Help with new brass for 30-06 rifle

C

Cherrywood

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I own a Tikka 30-06 model M658 with a new barrel that the Hart folks made several years ago. I have never shot it and would appreciate some guidance in coming up with a proper fitting cartridge. Using new Lapua brass, should I full size 1st and load the brass to fire form them? Please set me straight on this. I would like to come up with as accurate a load that this rifle can handle. I know it's not a benchrest gun but wish to treat it as though it were.
Thanks
Gunny
 
if i were even considering trimming new lapua brass, i would full lenght size first.
as it is lapua, i think neck size and shoot the first time, and then do as much prep work as you want.
when done with all prep work weight sort the brass......my experience is that you should be able to pull a single lot of 50 pcs from a 100 lot box that is very close in weight. leave those above weight and below in 2 smaller lots.
you will probably have a couple of pcs that dont seem to fit weight wise....cull them and use them for dummy or fouling rounds.

mike in co[
QUOTE=lefty o;635098]i myself would at a minimum, necksize and trim to length.[/QUOTE]
 
What Mike says above is how I have been doing my Laupa 30-06 brass. I used a 300 piece lot and got several boxes of 50 each that were +/-0.1 gr in weight. Others I made in to 20 round boxes. I only had a few that were off on either end.

I have found the Lapua brass to be worth the extra dollars.
 
Thanks guys. I set a Redding FL sizer die just touching the shell holder and backed it off 1/2 turn as Redding says to. Sized one case and chambered it. Bolt was hard closing. I turned the die all the way down, sized it and chambered it with same results. Without a case in the chamber the bolt closes quite easily. Should the bolt close as easy with a properly sized case as it does without a case chambered? Is the Redding FL die set up to bump the shoulder? Advice please.
Thanks
 
I assume you are trying to use your Full Length sizing die to neck size? In my experience that does not work, it will still size the body of the case someplace and push the shoulder forward.
My experience with Redding dies is that adjusted against the shellholder won't size enough, you need to adjust it so that the press breaks over slightly at the end of the stroke. If that is not enough then take a little off the top of the shellholder by laying sandpaper, 400 grit, face up on a flat surface and rub the shellholder top in a circular motion to remove metal. It usually does not take much.
If you want to neck size it is best to have a dedicated neck sizing die.
 
Both Lapua and Winchester brass fit a bit tight. I had been using a Redding FL die screwed down to touch the standard redding shell holder without satisfactory results. I screwed the die down another 1/8 turn and began the process of using a +10 competition shell holder to see what that did. I ended up going all the way down to a +2 which made the difference. Now all my new brass chambers smoothly and easily. Thanks to all for the help.
 
I'm no expert but I would not re size a new case unless the mouth was bent . If it has enough neck tension to hold a bullet Id fire form it and then Id start trying to set the shoulder back a couple thousands. Max
 
if factory new brass is a tight fit, i would beg/borrow/rent a set of headspace gauges, and check the headspace.
please note that 30'06 is one of very few cases where you can have an INTERFERENCE fit, and still be in spec.
check out both drawings and you will see the issue.
it is possible.
since it is a known fact most ammo makers stay away from the high end numbers, and build min spec only. so try a box of commercial ammo and see how the bolt closes.
mike in co
 
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