I bought a 100box of Fed. Gold Medal Match .30-06 brass to use for my .338-06. I have found that the primer pockets loosen up after only (5) firings vs 10+ for the WW brass. I even backed off 1/2gr to comp. for the slightly smaller cap. of the Fed. brass. Anyone else use Fed. match brass for their .243, 06 or 08? Do you find the brass a bit "soft"?
What do you think, is it worth going to the Norma or Lapua brass?

That's been the rap on Federal brass as long as I can remember, that it's soft. I used it extensively in 300 Win Mag and NEVER had any problems with it there even with hot loads. I've also reloaded a bunch in 223 for PD shooting. Occasionally a primer won't stay in the pockets there but it's not been as remarkable as I've heard about from others and for many years. There must be something to it but I can't say from experience.

You can probably do as well with a lot from Winchester that you can sort out for uniformity which will give you the same performance as Norma at significantly less cost. Unless you're shooting competition the extra cost might not be worth it to you. Having said that, I prefer using Norma brass in most anything for which they make it and I form 338 Win Mag out of their 358 Norma. Gets great case life beyond what our domestic brass does. I don't see much advantage to it in 223 and a couple of others where I use it.

If I have a rifle in a caliber for which Lapua makes brass that's it. It's probably the very best that's out there. Norma is also excellent. I just purchased 100 new Winchester cases in 6mm Rem. The primer pockets are punched instead of drilled out so we get the dubious honor or reaming the primer pocket projection out. About 1 out of 4 case necks are out of round, will chatter when you try to bevel the inside or outside of the case neck so you have to at least neck size it. The American manufacturers are giving us crappy products and can't seem to understand why we're increasingly turning away from them. My latest Remington VLS costs me a pretty penny yet it has a trigger pull of about 8 lbs. That's absurd. I find nice crisp triggers on Sakos, CZ's, Tikkas and Howas. Why not the American guns? They face the same litigation problems we do. I'm pretty disgusted with the lot of them. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

This is common with GM Brass when loaded at near max levels, and yes, you will get loads out of Norma and Lapua, the best brass going. The GM Brass will last you but you have to keep the vel down at target levels to keep your pockets tight. I use GM for working up loads, but switch to Norma and Lapua when I get serious. The Fed Prem Nickle Brass is excellent, I use this for most my hunting loads in the 338 and 30-06 and 308 Win. A extra step in reloading is required but speed in reloading is not my objective.

fredj338
I've been using Remington 30-06 brass to make up my 375 Whelen. I uniform the primer pockets, true up the flash holes, trim the cases, turn the necks.
I make up my 375 brass in lots of one hundred and I'm currently working with 300, or so, cases. I've lost a few cases to stepping on them, crushing them while reloading, lost a few in the grass and actually lost a few to neck splits. I use Redding dies for loading this rifle.
I use Accurate Arms data for the 35 Whelen and go up. I've yet to use a jacketed bullet in the 10 or 12 years I've owned the rifle. Some of the loads with 300 grain cast bullets will pull the fillings out of your teeth.
What I'm getting to is, this rifle cartridge does not eat cases. Some of this brass has been loaded 10 to 15 times and I'm loading full bore charges and getting great accuracy, one inch to one half inch off the bench with five shot groups. Admitidly, this is not someting I'd enjoy doing on a daily basis but rifle will perform and the brass will last as long as I do.
Jim

I have NEVER had a case separation in 7 mm TCU until I made up a batch of brass from once fired range brass (all of the brass fired in competition guns).
Got the first separation on the second firing (cases formed by having bullet into rifling).

This is with cast bullet loads at 1200 fps. I can't imagine what would happen with full power loads.

Now I know why the guy picking brass at the same time was so kind as to give me all of the Match brass he picked up!

LouisB

[ 08-10-2003, 17:39: Message edited by: TCLouis ]