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How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Thor2j

Kriger
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 21, 2012
357
16
CO
Just seeing what people are getting for uses out of their Lapua .308 brass. I understand the MANY variables, but just trying to get a ballpark. I'm running fairly warm loads with an average of 43.7gr varget, but no over pressure signs what so ever. I'm on my 4th reload of the case.
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

43.7 gr of Varget is warm with what bullet? a 190+ grainer?

A lot of guys run 175 SMK's with 45.0 gr Varget.

If I run hot, 9 loads. If I run mild, well into the double digits. And it is always the loosened pockets that cause me to ditch them. And even then, I could probably go longer.
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Are you full length resizing or only neck sizing. I just recently bought some and im only neck sizing. Ill be running 44.5 or 45gr of varget through mine. I dont know how long my cases will hold up. Hopefully a while, they weren't cheap lol
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

If you can get 10 reloads out of them are they really that expensive for 100 cases?
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Sorry, 178gr a-max
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

I read a thread - perhaps here - by a fellow who compared full sizing and neck-only sizing, annealing and no annealing, and with no annealing and neck sizing he was getting a crazy number of uses (>100). I can try to dig up the thread. He did a relatively scientific "controlled" study of his own with a buddy.
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

I usually toss them after 10 loadings. I use 43.0gr of Varget with a 175gr SMK.
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

I am in the high 30 cycles* with 47.8 gr Varget pushing 155 Scenars and WIN brass. (*) depending on the sub-lot of the cases.
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Have gotten over 2 dozen with Palma loads and stopped counting after that..
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Im having to full length resize every time as its for an AR10.
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Would you expect these numbers to change much for a 260?
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Got a batch of Lapua that I've used 5 times in a Palma gun then 6 reloads thru an AR-10. Primer pockets seem to give it up first. Most loads were a little on the warm side, but brass still held up pretty well.
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

Keep the load mild and anneal the necks regularly (before the necks start to split) and Lapua brass will live pretty much forever.

That said, I run a modestly powered high production gopher load for my 223 bolt rifle and I pitched my Winchester brass after 15 firings. The brass was still good...I just lost my nerve.
smile.gif
 
Re: How many cycles on your .308 Lapua Brass

I have 15 firings on a set of 308 brass that is still hanging in there. Some of the 6 Dasher bench rest guys I've shot with had over 50 firings on there brass.