Ok. So I have reloaded a fair amount. That said I have never used Lapua brass. So I built my kids a dasher. I bought some dasher brass with 3 firings on it. I got the gun put together today and went to develop a load. The primer pockets on this lapua brass feels extremely loose. So my question is does lapua brass have a looser primer pocket than other brass. I have 10 firings on hornady 6.5 creed brass and primer pockets are way tighter than this dasher brass. I'm using CCI primers like I always have. Ive fired a few of these now three times and primers look ok after firing.
question on lapua brass, loose primer pockets
- Thread starter tsonda
- Start date
You bought used brass.....the problem with that is you don't really know how hard that brass was ran and under what pressures. Likely the brass had been run really fucking hard for three loads. I've been around alot of guys that push brass to the point that they have had primers fall out of the pockets while loading magazines fwiw.
I'd chalk it up to a lesson learned, never buy used brass shot from a gun you have not been around and know the history. Like Forrest Gump says.
I've got Dasher brass with 10 firings on it and primer pockets feel as tight as ever, it was never run hot just typical 32ish Varget 2950fps. I've also done some load development on other Lapua 6BR cases doing things like running heavier bullets fast to see where pressure threshold was. You will trash primer pockets before you get big pressure signs like heavy bolt lift, I can tell on those cases which ones were run hot when seating a primer.
Well that's what I was afraid of . His load was 32.3 varget pushing 110's at 2960. A little fast but I didn't think it would trash the pockets. Live and learn a damn expensive lesson.
It wouldnt be worth the risk of blowing primers or running the risk of washing the bolt face. IMHO
Yeah, that's hot. That's my speed and load for a 105.
As far as how loose is too loose, my own personal standard is that if I can take a universal depriming die and push a fresh primer out by hand (no reloading press) then I'll toss the brass.
If they get too loose the likely outcome is they will leak hot gas and scorch a nasty ring in your bolt face.
You using CCI450 primers?
Concur. Like mouse's ears, they be.
That would be why I just have a No Go pin gauge on my bench. If it fits, the brass is trash.
