Brass

Post by **Yote_man1** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:07 pm

I am wondering if anybody knows of a place where i can find Lapua brass at a cheaper price. I shoot a .243 Ackley Imp. and like the softer Lapua for fire forming. The cheapest i have found them so far is about $0.47 a piece. I seem to leave too many empty cases laying under the snow in pastures around the state. It is getting a little expensive. Any help or leads would be appreciated.

Anyone have experience fire forming other brands or types of brass? I am curious about different opinions. I have had nothing but bad luck with Winchester and any nickel plated. They are just too hard or brittle.

Post by **LeviM** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:52 pm

I was looking around for Lupua brass for a 22-.250 and couldn't find any, does anyone know if Lapua makes brass for a 250??

Yoteman1 - I was looking around and couldn't find any cheaper Lapua brass.

What other brand of brass do people like to use??

Post by **lyonch** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:24 pm

I was informed that lapua doesn't make brass for the .22-250

oh well just have to find another brass that works i guess. I have some brass that i will reload from hornady manufactured bullets that i will experiment my powders and bullet weights with. Once i find that load i will buy the brass and just mass produce.

Post by **Coyotehunter** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:20 pm

I have not had much luck with the nickle plated, to hard and brittle. I have used the Winchester Super and have had decent luck with it in me .22-6MM. When I fireform I drop down a bit in the powder charge due to the smaller case (shoulder not blown out yet). Before I back load I go through them pretty thurough. Uniform pockets, debur flash holes, case trim and turn down the necks. If I have any excessive web stretching I will pitch the case. With the 6MM I do not have alot of options in brass but the Winchest has been better than some of the other brass I have found for that caliber. I have a .22-.250 AI that I have not done much with yet. I have been using the Rem. R-P brass and it seems to be a stoudt case.

Post by **Yote_man1** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:37 am

Federal has made a pretty good brass for a 250 that i used to get from Natchez shooting supply. They were really good on price. I have always loaded my bullets out until they touch the lands in the barrell when fireforming. This makes a lot more pressure so the charge has to be backed off. I think it helps the cases sit tighter and more uniform. I have heard benchrest shooters pull out the ejector pin so the case sits flush against the bolt face. I have never done this because i figure a coyote is a little bigger than the 10 ring on most targets

I like the softer Lapua because in my ackley it seems it takes about two or three firings to completerly fireform them. I just want to know that if i miss a yote it is all operator error.

Post by **Coyotehunter** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:52 am

good info

Post by **Prairie Ghost** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:53 pm

You bet great discussion

Post by **LeviM** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:05 am

I am really new to reloading, Actually I have never done before in my life. Is fireforming the same as Annealing?? Or are they two different proccess?

Post by **Coyotehunter** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:00 am

different

Post by **lyonch** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:14 am

It looks like it is back to the drawing board for you fella

Post by **LeviM** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:58 pm

damn

Post by **LeviM** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:11 pm

Okay I know annealing is a proccess of heating up the neck and shoulder to soften harden brass. Right, anyone correct me if I am wrong!

Now Fireforming???? I have been trying to look it up and I haven't found any good websites, its like trying to understand japanesse!

Post by **Yote_man1** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 5:31 pm

You firefrm a cartridge to decrease body taper and increase shoulder angle, resulting in a higher case capacity. On an Ackley the case is blown out to make the taper less from the shoulders down and the shoulders are blown out to 40 degrees. The less taper the less case stretching you get. It really all come down to increasing case capacity and using the capacity more efficiently to produce speed and in turn keep the presure under control.

This link explains it better than i can
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildcat_cartridge

Post by **Coyotehunter** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:11 pm

When you fireform you are conforming your brass to your chamber. Once your brass is fireformed you then can resize just the neck of the case when you backload. Or you can full length resize to a preset standard contour regardless of your chamber dimensions. typically your rounds will feed smoother with more taper to the case but you will reduce some case capacity by doing so with any given load. With more case capacity you can use a slower burning powder that will give you a smoother pressure rise and increased accuracy. Also less brass flow from the web of the case to the neck when you blow out the side walls and increase the angle of the shoulder. This is done by your gunsmith when he chambes your barrel. Fireforming is just the act of loading and fireing of a new case in your chamber, basically customizing you brass to your chamber. In doing so, just back loading and only resizing the neck, your brass should not be used in any other rifle then the chamber it is matched with.

Post by **LeviM** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:18 pm

Thanks for the Reply Boys!!

This sounds like a college class I should of taken! The only reason I ask is because I was wondering if I should be concerned with it while reloading a 22-250? Man there is more to reloading than a guy thinks!!