Newbe concerning using new un-fired brass

[epags]

I am a newbe when it comes to using new un-fired brass.

I have bit the bullet and just ordered and received 200 pieces of ADG new unfired brass in 7 mm Rem and have another lot of Lapua 243 brass coming. I have a number of questions:

1. Should I run new brass through a sizer (ADG states that neck damage might have occurred in handling/shipping)?
2. De-bur the flash hole? (They (ADG) all look like that they have been deburred already)
(I did debur the inside and outside of the necks.)
3. Should the 7 mm Rem be fire-formed (using a starting load).
I was planning to use Reloader 22, however the min. starting loads in the manuals vary from about 57 grains to 64 grains (and maximum from 66.2 to 68). I know there is a danger in using too low of a powder charge.
If I use Alliant's guidance (64 starting to 68 max) the velocity is only 2,919 to 3,136 FPS which doesn't look like much of a starting load. Comments/suggestions?

Thanks in advance for helping since I have always used re-cycled brass and don't want to shorten the life on brass that costs almost $2/piece. LOL

 

[trigger puller]

I load and shoot, if the cases necks are dented you can run them through to clean the necks up. As for primer pockets the should be uniformed this brass is not Winchester or Remington it is good stuff. I personally use Peterson brass but ADG is really good. As for loads you will have to work up a load don't worry about fireforming just start with your load workup. I always use the Powder Manufacture's load data and work up till I see pressure while looking for a wide node that the velocity is stable.

 

[GLTaylor]

Ordinarily I would agree 100%. However, i just got 100 pcs of new Lapua brass for the Creedmoor. Some were so fat they caused hard bolt closure. When checked in a case gauge, some were oversized? Never had this happen before with Lapua, ADG or Peterson. Had to pull bullets and FL resize the whole lot! Hope this isn't a trend, but I'll sure check before loading in the future.

 

[epags]

Ordinarily I would agree 100%. However, i just got 100 pcs of new Lapua brass for the Creedmoor. Some were so fat they caused hard bolt closure. When checked in a case gauge, some were oversized? Never had this happen before with Lapua, ADG or Peterson. Had to pull bullets and FL resize the whole lot! Hope this isn't a trend, but I'll sure check before loading in the future.

I will check the Lapua brass when it arrives tomorrow. Thanks for the caution.

 

[aushunter1]

When I have used Lapua I usually just load & shoot but obviously I inspect each cartridge.
If they have a ding in the neck I just run it through a mandrel.
The first time I did start to use a flash hole debur & primer uniformer but they basically removed next to nothing so I would rather save my time & do it when it needs to be done like after one or 2 firings.

I think its the best brass on the market myself.

 

[GLTaylor]

Again, I agree. I've never had anything but praise and good luck with Lapua brass. This is a first for me. Hope it was an anomoly.
G
Edited to add: over 20% were oversize out of 100 cases. Too fat in diameter.

 

[trigger puller]

I would contact Lapua that should not be the case for brass of that quality

 

[ShtrRdy]

Good advice here. You should be able to develop a load using new brass. After it has been fired you will likely have to bump the powder charge weight down very slightly to get your load to have the same velocity.

 

[epags]

Received 100 pieces of Lapula 243 brass. Decided to run it through my sizer. Some seemed easier than others. At any rate the flash holes look great and the OAL is consistent and there appears no burs on the neck ( unlike the ADG brass I received last week.).
This week I will reload 5 rounds each from 90% to 100% of my best load and see if the accuracy improves over my avatar.

 

[trigger puller]

If the load you have been shooting is out of Winchester, Remington or Hornady brass you are going to have to drop your load quite a bit. Lapua brass will have less case capacity, I would drop a full grain of powder and work up in .2 or .3 grains looking for pressure. Good luck and post your results

 

[epags]

If the load you have been shooting is out of Winchester, Remington or Hornady brass you are going to have to drop your load quite a bit. Lapua brass will have less case capacity, I would drop a full grain of powder and work up in .2 or .3 grains looking for pressure. Good luck and post your results

The original load was a max. load. I plan to drop 10% and work up in 1.0 grain increments. Then refine in 0.2 grain changes. The brass I was using, and I had a lot of once fired, was RP brass.
I must confess, I have not compared RP brass with Lapua. I have never done a water volume comparison and am not sure how to do so and get an accurate reading. Any suggestions/references will be appreciated.

 

[trigger puller]

It's your gun but there is no way that I would go up 1.0 grains at a time. If the load you were using is a max load you definitely need to drop at least 1 grain of powder. Weigh the cases that you were using and then a Lapua case you will see real quick how much difference there is. I will give you an example, in my 6.5 SLR I was loading Hornady brass with Varget at 41.7 grains loading a 130 RDF when I switched to Peterson brass my load is 40.2gr for the same velocity. This is the same lot of powder and primers.

 

[epags]

It's your gun but there is no way that I would go up 1.0 grains at a time. If the load you were using is a max load you definitely need to drop at least 1 grain of powder. Weigh the cases that you were using and then a Lapua case you will see real quick how much difference there is. I will give you an example, in my 6.5 SLR I was loading Hornady brass with Varget at 41.7 grains loading a 130 RDF when I switched to Peterson brass my load is 40.2gr for the same velocity. This is the same lot of powder and primers.

Misunderstanding....10% reduction is 4+ grains...so I am being very conservative. Or have I gotten something wrong?

 

[trigger puller]

I dropped 2 grains and then loaded in .3 grains to find my load. I am not at max for my gun but I did go up to 41.5 to find where pressure was. Dropping 4 grains is not going to hurt anything but you will use that much more powder, primers and most importantly barrel life. I don't know how many rounds you have on your barrel but a 243 will eat barrels, ask me how I know.