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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,785
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,785 |
Hello - just curious as to what thoughts y'all might have on an issue I recently encountered.
I've loaded 300 Win. Mag. with the same RCBS dies for many years. I full length size everything, new brass or used. I've loaded 300 WM using Winchester brass, Norma brass, and I'm sure one or two others.
Recently, I received some new Lapua brass and put it through my same full-length sizing process before loading. I always roll a few loads on a flat table just to watch them spin true. In a couple of decades of loading who knows how many rounds for a dozen or more different cartridges, I've never had a bullet wobble during the roll, but in the case of this effort with Lapua brass, the first 5 cartridges I loaded had bullet wobble. The cases were straight, but the bullets were definitely seated at a cant. I stopped loading there.
I pulled out a piece of Norma brass in 300 WM and put it through the exact same process. I loaded a dummy round and the bullet sat perfectly. Thinking the Lapua brass might be a little longer and perhaps I was over-working the brass, I measured a few and compared it against the Normas I had. On average, the Lapua was actually slightly shorter than the Normas.
Any thoughts?
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,872 Likes: 5
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,872 Likes: 5 |
I don't know the relationship for the 300 mag, but in 308 Winchester the Lapua brass I've used has thicker neck walls than Norma. So one theory is the pushing/pulling of the expander ball is heavier with the Lapua and it's putting some of the necks out of kilter.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,135 Likes: 12
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 48,135 Likes: 12 |
Hello - just curious as to what thoughts y'all might have on an issue I recently encountered.
I've loaded 300 Win. Mag. with the same RCBS dies for many years. I full length size everything, new brass or used. I've loaded 300 WM using Winchester brass, Norma brass, and I'm sure one or two others.
Recently, I received some new Lapua brass and put it through my same full-length sizing process before loading. I always roll a few loads on a flat table just to watch them spin true. In a couple of decades of loading who knows how many rounds for a dozen or more different cartridges, I've never had a bullet wobble during the roll, but in the case of this effort with Lapua brass, the first 5 cartridges I loaded had bullet wobble. The cases were straight, but the bullets were definitely seated at a cant. I stopped loading there.
I pulled out a piece of Norma brass in 300 WM and put it through the exact same process. I loaded a dummy round and the bullet sat perfectly. Thinking the Lapua brass might be a little longer and perhaps I was over-working the brass, I measured a few and compared it against the Normas I had. On average, the Lapua was actually slightly shorter than the Normas.
Any thoughts? I have to ask, why are you FL sizing your brass??? Also, to expect brand new brass, of any manufacture, to be absolutely perfect, is wishful thinking. New brass gets a look over, and maybe some measuring, but I don't get too critical until after it's been fired at least a couple times. Also, size to your rifle's chamber. A belted mag is no different than any other cartridge as far as I'm concerned: Meaning, .002" shoulder bump on brass that has been fired, and then check runout ("wobble" in your words).
I try to stick with the basics, they do so well. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. You want to see an animal drop right now? Shoot him in the ear hole. BSA MAGA
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,785
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,785 |
Hello - just curious as to what thoughts y'all might have on an issue I recently encountered.
I've loaded 300 Win. Mag. with the same RCBS dies for many years. I full length size everything, new brass or used. I've loaded 300 WM using Winchester brass, Norma brass, and I'm sure one or two others.
Recently, I received some new Lapua brass and put it through my same full-length sizing process before loading. I always roll a few loads on a flat table just to watch them spin true. In a couple of decades of loading who knows how many rounds for a dozen or more different cartridges, I've never had a bullet wobble during the roll, but in the case of this effort with Lapua brass, the first 5 cartridges I loaded had bullet wobble. The cases were straight, but the bullets were definitely seated at a cant. I stopped loading there.
I pulled out a piece of Norma brass in 300 WM and put it through the exact same process. I loaded a dummy round and the bullet sat perfectly. Thinking the Lapua brass might be a little longer and perhaps I was over-working the brass, I measured a few and compared it against the Normas I had. On average, the Lapua was actually slightly shorter than the Normas.
Any thoughts? I have to ask, why are you FL sizing your brass??? Also, to expect brand new brass, of any manufacture, to be absolutely perfect, is wishful thinking. New brass gets a look over, and maybe some measuring, but I don't get too critical until after it's been fired at least a couple times. Also, size to your rifle's chamber. A belted mag is no different than any other cartridge as far as I'm concerned: Meaning, .002" shoulder bump on brass that has been fired, and then check runout ("wobble" in your words). I appreciate the response. I FLS all my brass for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I load for others. One set of 300 Win. Mag. dies (for example) may produce loads for multiple rifles. I really don't know how brass was processed at any given factory, but even if a batch was already sized properly, hopefully all I am losing is some time running each through a die again. Next - even when building loads for my own rifles, I've found that much of the time if I start with new brass, then neck size only for the reloads, my results are off. Maybe it's just a matter of tweaking the scope a little, but in my experiences the recipe did change and got tired of dealing with those inconsistencies. It was a little guessing game from one rifle to the next, but once I started full length sizing everything, every time, that problem went away. I too believe that most components are likely not perfect. I've never experienced that bullet wobble, though. Very strange... Thank you.
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,785
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,785 |
I don't know the relationship for the 300 mag, but in 308 Winchester the Lapua brass I've used has thicker neck walls than Norma. So one theory is the pushing/pulling of the expander ball is heavier with the Lapua and it's putting some of the necks out of kilter. Interesting insight, Mathman. I appreciate it.
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