new brass question

[akrifle]

I bought some new Lapua brass from Bruno shooters supply (excellent customer service, inexpensive 3 day mail, and they sell any quanity of brass from one piece up).

Anyway, their guy told me that for the first use, I would want to load a mild load with the bullet touching the rifling to break-in and form the brass. He said the worst thing that I could do is load my choice hunting load for the first use.

I've always used spent cases and wonder if this practice is really necessary, and it sounds time consuming and expensive to load up and go waste 40 rounds before loading what I want. Comments???

 

[mauserboy]

If you full length size

If you full length size

your brass for hunting loads then it probably wouldn't matter. I think the guy was suggesting fire-forming the brass, then resizing probably with neck-sizing only for (perhaps) better accuracy since the brass would be formed to the chamber of your rifle. Some shooters neck-size only after fire-forming and some don't for hunting loads. If you load for reliable feeding with acceptable accuracy, then it really isn't necessary.

 

[Wildalaska]

The guy at Brunos is smoking crack.

I have shot probably 6,000 rounds loaded with Lapau brass over tha past few years. I have gotten as many as 16 (?) mid range loadings from it. You dont need to baby it

 

[AlaskaBob]

Lapua brass

Lapua brass

Full speed ahead with loadings. Every new cartridge from anyone is the same scenario.

Now, after the first time used.. then one can talk for full resizing, partial resizing or just neck resizing. The primer pocket can be reamed true after the first firing.

I like to just size enough to bump back the shoulder for reliable chambering, a nice happy medium between neck and full resizing.

Lapua is superb brass... no need for major case prep before loading. No spurs in the flash holes. Quality stuff. I use Lapua for match ammo and my 9.3 Mauser.

 

[1Cor15:19]

The guy at Brunos is smoking crack.

I have shot probably 6,000 rounds loaded with Lapau brass over tha past few years. I have gotten as many as 16 (?) mid range loadings from it. You dont need to baby it

I agree here, except that it could be mental illness not drug use. If there is a more durable, consistent, higher quality brass maker than Lapua I have not found them. Treat them as you would other brass and you can expect a better product in every way using Lapua. I have seen Lapua brass used almost indefinitely in BR rifles. Load them, shoot them and forget about the Bruno advice.

 

[Float Pilot]

The guy must have been talking about fire-forming for bench rest shooting.

Hunting ammo needs more rattle to be safe and fast when you need it.

I am looking for another 100 rounds of Lapua in 6.5x55mm Swede. I see Mid-way has some on sale...

The 90 cases I have are so superior to Winchester that it is not funny. They do not stretch as much as Winchester cases either since they are actually the right size to begin with....

What cartridge are you loading up???

 

[akrifle]

what re-load

what re-load

I'm loading 6.5x55 for island deer. My Lapua brass came 2.158 newvs 2.165.

Anyway, I placed a 160 grain (very loooong) bullet just inside the neck of a case and closed the bolt. The bullet was not seated in further. I repeated this several times with different cases and bullets. There seems no end to the Swedish Mauser throats and allowable COL. Tonight, I'm gonna mike the Hornady and nosler bullets against an original Swede mil 1917, and 1932 round. I think modern bullets are tapered more.

 

[Wildalaska]

Just load em till they barely fit in the magazine

 

[shphtr]

Lapua brass is in a class by itself and has no competitors - lov tha stuff.

 

[marshall]

I live 60 miles from Bruno's and shop there on a regular bases. Their prices are very good and they have great service. As far as the light load touching the lands comment goes, who knows???

They do have a couple of outstanding shooters on the payroll. They shoot down the street at Ben Avery's.

I bought 300 pieces of Lapua .308 brass. They went out of their way to insure all three boxes were from the same lot, they're good people.