New Lapua Brass

J

jaybic

Guest
Just got new .243 brass from Brunos and not sure if I need to do the full brass work up before I fire form it into .243ai. I normally uniform primer pockets, debur flash holes, resize, chamfer and deber necks and otherwise give it the full work up for regular old WW brass.

Is this necessary for Lapua? What steps should be taken and should it be prior to or after the fire forming step?

Thanks and I appreciate your time,

Jamie
 
With Lapua brass in 6BR and .308, I just load it from new and shoot it. Your mileage may vary. But I like to keep things simple. Worked for me.
 
OK.... I'm going a completely different direction. Why on earth go to all that work on unfired cases? How can you "uniform" something that's not even shaped yet? A brass case at it comes from mfgr is a MESS, I don't care WHO made it! And it'll certainly change shape quite radically upon firing......
 
Al,

That is EXACTLY what I was figuring and hoping to hear for an answer. Not because I am too lazy but because it is .243 and not yet .243AI brass.

I appreciate all the different ways folks do things but I have just been soundly scolded by another fella on another site for the same logic that you agree with. He is one of those folks that seems to always offer advice with an insult as the price tag for it.

Bill, thank you as well and I appreciate coming to a site for advice that does come with some sort of verbal ass kicking.

Thanks fellas and have good evening,

jamie
 
sorry guys, meant to say "I appreciate coming to a site where the advice does NOT come with some sort of verba a$$ kicking...sorry for the typo...
 
Jamie
Really depends on your shooting needs. New Lapua brass is very consistent and made to a much higher standard than WW, Remy, etc brass (as I'm sure you already observed). I perform all the steps you mention plus weigh/sort all my new Lapua brass. Does it need it, no were near as much as the brass costing 50% less bur it does give me piece of mind. Consistency is King in the accuracy department.

Good Shooting.

Jet
 
I full length size my new brass just enough so that I get a nice tight almost crush fit, for my first firing. I headspace my barrels this way. Just a slight push back on the shoulders. I like to feel a stiff bolt when I chamber a case for the first time. I also neck turn my brass before firing. So I guess this would be considered shaping or prepping new brass. Lee
 
One thing that I did when specifying the dimensions of a friend's .243 AI reamer, that he only intended to use Lapua brass for, was to measure his case lengths and have the reamer made so that there was a close fit before fire forming, so that when they shortened, that the gap would be less.
 
As I understand it, the reamer is SAAMI spec and to my limited understanding of things, the rifle is going to be chambered to get that crush fit that (as I understand it) is desirable for the .243AI chambering. I am going to start uniforming primer pockets and deburring flash holes and getting the brass prepared, primed and charged which brings up a question.

I had a fella tell me not to waste barrel life fireforming but to actually use the fireforming process to begin load testing. My question is this...

If a guy needed to fireform 100 rounds and he did so load testing the same bullet but different charge weights and seating depths, is it possible that the brass may not all come out exactly the same due to the different pressures related to different powder charges or is this negligible?

I don't want 20 cases forming different that the next 20 because I tried to load test and they have 1 grain more or less powder and the case does not take a consistent shape because I tried to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Thoughts on the matter from the voices of experience?

thanks for your insight,

Jamie
 
jaybic said:
As I understand it, the reamer is SAAMI spec and to my limited understanding of things, the rifle is going to be chambered to get that crush fit that (as I understand it) is desirable for the .243AI chambering. I am going to start uniforming primer pockets and deburring flash holes and getting the brass prepared, primed and charged which brings up a question.

I had a fella tell me not to waste barrel life fireforming but to actually use the fireforming process to begin load testing. My question is this...

If a guy needed to fireform 100 rounds and he did so load testing the same bullet but different charge weights and seating depths, is it possible that the brass may not all come out exactly the same due to the different pressures related to different powder charges or is this negligible?

I don't want 20 cases forming different that the next 20 because I tried to load test and they have 1 grain more or less powder and the case does not take a consistent shape because I tried to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Thoughts on the matter from the voices of experience?

thanks for your insight,

Jamie
Click to expand...

You just nailed the problem with fireforming while shooting...... the answer is YES the cases with different powder charges will all ff differently.

I personally would suggest you get'cherself some Berger 68gr match bullets and some VArget and make up 105 rounds...... to do this you go out and buy a box of the cheapest .243rds you can buy from Walmart

And your 100 brandy new cases.

Now fire/clean/fire/clean 5 of those cheapies as bestest as you can to set up the scope and check the fittage and whatever. Now, USING THOSE 5 CASES work up a nice 3450fps-ish load that seems to shoot good and load ALL 100 CASES with this load leaving only the neck tension and seating depth as variables.

Get some windflags out and shoot for effect...... you can learn a lot with those hunnerd rounds.

Is what I would do :)

al
 
OOOOPS!!!


I forgot something....... I type slow and lost my thread (tiny wee thread) of coherent thought.

I forgot a key factor......

The act of fireforming changes the pressure curve. Sooo, you can't just fire off those cheapy rounds, BAD IDEA on my part. Instead you have to purchase some extra new cases and work up the 3450-ish load using new each time, THEN switch over to using your 100ct of cases all with the same powder charge.

Sorry, brainfart

Al
 
Al,

That's what I thought and know from your earlier posts that have went down this path before and I appreciate your time.

I already have a old sporterized Kimber USA Mauser 96 in.243 and a bunch of WW, Federal and RP brass, a pile of Varget and almost a full box of 65gr vmax bullets(also 200 87gr vmaxs). Could I use these components to make up the 3450ish load you mentioned and then load up my 100 good cases to ff?

I have 87gr vlds on order and was thinking of ordering some of the 68s as well. Do you recommend this particular bullet for one reason or another?

Thanks,

Jamie
 
I can just go pick up 100 new WW cases as well. It was kinda on the agenda anyway so I had brass that I wasn't afraid to lose in the field...
 
jaybic said:
Al,

That's what I thought and know from your earlier posts that have went down this path before and I appreciate your time.

I already have a old sporterized Kimber USA Mauser 96 in.243 and a bunch of WW, Federal and RP brass, a pile of Varget and almost a full box of 65gr vmax bullets(also 200 87gr vmaxs). Could I use these components to make up the 3450ish load you mentioned and then load up my 100 good cases to ff?

I have 87gr vlds on order and was thinking of ordering some of the 68s as well. Do you recommend this particular bullet for one reason or another?

Thanks,

Jamie
Click to expand...

I'm saying barrels are expensive and a wear item.....I would use the name brand bullets for the velocity workup and for getting the scope on paper and switch to the good bullets for the 100....of course you can use the vmax's for fireforming them all if you want, just seems a waste of time. To me. I'd probably save the vmax's for coyotes and use shotgun powder to fireform with no bullet. IMO every round that goes down a custom barrel should be of some use ;)

Yeahh, 68's are inherently more accurate than the 87's, they'll group better and also show you the wind with more accuracy.
 
Al,

Sorry about that but in rereading it, I might not have made much sense there. I was talking about fl resizing and using the brass I have on hand from my old .243(not the rifle itself) to ff in my new one and work up the 3450ish load with that brasss rather than buying cheapy loaded stuff. when I get those 65s (or 68s) up to that 3450 mark and showing some promise then ff the good brass.

I don't know anything about fireforming using shotgun powder and no bullets. Is this the cream of wheat thing?

Jamie
 
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