good or bad
has anyone shot this brass. got some in last week,
noticed they was heaver than my rem. and win. brass. so i backed off my load 1 grain. loaded 41.0 grains of IMR4064 with a 139 shot very well .88 So i resized the 6 that i shot, 'just to see' reprimed and noticed the primer pockets are loose, primer had very little to no resistance going in.
did i buy bad quality brass

I use this brand brass in several calibers, including 7mm-08, (mostly because I can’t find some “odd” calibers in any other brand) and I’ve had no issues with any of the calibers. In the ones I use, this brass has proved a bit heavier than others, too.

Very good brass.

Very good luck with it here, too. I wonder what is up with those primer pockets.

Primer OD can vary from brand to brand.

I have reloaded for the 9.3x62 for >20 years and never experienced loose primer pockets with Norma & Lapua cases. Recently, I loaded PPU cases with some established loads and got loose primer pockets on the first load. I suppose there's got to be a reason why PPU cases cost a fraction of those made by Lapua.

quote:

rcraig
One of Us

posted 05 July 2023 01:35 Hide Post
Primer OD can vary from brand to brand.

but a primer pocket should not loosen up after 1 firing, no matter what primer you use. i have reloaded for 42 years never had this to happen. my rem. and win. brass has held up for 6-7 firings with no problems..

I have a 100 of them seem to load and shoot just find

Never had any occasion to load 7-08 with PPU brass. But have had good results with it in 375 H&H, 7x57. Regarding 7x57, it was lighter than Nosler or Norma brass.

RogersGunWorks
one of us

Hide Post
I have reloaded for the 9.3x62 for >20 years and never experienced loose primer pockets with Norma & Lapua cases. Recently, I loaded PPU cases with some established loads and got loose primer pockets on the first load. I suppose there's got to be a reason why PPU cases cost a fraction of those made by Lapua.
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ive loaded for this round for about 25 years..i have never had this to happen with other brass like my fed, rem, or win. i might load 2-3 times tops/.. guess i got a bad batch.?

I like PPU brass. As budget brass goes I believe it is just about the best out there. A notch or two above the Remchester variations IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by vines:
good or bad
has anyone shot this brass. got some in last week,
noticed they was heaver than my rem. and win. brass. so i backed off my load 1 grain. loaded 41.0 grains of IMR4064 with a 139 shot very well .88 So i resized the 6 that i shot, 'just to see' reprimed and noticed the primer pockets are loose, primer had very little to no resistance going in.
did i buy bad quality brass

You mentioned that the PPU brass was heavier. How much heavier ? With 308 military cases several manuals recommend reducing powder charges by 2 grs. I have found that for every 10 grs more a case weighs the capacity is reduced by 1 gr.. Most military brass is about 20 grs heavier so that suggests reducing the powder charge by 2 grs or bang on what several loading manuals suggest. I have used PPU brass in many calibers and have never had an issue with loose primer pockets

quote:

posted 12 July 2023 17:28 Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by vines:
good or bad
has anyone shot this brass. got some in last week,
noticed they was heaver than my rem. and win. brass. so i backed off my load 1 grain. loaded 41.0 grains of IMR4064 with a 139 shot very well .88 So i resized the 6 that i shot, 'just to see' reprimed and noticed the primer pockets are loose, primer had very little to no resistance going in.
did i buy bad quality brass


You mentioned that the PPU brass was heavier. How much heavier ?

about 1.5 grains heaver than my rem. and win. Some of my books says 43 is max 'IMR4064" i was loading 42 grs. in my rem. brass, and load 41 in my PPU brass

It is unfortunate that people read a max load in a loading manual and think that applies to every rifle out there. It does NOT. You have to work up a load in your rifle with your components to find out what is MAx in your rifle.Chambers can be tighter in some rifles and looser in others. So rifles have a long throat and some throats are shorter. Different batches of powder different primers all have an effect on pressure. Read a little more in you manual and most tell you to start about 10% below max and work up. In a 7mm-08 10% is 4 or 5 grs below max. So you say 42 or 43 grs is max in your manual. Did you start working up from about 38 or 39 grs ?? I bet not. If you had you would have noticed some signs that pressures are getting up there. Things like are primers starting to flatten ? Is there cratering around the firing pin indentation on the primer. Is the bolt lift getting sticky when you try to eject the fired case ? Is there marks on the case head ? Use a mic or a calipre to check for case head expansion. That is a positive sign you are reaching or have exceeded max pressures.Usually all of these signs are present when you have pressures high enough to loosen primer pockets. That max load in a manual is only a guide. Max in your rifle could be a couple grs below that number. I have been loading for over 55 years and have seldom seen components that were defective. I've seen poorly annealed cases, bullets that would not group as tight as they should but they still worked. In most cases the problem was the loose nut on the end of the loading press handle

quote:

It is unfortunate that people read a max load in a loading manual and think that applies to every rifle out there. It does NOT. You have to work up a load in your rifle with your components to find out what is MAx in your rifle.Chambers can be tighter in some rifles and looser in others. So rifles have a long throat and some throats are shorter. Different batches of powder different primers all have an effect on pressure. Read a little more in you manual and most tell you to start about 10% below max and work up. In a 7mm-08 10% is 4 or 5 grs below max. So you say 42 or 43 grs is max in your manual. Did you start working up from about 38 or 39 grs ?? I bet not. If

in my rem brass i started at 40 grains and worker up to 42 grains 43 grains i get alot of fliers. 42 is my sweet spot for that rifle. rem 700 S.S. BDL and my 700 CDL ever at 43 with PPU i should not get loose primer pockets. maybe with a mag primer, but not a WLR primer

Ive used it for years, started with 9.3x62 that I load to max plus..Another round like the 7x57, 8x57, that the loading books load way down..Ive never had a serious problem with PPU in any caliber, a gitch now and then, like all the brass manufacturers have, nothing serious..and its a hell of a lot cheaper..and all thats available at times..Brass gets blamed a lot for improper reloading and a lack of knowledge..

quote:

Ive used it for years, started with 9.3x62 that I load to max plus..Another round like the 7x57, 8x57, that the loading books load way down..Ive never had a serious problem with PPU in any caliber, a gitch now and then, like all the brass manufacturers have, nothing serious..and its a hell of a lot cheaper..and all thats available at times..Brass gets blamed a lot for improper reloading and a lack of knowledge..

i agree 100% but like i said i have reloaded 42 years never had this to happen. my starline brass weights the same as my PPU brass not a problem there. 41 grains of IMR4064 in the PPU and starline 42 grains in the rem and win. brass. no sighs of pressure or flat primers, and no blow by, just loose primer pockets. i also read on other sights of the same issue

Yes there is some consensus out there that PPU brass is softer in the head area than other brands. It may be a batch issue rather than all PPU brass in general. Possibly a case of PPU brass being borderline in case head hardness/softness with the odd batch coming in under the level required for longevity.


Your loads with IMR4064 are reasonable so I don't think your loading is contributing to loose primer pockets after only a couple of firings.

When I was loading IMR4064 for my 7mm-08 I used a 43.0gr charge, same charge I now use with Varget and 139-140gr bullets. At the moment I load for four 7mm-08 rifles using Rem, Win, FC and Horn cases, some many times fired and no issues with primer pockets.

I have 40 rounds of PPU 7-08 brass that have 4 reloads on all of them and they still have snug primer pockets though 2 have gotten a little loose in the neck.

Steve........

Whose consensus sez PPI is softer in the head, Im curious as to how he arrived at that conclusion and believe him to be the one thats soft in the head, inasmuch as I shot the same 9,3x62 case 9 times before it showed a signs of the beginning of a seperation. Just saying!

I suggest dropping your load another grain, and chronograh those loads, often you get the same velcity but with less powder...I also believe 4064 spikes pressure more than most powder and suggest trying WW-760 (H414) or CFE223 and 748 in that caliber..Im sure its fixable just have to find the right recipe..