Well the Tikka 260's finally are in route!! What do you guys like best for brass Lapua or Nosler. Thanks

I've had several batches of both, in 30-06 mostly. They are both great to use.

On average the Lapua has had more consistent neck thickness/consistency, but not by a staggering amount. The worst batch of Lapua I've purchased had 78/100 with neck thickness less than 0.001 inches variance. The worst batch of Nosler had about 35 of 50 less than 0.001 variance (70/100, but they sell them in boxes of 50). The best Lapua brass had 99 of 100 with less than 0.001 variance (that was a box of 6BR; I've never had 30-06 brass that good), and the best Nosler 46 of 50.

Nosler sorts for weight variance, so usually beats Lapua there. Lapua is still good enough it's not worth weight sorting.

Lapua brass is thicker, usually 0.016 per wall thickness instead of the more normal 0.013 that Nosler runs.

I think the Lapua brass is tougher, but I have no statistical basis for that statement. If you anneal they're probably equal.

I normally buy Lapua for year-round use because 1) it's usually in stock somewhere, and 2) it comes in boxes of 100 or more, and Nosler only in boxes of 50. However, for hunting ammo I normally use Nosler because 1) I don't worry so much about losing a piece in the field, and 2) 50 pieces means in one lot I can load virgin brass, sort for concentricity, shoot a sample to verify everything is up to standard, and have enough left over virgin loads for the season. I usually end up with 20 or more left over.

I think I've reloaded for something like 60 different chamberings in the last 20 years, from 17 through 45 cal. My bullet of choice these days from 6mm through .375 cal is a Nosler Accubond, followed by a Nosler Ballistic Tip.
I've even owned two Nosler Custom Sporters. However, if I have a choice between Nosler brass and Lapua brass, I'll take the Lapua 11 times out of 10.

Totally subjective, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.


JAPPF,

GWB

They aren't even close....

Fixed it for you.

Haven't used Nosler but do use Lapua with my 260 no plans to change

Pooey......

??????? Need one?

I've used a bunch of both, for me it comes down which one is in stock and the price. If I had to say Lapua is perhaps a little better. Most was for a 6.5X55 and either has the correct head diameter unlike the US brass. Another really good brass is RWS, but hard to find now.

Lapua brass is better.

Not sure who is making the brass for Nosler 260 at the moment. Nosler farms it out and sometimes the maker changes.

In some instances I believe Norma makes some of there brass.

Shod

Same here. Love the Lapua.

The only reason to choose nosler over Lapua would be if it were cheaper, but it's not so Lapua is a no brainier.

Lapua by a mile

Then there is dumazz Ed that kills chitt with Winchester brass, some 30+ years old.

Nosler 300 rum brass sucks.. can't speak for other cartridges.

Had great results with mine.....got any specific observations? Not cross examining...just interested.

Brass is brass, Lapua is no better than any other, worse than some. My experience is that Lapua can be really crappy. I had .22-250 stuff that had bad primer pockets, folds from the neck to shoulder, and split necks. Some were even banana shaped and wouldn't chamber.

Just tossed a batch of Nosler .204 Ruger brass with shallow primer pockets that wouldn't fully seat a primer, and would seize up around uniformer tool, they would get stuck and made my life difficult. Usually Nosler brass is perfect - but things happen.

Just finished forming a batch of Hornady .30-06 into .25-06, worked perfectly, same with Privi brass. The more I work with Privi brass the more I like it.

Eary batches of Hornady .204 Ruger were inconsistent, but they improved. Luck of the draw.

When it's available I prefer Winchester, about 2% culls, but inexpensive. Winchester stuff forms easily in my hydraulic forming dies, where Lapua is too hard to form a proper shoulder easily. .284 Winchester brass forms easily into 6.5x284 Norma, and all of it lasts a very long time. Sometimes we fool ourselves into believing the hype. Truth is, for most hunting and varminting uses the brass isn't much of a factor. The last batch of .223 Winchester brass I bought, the necks ran a consistent .0015" or less in thickness variation, not worth worrying about. Heck, I even had great results forming a special run of Remington 7.62x39 made with small rifle primer pockets into 6mm PPC.

Primer selection has a greater effect on accuracy than any other factor. See below, same rifle, same Pac-Nor polygonal barrel, same load, same Winchester case, both 10 shot groups, different primers. From all the hype about primers, I'd have guessed the Federal Match primer would have been the most accurate - yes? Wrong, the Winchester won the prize.

If you say so. But not IMO. In fairness, I have never used Lapua 22-250 brass. I also told some people years ago that I have encountered more split necks with 22-250 cartridges than all others combined. I basically got laughed at. But some 10 years later, it still seems to hold true.



This is very, very true. But a lot more so of Nosler brass IMO, than Lapua.



Nothing wrong with Winchester brass. And match grade brass certainly isn't needed for hunting. I use all kinds of different brass for hunting.

As for primers, I would agree whereas the smaller cartridges are concerned. My 204 and 223s are far more primer sensitive than any larger cartridges I load for. Far more.

As for Lapua, I like it. Best. Overall, it has been the most consistent brass I have used, and you can EASILY load it more times than any other.

As for Nosler, it is made by Norma. And Norma brass is over priced and over hyped IMO. It is notably soft. Much like Federal brass. I consider it no better than Federal or Remington. It may be more consistent, but due to how soft it is, I can't rate it any higher. Weatherby cartridges have no problem opening up primer pockets and/or stretching it in short order. I'd take Winchester over it all day long. As for Hornady, I have had mixed results with it. I run it exclusively in my 204 and the brass is excellent in every way thus far. But I can't say the same for all of the Hornady brass I have used.

Just my 2�......

This dumba$$ does it also Ed. But some of the old Winchester brass was some damn fine brass though, IMO.....

Much less capacity and softer than rem brass. Dpuble the price in some cases too.

Make that 3 dumbasses then. I've never had any trouble with Nosler brass, in fact I love it. I've also never had any trouble with Win or Rem brass either in my '06, 7RM, 7-08.

Ditto.

I know for a fact that lapua 300 win mag brass was much tougher than 70's and 80's vintage win brass in the same chambering. BTDT. Damn shame Lapua no longer make 300 win mag brass.

If this rifle is for hunting , the brand of brass you use will make no difference in the real world of hunting . If given the chose i will take Lapua and then Nosler. If just a hunting rifle Win or Rem is all you will ever need. The biggest advantage of Lapua and Nosler brass is that most of the case preparation is already done for you before you remove from the packaging. What is available is what i would buy.

Brass is not brass, like women's azz's - yes they function similarly, but there IS a diff.

Rem has not done as well, WW has been good, think 708, Noz/Lapua BOTH one hole, as has Fed 308/708.

Lapua and Noz are the way IMHO if you want the best. Accuracy may not be much diff, brass life - there may be.

I was in Noslers shop in Bend Oregon when UPS dropped of the first batch of "Nosler" stamped brass from Federal. They only weigh and batch for uniformity. You can purchase seconds from them which is just like regular every day brass.

I have not tried Lapua brass for as wide a variety of cartridges as some, but I can tell you that over the last decade it has been consistently the best 308 Win. brass I've used.

Just bought some Nosler 270 brass, 'cause I can't find any Winchester. Anyone know if the capacities are similar or different? Thx.

The Nosler I had was heavier, softer, and of less capacity than RP and WW. But that's been a while now, and it could have changed.

If you still have a piece of WW hanging around you can weigh them and compare.

Lapua is best of course...

I just hate the thought of a buck a pop...

being ejected in the mud and or snow....

Interesting.. just weighed 5 case of Win and 5 of Nos. On average the Nosler cases weighed about 2 1/2% less than the Winchester cases.

I use Nosler brass in my 280 Remington. It is not soft. Much better than any RP or WW that is available and on par with the Lapua I use.