Palma Brass

[jsthntn247]

For you folks that have used Palma .308 brass. Did you have to add any powder to get the same groups and speed as with regular Lapua brass. What primers did you find worked best. I'm shooting the 215's and getting primer leakage and a few popped primers, so I just bought some Palma brass. Do you get similar pressure signs as with regualr brass i.e. ejector marks, clicks at top of extraction, hard bolt lift etc.

 

[MMERSS]

For you folks that have used Palma .308 brass. Did you have to add any powder to get the same groups and speed as with regular Lapua brass. What primers did you find worked best. I'm shooting the 215's and getting primer leakage and a few popped primers, so I just bought some Palma brass. Do you get similar pressure signs as with regualr brass i.e. ejector marks, clicks at top of extraction, hard bolt lift etc.

The main reason why I will shoot Lapua Palma 308 brass is for velocity spreads after confirming velocity spreads with regular Lapua 308 brass. If the Palma spreads seem to be improving then I will use the Palma brass. In some cases, the Palma brass with the small rifle pockets showed slightly lower spreads. I'm currently using Federal 205m and have not had an issue with the primers. Loads also were similar between the Palma and regular brass using either the 210m or 205m primers. Many competitive shooters are also using Russian Tula or Wolf SRM primers with good success. CCI 450 and BR4 are another alternative. I have also had very good luck with BR4 primers in Palma brass.

Most LR primer cup thicknesses are .027". If I'm not mistaken all small rifle cup thicknesses are less than this. Pressure issues with LR primers switching same load to Palma brass may not solve this problem but rather make matters worse. As always with any component change it is wise to work the loads back up.

 

[jsthntn247]

My primers were already getting loose in this brass. I was due for some new so I might as well try the palma brass out. I have some cci 450 primers on hand.

 

[MMERSS]

The 450's should work as long as you reduce your load and work back up.

Just curious what your load was with the 215's if you don't mind sharing.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Unless I'm hunting in cold weather, the Palma brass is all I care to use. Using the 205m versus the 210 large I do find that loads are slightly slower but it's not bad. Extreme spreads are lower with the small primer. With H4895 and H4350 my extreme spreads are in single digits.

If you're blowing primers running the 215s, your loads are too hot. The Palma brass can help but it's still probably too hot. Have you tried a slower powder? What is your velocity and barrel length?

I'm getting 2550'sec with the 215s over 48.0 grains of H4350 and the 205m in the Palma case. Zero pressure signs. Even using large rifle cases and primers there is zero pressure signs. They're mild to say the least. You can get enough H4350 in a 308 case to cause over pressure with 215s. I'm at 2648 with the 200 hybrid and 2601 with the 210 ALR. All with 48.0 grains and the 205m primer.

 

[jsthntn247]

42 grains of Varget at a 3.1 coal. The loads arnt hot, the pockets were too loose to begin with. When I used good brass I had no leakage or blown primer. Looks like I'm limited to 450 primers because that's all that can be had around here. I would like to try some tula or wolf 223m primers if I could find them.

 

[jsthntn247]

Shot the palma brass today. ES was extremely low 2-7 fps across all loads. The 450 primers must be as hot or hotter that wolf large rifle because 42 grains in the palma brass was 20fps faster than regular Lapua. Nodes were in the same powder ranges for both.'

 

[wilddog]

I shoot the 215's , 210 vld's in a 1:9 twist barrel , was out today with the 215's , use 47 gns of Vargent with BR-4 primers , get speeds of about 2650 getting groups of about 1/4 MOA at 200 Yards , have the chamber really throated out . This is for my FTR rifle.

Cheers

 

[wilddog]

Forgot to add they are molly coated , seem to get better results from the 210 VLD's , same load as I throated it out for the VLD's and the 215 HYB have about a 200 th jump

Cheers

 

[jsthntn247]

I shoot the 215's , 210 vld's in a 1:9 twist barrel , was out today with the 215's , use 47 gns of Vargent with BR-4 primers , get speeds of about 2650 getting groups of about 1/4 MOA at 200 Yards , have the chamber really throated out . This is for my FTR rifle.

Cheers

47gr of varget You must only get one firing out of your brass or the moly you use is some slick stuff.

 

[wilddog]

No , that is the advantage of the Palma brass , seems to take a lot more pressure , on about my 5th firing at the moment , also tried the 230's , with 46 grains of Vargent , shoots good at shorter ranges , up to 800 yards , seems to develop elevation problems at 1000 .
Also shoot Palma brass in my other FTR rifle , a 1:10 Madco shooting the 155.5 Fullbore bergers at 3015 with 47 gns of Vargent as well , 8 thou off the lands , absolutely great
Cheers

 

[jsthntn247]

I can't seem to get the palma brass to shoot as well as the lr. I tried br4 and 450 primers as they were the only ones I can get. Nodes are smaller and have vertical at 300. It's weird because my Lapua LR 215 load is jammed but shot well off the lands too. Nothing jammed in the palma brass shot well at all, strung vertically 1 moa and worse. Must have something to do with the primers. I would love to be able to shoot them and might revisit them with 4350 down the road.

 

[wilddog]

The problem with 4350 , you will not be able to get enough powder in , you will need 49 or so gns to get the same speeds , also will definitely need the 450 when using the slower powder , I jam the 210 VLD's and jump the 215's HYB

Cheers

 

[Michael Eichele]

No problem with H4350. With 205m primers I'm getting 2650 with the 200 hybrids, 2600 with the 210 ALRs and 2550 with the 215 hybrids. For a 308, these are screaming. All with 48.0 grains and all in single digit extreme spreads. In 17 years of 308 loading/shooting and 10s of thousands of rounds, H4350 in the Palma case and 205Ms with the heavies is hands down the best combination I have found to date. Using a Wyatt box, I can even use a short action as a repeater with these.