How does the brass you use effect accuracy?

[gilcarleton]

I am just getting into long range shooting but have been reloading for years. I have always purchased the same brand of brass for reloading but have wondered if it actually effects accuracy. I am having a 7mm RSAUM built and have been shopping for brass. I can buy Norma brass or I can pay twice as much and buy Nosler brass. I have read that most shooters weigh their brass and try to shoot the same weight but I really do not know why. Would someone please explain to me why one brand of brass will be more accurate than another?

Thanks,

Gil

 

[winmagman]

Gil,

I'm not convinced one brand is more accurate than the other, but I am certain some brands are more consistent than others. Consistent is what accuracy is all about.

You can take Remington brass and put in the time to cull out X number of cases that conform to a consistent set of specification, say 60 out of 100, those 60 should produce excellent accuracy if used in proper load development.

Or you can go buy a box of Lapua/Norma/RWS/Nosler and avoid the need to cull. You pay for the consistency in cash instead of time sorting. Another advantage to to the higher dollar brass is generally better case life.

Also, I believe Norma makes Nosler brass, its just not prepped.

Chris

 

[royinidaho]

Hmmmmm,

In a '06 family of cartridges I've used W-W/Winchester brass exclusively over Remington. Rem brass has less capacity and is softer than the win brass. However, I haven't purchased any Winchester cases in the last 20 years.

Don't know what the current stuff is like.

Winmagman included Nosler brass with Lapua/Norma/RWS brass. I guess that's OK if pressures are kept WELL below max. At extreme pressures Nosler gave me 1 firing per case. And Remmy cases shot just as consistently.

The biggest variable I've come across that affects consistency is neck thickness. This is when loading extreme magnums to extreme magnum performance.

If you can get Lapua cases for your cartridge that would be the way to go. RWS, when I could get it, was great also. I have some doubts about Norma thus have never tried it as it doesn't come in the cartridges I shoot.

 

[MR T]

Gil,

I'm not convinced one brand is more accurate than the other, but I am certain some brands are more consistent than others. Consistent is what accuracy is all about.

You can take Remington brass and put in the time to cull out X number of cases that conform to a consistent set of specification, say 60 out of 100, those 60 should produce excellent accuracy if used in proper load development.

Or you can go buy a box of Lapua/Norma/RWS/Nosler and avoid the need to cull. You pay for the consistency in cash instead of time sorting. Another advantage to to the higher dollar brass is generally better case life.

Also, I believe Norma makes Nosler brass, its just not prepped.

Chris

+1
I bit the bullet and got 100ct Lapua brass. And I have lost count of times I have resized them.

 

[gilcarleton]

Hi Chris, I am sure you are correct but what I am trying to understand is what is it about the brass that would make it shoot differently if one case was a few grains heaver than another. Is it that the burn rate of the powder would be different in a case that has a thicker wall even though they both contain the same amount of powder? There are so many variables in loading that often I wonder if I am even asking the right question. How close in weight do you want your cases before they get culled?

Thanks so much for the help,

Gil

 

[gilcarleton]

Hi Roy,
Glad to know about Nosler. They want almost as much for their brass as they do their ammo. When I had my .338 I use to shoot the nickle plated Federal brass. I rarely shot over 200 yds so I need to learn about all of the variables that I never needed to think about.

I don't think Lapua makes brass in RSAUM. If they do, I have not been able to find any. From everything I have read I believe it is the best brass but I am still looking.

Thanks for the help.


Best wishes,

Gil

 

[dkhunt14]

If the weight of the case is bigger or smaller the capacity changes. When the capacity changes so does the pressure, which changes the velocity. A lot of the longerange target guys fill the case with alcohol and weigh them empty to full and check capacity. They say it is more accurate because it measures volume. Because by weighing, the weight could be in the base and not change volume much.

Nosler is made by Norma. I believe they weigh them and sort for you. It is also possible the mixture of metals is what Nosler wants. If you look at Lapua and compare to others, they look darker in color. They use a different percent of copper, bronze and zinc in theirs. I like Lapua but I also like Norma. RWS is really good and is also really strong brass. The problem is Lapua and RWS isn't made in a lot of cartridges that we use. Winchester is almost impossible to get because they have been using all their brass to make ammo. Matt

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Its all about consistency

Volume
Flash hole dia and alignment
Primer pocket dia and depth
thickness and concentricity
Composition
Hardness

The closer these are the better
This is what you pay for

 

[gilcarleton]

Thanks Matt. That has pretty much cleared things up for me. I think I will order the Norma brass with alcohol. It seems that you would have to prime it first to that the alcohol does not run out. I wonder if it will hurt the primers.

Thanks again for the help,

Gil

 

[Mateo]

Yeah, you will need new primers. Ive sorted brass by volume using water. It works fine. Just need the same 'dip' in the water surface tension at the top of the case. A question I have for the more Experienced reloaders is: should measuring by volume only be done in fireformed brass? Or does it matter? Just Full Length size it, seat a primer and go start measuring?

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Brass must be fully fireformed ( at least one or two firings ) with out being resized. You can leave the spent primers in or remove them and put them in backwards.

I clean cases thoroughly in ultra sonic cleaner to remove carbon build up.

Water alone has high surface tension and will form a positive or negative meniscus at the top of the neck skewing results.

Use alcohol or water cut with alcohol for better consistency.

After weight sorting and volume sorting thousands of cases i deemed it a waste of time for the shooting i do. Too small of variance. Easily drowned out by other variables.

Consider this, a piece of brass is .01" longer than nominal and another is .005" short. By measuring up to the neck with a heavy medium as water you derived two different volumetric values and culled one of the cases. In actuality the bullet takes up the space where the deviation was found having zero effect on the actual function of the case.

My point? Unless all other variables are controlled to similar standards you results will not change. I.E. Waste of time.

 

[desertbull]

seating depth, neck tension and accurate, consistent powder measuring are much more important than case volume in my opinion.

 

[FearNoWind]

seating depth, neck tension and accurate, consistent powder measuring are much more important than case volume in my opinion.

Ditto !!!

I wonder if some of you guys have too much time on your hands

When I get good enough to split a cat hair at 100 yards I'll weigh the brass. Until then my focus is on overall case length, neck tension, seating depth, cleaning necks (and turning as necessary) so I can consistently hit a coke bottle cap at 100 yards.