Brass Choice

[bross64]

I shoot a 300 WSM and have shot Hornady, Norma Federal, and Winchester factory rounds. I have saved the brass for reloading and have done some. I have only used the factory brass that I shot previously in those factory rounds.
I have read some forums and some stated that factory loaded brass is not the same as getting new brass to reload.
Is this true and if so what is a good brass to purchase. I will be using it for hunting out to 500 yards, and I do some target shooting out to 1,000 yards.

There are so many out there and they all say they are the best.

Any suggestion and be kind.

 

[morgaj1]

Are you in need of more brass or are you concerned that the once-fired brass you have is sub-par? If the latter, I would say that you have bad info. While likely not up to Lapua or ADG quality, the brass you have should be just fine.

 

[Berrnard]

typically, new, quality brass for reloading can hold more powder. 3-5% depending on cartridge and what not. and then usually longer brass life too.
i think it was 300 wsm adg brass i read about had a 4% higher H2O capacity than a federal factory case.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Is this true and if so what is a good brass to purchase. I will be using it for hunting out to 500 yards, and I do some target shooting out to 1,000 yards.

No.
Prep what you have correctly, load it, test it, and choose whichever brand shoots the best.
I will say, I never use Federal brass, it is soft and often, after shooting the factory loads, it has expended primer pockets. This stuff is un-usable and should not be used under ANY circumstances.
Ask me how I know…

Cheers.

 

[lancetkenyon]

My opinion, this is my list of brass quality. If one of these companies don't make brass for a cartridge I am interested in, I start to question my cartridge choice. Seriously.

1. Lapua (tie)
1. Alpha (tie)
3. ADG
4. Peterson

If I had to go another route, this is my 2nd tier list.

5. Norma/Nosler
6. Rem
7. Win

There are a couple specialty brass makers, but they are not common. But they are pretty good.

1. RWS
2. Bertram
3. Lake City (.223 & .308)

There are a couple I have no experience with.

1. Starline
2. PMC

And there are a couple I just won't use, even if they were free.

1. Hornady
2. Federal

 

[Dmagna]

Lapua

 

[Berrnard]

My opinion, this is my list of brass quality. If one of these companies don't make brass for a cartridge I am interested in, I start to question my cartridge choice. Seriously.

1. Lapua (tie)
1. Alpha (tie)
3. ADG
4. Peterson

If I had to go another route, this is my 2nd tier list.

5. Norma/Nosler
6. Rem
7. Win

There are a couple specialty brass makers, but they are not common. But they are pretty good.

1. RWS
2. Bertram
3. Lake City (.223 & .308)

There are a couple I have no experience with.

1. Starline
2. PMC

And there are a couple I just won't use, even if they were free.

1. Hornady
2. Federal

i concur

 

[cdherman]

I shoot a 300 WSM and have shot Hornady, Norma Federal, and Winchester factory rounds. I have saved the brass for reloading and have done some. I have only used the factory brass that I shot previously in those factory rounds.
I have read some forums and some stated that factory loaded brass is not the same as getting new brass to reload.
Is this true and if so what is a good brass to purchase. I will be using it for hunting out to 500 yards, and I do some target shooting out to 1,000 yards.

There are so many out there and they all say they are the best.

Any suggestion and be kind.

Aimed at the OP. You don't tell us how many rounds of the various brass you have, nor over what time frame they were shot. Lots of guys save their brass over years. Its not a bad habit, certainly better than chucking the fired brass in the recycling bin (or worse, in the waste basket).

But if you have a mish mash of brass from various manufacturers, over time with various lots, you should consider buying a large lot of new brass. Even brass from the same manufacturer will vary -- I have lapua brass for 6.5x55 that I keep separated into two lots -- you can see the subtle variation in headstamp. They are 20 years different in manufacture.

In short, shooting to 500 yards requires consistent performance and behavior of all your components. You need a decent lot of matched brass. For 500 yard hunting, at least 100 pieces. Me, I always do 200 these days. Many guns I own have never seen a factory load. And the old hoarded brass from other guns -- well I have some 5 gallon buckets of "range brass". If the SHTF someday, might be useful. If not, my kids can chuck them in the recycling and all is good.

Based on your message count and your question, you are getting started. I'd start with new brass. IF you mean what you say about 500 yards. If you just want load to practice or stuff for 250 or less, then by all means learn to prep that old brass. That old stuff, already fired to your guns chamber, might be just fine.....

 

[Mike D Texas]

Any of the brass you have will shoot decent if prepped properly and not pushed too hard. However you do not want to mix different manufacturers or possibly even different lots of brass. That's where you will see inconsistencies.

See Lance's post above for quality brass choices.

 

[MagnumManiac]

To add, all of my wildcats based on the 300WSM case have only ever had Winchester brass run through them, just a note for you, after several firings of said brass, the expansion line grew so much that a normal die would not size that area. Chambering those cases was difficult. Tried altering a shell holder, gave me excessive headspace, so that was abandoned.
I had to make a body die to size that area by buying a small base die, lopping off the shoulder section so only the body was being touched.
Worked very well, but I destroyed several carbide cutters doing so…

Cheers.

 

[WWG55]

In most of my match rifles I use Lapua. In my hunting rifles I use whatever I have and have mixed results. I have had Winchester 6.8 Western that was unusable due to split necks and oversized primer pockets after initial firing form the factory loads and I have Winchester 204 brass that is 20 years old and still going strong after countless firings. I have Frontier in 7mm Weatherby that has been fired 10 to 12 times and with some just now starting to fail. Use what you have, watch your results, and closely inspect your brass during the prep process.

 

[JAYgs8163]

For your 300WSM the best would be LAPUA and ADG!

Norma would be your best choice of what you say you already have. JMO

 

[azsugarbear]

I just recently switched over all my brass to Lapua. Tired of taking chances. Consistenct is king.

 

[FEENIX]

I shoot a 300 WSM and have shot Hornady, Norma Federal, and Winchester factory rounds. I have saved the brass for reloading and have done some. I have only used the factory brass that I shot previously in those factory rounds.
I have read some forums and some stated that factory loaded brass is not the same as getting new brass to reload.
Is this true and if so what is a good brass to purchase. I will be using it for hunting out to 500 yards, and I do some target shooting out to 1,000 yards.

There are so many out there and they all say they are the best.

Any suggestion and be kind.

Yes, there are plenty to choose from, which is a good problem to have. As you can see, there is always more than one train of thought; one would say use the best brass you can get, and the other, cull what you have, and you'll be fine. I have done both.

I have 2 .300 WSMs and some quality brass (i.e., ADG for .300 WSM, Peterson, and Lapua for a few cartridges) that most LRH members recommend. However, I have not used them because I still use some Winchester brass from the factory ammunition I used for barrel break-in/sighting-in. My current load is with 215 Berger at 2850 FPS out of 24" and is .5-.75 MOA at 966 yards when I do my part.

Even with the recommended quality brass, my load development is fine-tuned after being fire-formed from the rifle's chamber. Good luck, and enjoy the learning process.

ADDED: On my .338 Thor (NMI), I started with Lapua but I might also try Peterson's.