambers in your country every day?

I gave up on Lapua 223 brass along time ago when competing in F TR with the 223. Brass was way too thick, alloy way too stiff for this chambering to work as well as it could. Too much mucking about to the brass.

Win 223 on the other hand was near perfect out of the bag. A few easy prep steps and good to go.

Just because something can handle a zillion PSI’s doesn’t make it good. In fact, that which lets it survive those types of pressures may make it less then ideal in some competition set ups.

Ask some competitive Palma or FTR shooters about Win “lite” brass. Maybe they will talk,…. maybe they will not

Besides, I have yet to find a common powder that shot consistently well over magnum pressures.

YMMV.

Jerry

By: Jim See

Jim See — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:45:45 +0000

I have a .294″ neck reamer since before the Lapua brass came out. Shoots sub 1/3 moa at 600 with the Winchester brass and has been used in a number of guns for 1000 yard f-o matches, and tactical type guns. Very tight fit on the Lapua 260 brass and has caused issues for some who try it. So be forewarned what your neck dia. may be in a custom barreled rifle. I am now asking customers what brass they will be using and this alone seems to be a tough question for some of them, based on availability of components.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:07:35 +0000

260 PTG saami spec,Lapua brass, some brass are sticking. Neck seemed to be too thick.I then compared a nolser .008 to a lapua there is 0.002+ in wall thickness difference. Even in the brass itself the wall are thinner on the nosler….saami reamer spec give .008 body diam. wonder why lapua are thicker.Unless I dont understand something. Having a neck thickness of .010 to .015 will be too tight for a saami spec chamber.
Correct me if im wrong!

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:09:47 +0000

I also like my primers not dumping after just a few high pressure loads. I have been using the same 100 pieces of Lapua brass for the last 940 rounds out of my 260 AI. About half of those shots were very high pressure. I also accidently over pressured them once which resulted in extractor marks. However, the primer pockets are still tight. Winchester would have been toast in either scenario. Final note, does the slightly higher capacity of Win brass actually create a much higher velocity?

By: Allen

Allen — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:37:25 +0000

Life is way too short for crappy brass.

By: Mystic Precision

Mystic Precision — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:55:32 +0000

Fireforming is a very important step for all the brass I compete with. I see a tangible difference in load tuning/accuracy with virgin vs FF brass.

Case necks on the Lapua are thick which may be a problem in some chambers but then we check all of this anyways.

I found the brass overly stiff and had to reanneal again for my tastes AFTER outside neck turning.

Anyone check the case volume of the Win cases? I bet you find them to be very uniform…. why they shoot so well.

Weighing cases DO NOT TELL YOU CASE VOLUME.

I do enjoy the Win case extra volume.

New Norma brass is also amazing stuff and may beat both of these brands for out of the box QC.

Enjoy

Jerry

By: lee gardner

lee gardner — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:20:52 +0000

measuring neck thickness with a caliper?

By: Sjoe

Sjoe — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:47:12 +0000

What’s does the .260 lapua brass measure at the neck when loaded?

By: Monte Milanuk

Monte Milanuk — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:14:48 +0000

Depends… whats your time worth, whats the powder and bullets needed to fire-form worth, etc.? The cost difference per package rapidly becomes moot. The sole saving grace of the Winchester brass as I see it is increased capacity – you can’t get that any other way.