How many loadings are folks getting on Lapua .260 brass? I'm running mine load as 42.6 gr with a Hornady ELD 140. Velocity is in the 2,860 fps range from a 28" barrel. I'm trying to determine what I can expect from a brass life standpoint.
How many loads on Lapua .260 brass?
- Thread starter Hunt
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With that load the primer pockets are probably going to hold out. If you full length size with a minimum amount of should set back and you anneal your brass 15 to 20 reloadings is possible...I am on 11 reloadings on my current batch that have been annealed aftet every firing without issue...Ray
I'm on 20+ reloadings, and not shooting a light load either. 130 hybrids, H4350, 2930fps, CCI primers. Some are getting a little loose, but not close to chucking them yet. I keep trying to "lose" them at a match, but still have about 190 of the 200 I started with.
I neck size only (bumping shoulders .002 after every few shots) and anneal after every firing, and my brass is going strong after 12 reloads. When seating primers I can feel that a few slide in ever so slightly easier than virgin brass, but I am not at all concerned about it. My load is H4350, CCI BR2, 140 Hybrid @ 2850 out of a 27" Surgeon-chambered barrel.
Because the shoulders and body still expand forward and out and contract but with each firing they harden and contract less. So eventually they wont contract enough to easily chamber or extract which in turn necessitates bumping the shoulders. My 223 it happens within four firings. Thats why I took up full sizing. In my 3006 I had something like 15 firings on some neck sized only RP brass and though it was a little stiff it still ran with out a hitch. The 223 one firing too much without bumping and I was(am still) beating the bolt open for those neck sized loads.
Maybe thats the difference between a remington clip extractor and the rugers massive claw extractor or maybe its the brass. I dont know but I do know that the only solution I found was full length sizing. Now I full length everything.
What these guys said ^^^
I know I need to bump the shoulder when I start to feel the bolt drag. Typically every 3-4 firings or so (more often if you are running hot loads). My load is pretty mild in my gun so I don't get much case expansion, plus I anneal every shot to maintain the elasticity of the brass. I prefer to neck size to avoid overworking the brass, but I know lots of guys full length size every firing with great results. Use good, straight dies and you can't go wrong.
I do the same thing with the neck sizing and bumping the shoulders back every 3 firing. Im on the 9 round of my lapua 260 brass. I have 243 lapua brass thats on number 11 but some are starting to get loose. The 260 is a decent load of 42 grains of h4350 and 142 sierras.
