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What's the best brass...

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29 May 2005, 10:16
Magnum61
What's the best brass...
I'm getting low on brass for my .300 wm and I'm thinking of trying another brand.

What is your favorite brand of brass and why?


-Everybody has a dream hunt, mine just happens to be for a Moose.-

-The 30-06 is like a perfect steak next to a campfire, a .300 Win Mag is the same but with mushrooms and a baked potato-
29 May 2005, 18:52
vapodog
The typical reply to this question is all over the place and often the folks favoring Lapua are loudest. But the ones favoring the least costly brass usually make the most cents!!!!!

I've used Winchester, Remington, Hornady, Norma and Federal and with no discernable differences.


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"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."
Winston Churchill
29 May 2005, 18:57
Blob1
SmilerIt is amazing how many arguements can get started about brands of brass, but when you ask why someone uses a certian type no one answers! I use Remington a lot simply because I started using Remington Factory rounds in Remington rifles and just kept on. I understand , but don't know for sure that Winchester is a bit thinner and may work a bit easier. I use Norma for my 7.7 Jap because they are about the only ones to make it. I can't see buying some double price cases. Go domestic if possible. We have enough communist influnence in America already.
Case in point: Why buy a bunch of cases from some communist for $45.00 when I can shoot .250 -.375 groups with $15.00 Domestic cases.
29 May 2005, 18:58
Blob1
SmilerRight on Vapo dog, right on! thumb thumb
29 May 2005, 21:24
arky65
i have used them all. i have shot submoa 5 shot group using 3 different headstamped brass, maybe i was lucky that day. imo headstamp is not as important as case prep and load prep.

my favorite is the one that is shooting the best that day. for my traget gun it is lapua because before i proved it to my self i bought some, so i use it. i won't buy lapua again unless it is a bargin price.

if you want to be overwhelmed with reading material about this subject do a search on the subject. just on this forum you will be reading for days.

jme

arky65


people that trade freedom for security become slaves
29 May 2005, 21:39
cal30 1906
In order of preferance
Winchester
Pmc
hornady
Remington
Norma




If it cant be Grown it has to be Mined! Devoted member of Newmont mining company Underground Mine rescue team. Carlin East,Deep Star ,Leeville,Deep Post ,Chukar and now Exodus Where next? Pete Bajo to train newbies on long hole stoping and proper blasting techniques.
Back to Exodus mine again learning teaching and operating autonomous loaders in the underground. Bringing everyday life to most individuals 8' at a time!
30 May 2005, 04:52
458RugerNo1
I nearly always use Winchester brass and have never had a problem. I don't think it matters much until you're trying to shoot 3" groups at 500 yards. Then I'm sure alot of factors come into play that the rest of us don't even have to think about.


.22 LR Ruger M77/22
30-06 Ruger M77/MkII
.375 H&H Ruger RSM
30 May 2005, 13:14
husky
Just a comment,

Norma makes brass for most brands today like:

Lapua, RWS, Federal, Winchester, Ruag, Hirtenberger, Sako, and many more.

Therefore it's very hard to say that the Xxxx Company makes the best brass, because you don't know who has actually made it...

Cheers
Husky




31 May 2005, 03:20
Shooter973
I like Federal brass, with Remington and Winchester following close behind. The primer pockets in Federals seem to be more uniform and they seem to seat with the same amount of presure, using my Lee auto Prime. I like Federals because all they do is load Ammo, no guns, Knive, belt buckles etc, etc.!!!


The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?
31 May 2005, 07:34
PC
Lapua & Horneber !!
31 May 2005, 19:38
Steve Hanson
Husky, I don't think Norma makes brass for all of the companies you describe. Steve


" You can get more with a few kind words and a gun, than you can get with a few kind words."
31 May 2005, 21:12
short44
I know this is not 300 mag, but I used Win brass over Rem in my 22 hornet becouse the Rem was to damn thin, but like I said I dont know about the 300.


Dwindling the worlds lead supply one cat at a time!!
01 June 2005, 12:40
husky
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hanson:
Husky, I don't think Norma makes brass for all of the companies you describe. Steve


Steve -youré right!
They are actually making brass for more companies than i described jump

But not all brass for those companies. And other companies makes brass for Norma. Just have a look in their new reloading manual! Example: They refer to two different cases for loading the .300 win Mag. One thin and one thick. RWS made the thick ones for Norma.

Other companies that Norma makes brass for is: Weatherby, Horneber, GECO and some more.

Norma also loaded ammunition for Kynoch, Parker Hale among others




01 June 2005, 13:13
T.R.B.
quote:
We have enough communist influnence in America already.


You do huh?? If you would care to elaborate I think it would provide us europeans with some wonderfull insight....

I have used almost all kinds of brass, and have to say that regarding accuracy and number of reloads I can hardly detect any difference, but the lapua cases I use for my 6,5x55 are exeptionaly uniform in weight and hardness, i get almost zero headspace variation after resizing and the neck thickness is also very uniform.

I think that uniform headspace/resizing is important for the longevity of the cases, the functionality of my reloads and also for accuracy. I can get this from buying a lot of cases from the same lot and keep shooting this lot until they are ready for the bin, then buy another batch, instead of having 50 win. cases, 50 rem. cases etc. The brand matters less.

I have used Hornady cases for my 7RM, anyone have experience with these? They appear to be the best US cases in my experience.

Tron
01 June 2005, 16:30
1894mk2
quote:
Originally posted by husky:
RWS made the thick ones for Norma.


That I would have guessed - RWS brass if nothing else is thick. It is the only brass that comes ready chamfered on the case neck that I have seen
01 June 2005, 17:17
Rob1SG
I like the new Hornady Brass. I use it in my 7 RM and it is great stuff but expensive.I use Lapua for my 338-06. I use these because I don't have the time or don't wish to waste it on case prep. I wish one of these companys would make some 6 mm Rem.
01 June 2005, 17:39
onefunzr2
quote:
RWS brass if nothing else is thick. It is the only brass that comes ready chamfered on the case neck that I have seen


The new Nosler brass is chamfered. Also, flash hole is drilled not punched. I bought some 223 rem and 22-250 seconds from shooters proshop. I usually buy Lapua 223 rem but nobody on the net seemed to have any; everyone had it on backorder. The only thing I can say so far about the Nosler brass is it is of uniform weight. Haven't shot any yet.
02 June 2005, 01:44
9.3nut
Buy only one kind of brass (of course),
I prefer Winchester Western myself. When you are setting up, set for neck size only. This should give longevity and accuracy.
02 June 2005, 03:59
rogerinneb
quote:
We have enough communist influnence in America already.
Case in point: Why buy a bunch of cases from some communist for $45.00 when I can shoot .250 -.375 groups with $15.00 Domestic cases.


Which of them there Commie Pinko countries are makin' good brass, anyway?

Did you mean Socialists? Geaux Tigers!


The two most abundant elements in the universe are Hydrogen and Stupidity
02 June 2005, 04:21
Atkinson
I have no doubt that RWS is the worlds best brass...BUT I mostly use WW, Lapua, Norma, Rem., Federal, and whatever...

Really good stuff is the IMI Isreal milsurp brass but it only comes in 223 and 308, I use it exclusively in .223 to expand to .243 for my 6x45 Sako Custom....

I especially like Lapua, and IMI, as the necks and shoulder come to you annealed...


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
02 June 2005, 09:42
Doc
quote:
Originally posted by Magnum61:
I'm getting low on brass for my .300 wm and I'm thinking of trying another brand.

What is your favorite brand of brass and why?


I also have used multiple brand names but for me and ONLY using it for hunting applications, I have not been able to justify the cost of brass that costs more than good ol Winchester. Maybe I'm lucky, or maybe I'm not quite as anal about my groups but the fact is, you will see folks shooting factory ammo from their rifle and some will group just as good or better than your handloads. So, for me, I don't bother with the expensive stuff.

I'll take my .3 or .4 groups of 3-4 shot strings at 100 yards any day of the week. Even 3/4" groups that are consistant satisfy my standard for 300 yard shooting. Looking around my house at all the animals that have fallen from my rifles, I don't think I could have hit them any better with higher priced, more uniform brass as part of my reloading components. Some of the best shots I've seen in the field (Wyoming, Colorado, and Kansas mainly), have been hunters using factory rifles with factory ammo...dropping their game from 11 yards to better than 400. That sure is hard to argue don't you think?

And FWIW, I have about 200 virgin 300 WM brass I'll never use. Want it?


Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns
02 June 2005, 09:55
BlackHawk1
Winchester gets the nod for 75% of my handloads. I use Lapua for 6.5x55 and Lake City for my M1A 7.62 Nato (308 Win). If Lapua was far less pricey and available in all the cartridges I load for, I would use Lapua exclusively.


BH1

There are no flies on 6.5s!
02 June 2005, 21:51
Cal Sibley
I only wish that Lapua made brass for all the calibers I reload for. I simply prefer it to all other brands. US made brass has the primer flash holes punched out instead of drilled out, and it leaves projections on the inside of the case. Having to do case prep on US brass drives me to distraction. Additionally if you weigh and measure Lapua brass you'll be surprised at how uniform it is. Pretty much the same applies to Norma. Just one mans opinion. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal


Cal Sibley
03 June 2005, 00:55
lawndart
I've said this before, but I drive an older beater truck and wear my clothes until they are pretty thin. On the other hand I pop for Lapua brass without a second thought. Set your priorities in life and act accordingly.

lawndart


03 June 2005, 01:14
<allen day>
BELL brass for the .416 Rem. Mag., but other than that I use Winchester brass across the board. It works extremely well, and I can buy it in bulk at a very favorable price. I can't come up with a reason not to keep on using it......

AD
03 June 2005, 04:43
Doc
quote:
Originally posted by allen day:
but other than that I use Winchester brass across the board. It works extremely well, and I can buy it in bulk at a very favorable price. I can't come up with a reason not to keep on using it......

AD


Man, I'm glad you said that. I thought I was the only WW fan. Don't get me wrong, I like Lapua and RWS just fine. I just don't need it.


Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns
03 June 2005, 04:43
oldun
Some years ago when I was tinkering with accurate loads, (development if you prefer), I hit upon a load in a 270 with Remington brass, the same load with Winchester cases was not as accurate. The gun dealer I bought things from at that time was a Winchester case man but he conceeded that in my 270 the Remington case was more accurate.
Been buying Remingtons ever since.
03 June 2005, 04:49
Doc
The only problem I have with Rem brass is it is soft


Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns
03 June 2005, 22:18
9.3nut
Sorry oldun, but I will go with Doc on this one. Remington is softer than WW. I will spend the extra powder to keep using their brass. On the odd time when needed.
04 June 2005, 02:43
oldun
9.3.
That's fine, you go with WW.
It was the main argument that my gun dealer had that WW were tougher cases
The little extra cost was worth it to me when it meant knowing that my rifle shot straighter.
At the time I was representing my country, at university level, in the small bore rifle team and accuracy was my aim (pun intended). The desire to shoot the smallest possible groups has been one of my targets ever since.
You know I realy like this reloaders page it's both informative and fun Smiler
07 June 2005, 10:52
Blob1
SmilerTalking about good brass. Looking for some 30/06 cases to reform for my 7.7 Jap , I looked in one of my boxes where I keep a lot of odds and ends and found a big hand full of Lake City 30/06 once shot cases. These were left overs from my 30/06 days a few years ago. Also in the bag were several Federal, Winchester and Remington cases although much newer. All the newer cases had at least a little darking on them but all the Lake city was still holding their bronze color. No where on them could I see any darking or discoloring. I checked the dates and all were made in 1967. I decapped them, reamed out the primer crimp and ran them through the 7.7 die. they came out perfect. Man this was when they made brass! 1967 and look like new.
07 June 2005, 10:55
Blob1
SmilerHey whatever brass works the best use it! Eeker Eeker Eeker
07 June 2005, 14:18
JimD
I like Lapua for my 6.5x55's, Winchester for about everything else.
07 June 2005, 17:13
PC
lapua and horneber !!
07 June 2005, 19:09
FURocious
Lapua hands down. Best primer pockets and last forever. A factor in my gun caliber choice is the availability of Lapua brass. 243 WIN is next.