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Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

freedomfighter

Private
Minuteman
Jul 22, 2010
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50
Galt's Gulch
I will be getting a .308 boltgun soon. Has anyone tried Lapua brass? I hate to just buy something because of a name but it is a pretty damn good name.

I was also thinking of getting a set of Lee custom collet dies. I guess you send them a couple of bullets and brass and they make you a custom set of dies. Anyone tried these?

As I'm sure everyone in this forum is, i'm obsessed with accuracy so i'm trying to figure out the absolute best components, for accuracy, to use with my load. I know all guns are different but I also know that all components aren't created equal either.

Thanks for the help.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: freedomfighter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I will be getting a .308 boltgun soon. Has anyone tried Lapua brass? I hate to just buy something because of a name but it is a pretty damn good name.

I was also thinking of getting a set of Lee custom collet dies. I guess you send them a couple of bullets and brass and they make you a custom set of dies. Anyone tried these?

As I'm sure everyone in this forum is, i'm obsessed with accuracy so i'm trying to figure out the absolute best components, for accuracy, to use with my load. I know all guns are different but I also know that all components aren't created equal either.

Thanks for the help. </div></div>

Accuracy is in the details.

I can get 30 year old Lake City milsurp brass to shoot well, if I spend enough time dialing things in.

I have 3 boxes of Lapua 308 brass, sitting in the closet for a rainy day. It's good stuff, no doubt.

Get a reloading manual, or two and start reading front to back and back to front. Then reread.

I like Redding bushing dies, personally.

Most importantly, get out and practice. Since this is your first bolt gun, you're probably inexperienced with precision weapons.

Chris
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

It shrunk my groups by 1/2. However, the brass used before was not prepped to match standards.

If I could give you any advice at all, it would be to use Lapua from the start and not have mixed up brass. Winchester is 90% as good prepped from the start, and if you weigh it it will be even more consistent.

If you anneal, trim, and neck size the brass you should get 15 reloads out of it. That's about 4.5 cents per use. I personally don't use any brass at all for precision work after 10th loading, after that it goes to the AR.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

It's outstanding brass. I neck my .308 down to 7mm-08 and right now it's shooting 1MOA @ 300. I had hoped the rifle would do better but the brass is incredibly consistent.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

Its probably the best brass you can use... i only use it when ever possible

In regards to the other components you are talking about, if you can, the Redding dies are without a doubt the best ones out there... go for those if you can
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

Well, its the first boltgun that I will have owned but i'm certainly not new to shooting. As far as precision, I worked up a load for my AR thats shooting around 1/2 moa at 100 yds and I think I can get it a little better. I do want to work on long range precision (hence getting a boltgun) and reading conditions and learning to use mil-dot correctly. I do have a lot of work and practice to do but its a labor of love. Thanks to all for your comments and advice.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

A buddy of mine's dad tried Redding .223 dies and was not happy at all with them. Kept getting jams. He's been reloading for over 20 years so I don't think it was human error. Has anyone else had this problem?

I guess it presents the question...collet or bushing and why?
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

I bought 400 Lapua 308 cases when I got my TRG 22. Great brass, very consitant in weight. Don't know if it increased the accuracy of the TRG since it's all I use in it. All my other 308's use my Winchester or LC brass.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

Lapua is all I use in my bolt guns. As someone else already stated...buy 3-400 cases and just use them and nothing else. It will make your life much easier.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: freedomfighter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A buddy of mine's dad tried Redding .223 dies and was not happy at all with them. Kept getting jams. He's been reloading for over 20 years so I don't think it was human error. Has anyone else had this problem?

I guess it presents the question...collet or bushing and why?</div></div>

If he's getting jams then I'm assuming he's loading for an AR. In which case you would want neither the collet or bushing type die. You would want a standard FL die or a small base FL die.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

+1 sandwarrior

Redding dies are top notch for bolt guns. If he is having jams, then he needs to look at Small Base dies for a semi-auto. they work the brass ALOT more though and likely reduce case life.

I have never had any problem with redding or RCBS FL dies for 223, but I have an M1a that I had to go to RCBS small base dies to prevent jams. The SB dies smothed out the problem, and I never load more than 5 firings from the M1a cases anyway, so brass life wasn;t a real big factor.

I now know that there will be a bunch of people posting about how they never had to use SB dies on anything and have fired 50 million rounds through an M1a using neck sizing dies or something, but all I am saying is in MY m1a the SB dies fixed my problems.

Back on topic, if you are loading for a bolt gun, you won;t go wrong with a redding die set.

madd0c
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

IMO its the best...I shoot it in all of my .308's. Now if they only made .260 brass!!
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

Brass:
1. Lapua
2. Nosler
3. Winchester
4. Lake City

That is the brass I load the most and have found to be very consistent. By far Lapua has been the best for me to use for my bolt guns. They never get used in my semi 308's.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

No doubt it is very goood. I am not sure about the added accuracy. At least in my shaking hands, they don't add that much. What I like about Lapua brass is that there is very little additional preparation needed before loading. Secondly, they last a long time. Some of my 308 brass have exceeded 15 loads easily and I load them hot. I also use Winchester brass for plinking as well. It is certainly good for the price.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

Lapua or Norma, its a toss up, then Win or old Lake City, a big + for Redding dies. I use all three but favour the Lapua.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

He is loading for an AR. Obviously, since its an AR, he uses the full length sizer. For some reason the Redding gave him fits but his RCBS works great as far as loading for the AR. Could have just been a bad apple amongst many good ones. They were more than willing to give him a new one so cust. service is good anyway. Since then he has just used the RCBS.

Anyway, I got sidetracked on ARs. Back to boltguns, which jams are certainly not going to be an issue...what makes Reddings better than the others? I'm intrigued by the Lee custom collet dies though. If they are made custom to the bullet and brass you are using...well...its just kind of arousing lol. I think they only want 55 bucks or so for them so i'm sure i'll try them out anyway. I'll be sure to post a review of them when I do.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

LAPUA is outstanding brass, the neck walls are very consistant and they last a long time. The only reason I use NORMA right now is I'm shooting a 7mag and lapua dont make brass for that. Norma is great brass too, the advice already posted about get good brass from the start is very sound, it will greatly reduce your time at the loading bench sifting/sorting and give you great consistancy. A really nice feature about Redding bushing dies is that you can easily control your neck tension with different bushings, and they are in my opinion the most well made as far as dimensions, finish etc. In general what you put into it will greatly dictate what you get out of it.
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RECKON SO</div><div class="ubbcode-body">LAPUA is outstanding brass, the neck walls are very consistant and they last a long time. The only reason I use NORMA right now is I'm shooting a 7mag and lapua dont make brass for that. Norma is great brass too, the advice already posted about get good brass from the start is very sound, it will greatly reduce your time at the loading bench sifting/sorting and give you great consistancy. A really nice feature about Redding bushing dies is that you can easily control your neck tension with different bushings, and they are in my opinion the most well made as far as dimensions, finish etc. In general what you put into it will greatly dictate what you get out of it.</div></div>

My problem with Norma is the case heads are softer. Very, very uniform brass. But load it up to the top and you may be tossing a bunch of them. Of all things I wanted some 7.65x53 brass without having to make it. The only thing at the gunstop at that time was Norma. So I bought 40 of them. One time I loaded up (course there was no point in it) and ended up tossing about 10 or so pieces. That was a buck each for them. And I only had reloaded them a couple times.

That was out of a 1909 Argentine. Something stupid in my mind said I should get upper end 30-06 velocities. I did, that one time. I blew one primer finally and decided to stop and pull the rest of the reloads.

For consistency the rifle was shooting 5" groups @ 300. not bad for a 1910-1911 made rifle. I didn't get that out of any other brass I used with that rifle. So I assume that was decent quality.

<span style="color: #3333FF">Edit:

So in reference to the post I would say for consistency Norma is as good as Lapua. For hardness no. If you load at the upper end of the scale to get your rifle to shoot Norma won't last you like you think.</span>
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

I have used 300 pieces of Lapua brass for my 308 since I got the rifle, stood up well and I haven't lost a single one yet, I run a stout load of Varget under a Scenar and get very good accuracy.

The first thing I bought for reloading for my new 243 win was a 100 ct of lapua brass.

Redding comp seater dies are very nice!
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

Shame lapua dont make 300winmag brass... need to get Norma for that, but besides that I would use Lapua for everything that I possibly could.

Once you use it, you wont turn back
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

It has been said but winchester brass seperated for weight is just as good in my opinion when you factor in cost. I am using 7-08 winchester brass necked down to 260 and after first firing i have shot 0.2 moa at 600 yds. i can do that on first firing at 100yds.
Also, +1 on redding bushing dies!
 
Re: Anyone tried Lapua .308 brass?

I've also had great luck with Winchester after separating and sorting by neck thickness. I know the Lapua is more consistent in this regard but win brass is great if taken through all the proper prep steps. The win brass is a little more roomy as well, which matters to me with my 208gr amax + RL 17 load.