Noob Question - New Lapua Brass Dented

R_Swanson

Active Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2022
Messages
41
Location
AZ
Hi all,

Thanks for dealing with my noob question. I hate starting threads like this, but I am new to reloading and learning how to reload with the help of forums like this. When I googled the only threads I found on this subject were from forums I have never seen, and the threads were ~10 years old and inconclusive.

Is this normal? This is brand new 300 PRC Lapua brass. This is from one case of 100 pieces. So 25/100 pieces of brass seem out of round, and 12 of those are dented.

The top pic is the most dented brass.
The second pics is brass that is definitely out of round, but not as bad.
The third pic is a closer representation of the what the brass in the top picture looks like.

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As of lately that's about normal for Lapua. Not sure why but the last 5 or so boxes from them in various cartridges have had a few really bad ones. I just hit them with a expander mandrel. The 300 prc I got I don't think you could have seated a bullet without running them thru a mandrel first the necks were so tight.
 
I don't use a sizing die on new brass, there's no reason IMO since the first firing is a crap shoot anyways. I mandrel the necks, load, and shoot:
I usually do unless I really don't care about accuracy. Bent brass isn't very conducive to accuracy; running them through a die usually bends things straight and adjusts neck tension.
 
I don't use a sizing die on new brass, there's no reason IMO since the first firing is a crap shoot anyways. I mandrel the necks, load, and shoot:
I used to just mandrel new Lapua brass. The last batch of 6.5 Creedmoor brass I got wasn't neck sized properly. Bullets would slide into the cases with finger pressure! Now I full length size all before loading. Jm2cw
 
I don't use a sizing die on new brass, there's no reason IMO since the first firing is a crap shoot anyways. I mandrel the necks, load, and shoot:
I used to just mandrel new Lapua brass. The last batch of 6.5 Creedmoor brass I got wasn't neck sized properly. Bullets would slide into the cases with finger pressure! Now I full length size all before loading. Jm2cw
 
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