Bought my first batch of Lapua for my 223 bolt gun with a longer throat. Loaded 24gr of Varget under 77 SMK at like 2.49 coal, should be fine. Saw several pierced primers or just badly cratered primers. I didn't do anything to the brass just loaded it. Im guessing this was my mistake? I don't have a mandrel die yet just FL. I could feel different neck tension when seating bullets, also the shoulder to case head measurement werent all the same. I just wanted to get them fire formed. I checked to see if the new brass chambered in my gun and all the pieces I tried did no problem. Now Im pulling bullets and will run them thorugh my FL die with the decapping pin removed or should I deprime the unfired primers and reuse? I have done that before but it makes me nervous and I wear eye and ear pro when doing so.
Also this bottle of Varget is a few years old and for sure dried out more than a fresh jug. Though I know from experience this gun can handle much higher charge than that. Some of my go to loads are 24.5 or 8208 XBR with 75s, 25.0 of N140 with 80gr stuff, Ive gone past 24gr of Varget with 88s and not seen pressure. These are on the lower end of each node and I didnt see pressure until higher charges. This was with LC and Win brass, I know Lapua has less case capacity. Still I thought I would be fine with 24gr of Varget under 77s, thats a known gas gun load and I'm loading the rounds way longer than 2.25.
Also this bottle of Varget is a few years old and for sure dried out more than a fresh jug. Though I know from experience this gun can handle much higher charge than that. Some of my go to loads are 24.5 or 8208 XBR with 75s, 25.0 of N140 with 80gr stuff, Ive gone past 24gr of Varget with 88s and not seen pressure. These are on the lower end of each node and I didnt see pressure until higher charges. This was with LC and Win brass, I know Lapua has less case capacity. Still I thought I would be fine with 24gr of Varget under 77s, thats a known gas gun load and I'm loading the rounds way longer than 2.25.