Best 6.5 Creedmoor Brass (For the Money)?

[Joeg26er]

Best 6.5 Creedmoor Brass (For the Money)?

well, I have everything but nice LRP brass

Not wanting to pay Lapua prices
I found a comparison of 223 on precision rifle blog and Hornady came in second on es/sd of weight
but no data for length, primer pocket etc

I am deciding between Petersen and Hornady. Which and why? Leaning towards Petersen due to lower cost

 

[J McGriddle]

I personally stick with Lapua and Peterson. With Hornady 6.5 brass I will only get 5, maybe 6 firings before the primer pockets loosen up or early signs of case head seperation. Think of good brass as an investment.

ETA- if you aren't annealing, there's a good chance you'll be splitting necks by the 5th firing anyway and loose primer pockets are a non-issue.

 

[SonoranPrecision]

Best 6.5 Creedmoor Brass (For the Money)?

well, I have everything but nice LRP brass

Not wanting to pay Lapua prices
I found a comparison of 223 on precision rifle blog and Hornady came in second on es/sd of weight
but no data for length, primer pocket etc

I am deciding between Petersen and Hornady. Which and why? Leaning towards Petersen due to lower cost

I don’t understand this. You’re willing to buy Peterson brass for $0.90, but not Lapua for $0.95? And when you’re loading them 15+ times, that 5 cent difference, turns into less than a half cent difference, why not just buy Lapua at that point? And like already stated, you’ll buy Hornady twice for the amount of firings you’ll get from Peterson or Lapua.

 

[Newbie2020]

Lapua

 

[918v]

It’s whatever you can get right now.

 

[viking78]

Lapua, no doubt.
You can choose SR and new LR.
I have been using SR.
Reload over 1o time, no issues.
Just did a test with the Lapua Scenar-L 136gr test with Lapua brass.

 

[918v]

Hornady lasts 10 reloads as well If you stay under 60,000 PSI.

 

[viking78]

Lapua SR is the best, no question of that.
Lapua makes the best brass, ask for any one you know who shoot competition.

 

[918v]

Lapua SR is the best, no question of that.
Lapua makes the best brass, ask for any one you know who shoot competition.

so paying a fee and shooting a match makes one an expert on brass quality?

 

[Jmccracken1214]

so paying a fee and shooting a match makes one an expert on brass quality?

Duh... lol

I run lapua in my 223, its what was at the store when I was there. My 6.5, I run starline. I got a bunch a few years ago for $45/100 from brownells, its been fine. I anneal and i get consistent accuracy from it.

 

[Joeg26er]

Starline vs Petersen?

 

[AllenOne1]

Starline is what I consider a high value brand, price and quality are very good. You also have a choice of SFP or LRP. Premium brass would be the Lapua and Peterson and the price will reflect that. With the Starline you may want to do a little brass prep by uniforming the primer pocket and deburring the flash hole.

 

[whatsupdoc]

So you are asking what the best cheapest brass is?

 

[Shoots 700's]

Lapua and Peterson. I prefer small primer

 

[S3th]

1st: Peterson
2nd: Wait for Peterson

 

[DamnDave]

I just use Hornady. Works great and lasts me quite a few firings.

 

[SicVic]

I've got 40 firings on my Lapua Brass. (Longest lasting and still going)

Starline craps out between 15 and 20.
Lost some yesterday at 17th Reloading.

Oddly, basic Federal Brass lasts the same as my Starline does... On average...

I think it really depends on how you run it.

 

[hafejd30]

Between hornady and Peterson it be Peterson any day of the week. I’ve used hornady and it’s not as consistent and have seen it crap out in 5 loads on 6.5 CM. Primer pockets gone. It’s soft brass and sucks

You say “for the money” well that is Lapua. Lapua is consistent, ready to load from the box with zero prep and will outlast any brass out there. When you get a few more reloads on it compared to others it pays for itself

Buy 100 pieces of Lapua brass. Burn the barrel out. Repeat

If the cost of Lapua brass vs Peterson is your breaking point….then choose whatever you want as you won’t be shooting much anyways

 

[AllenOne1]

Between hornady and Peterson it be Peterson any day of the week. I’ve used hornady and it’s not as consistent and have seen it crap out in 5 loads on 6.5 CM. Primer pockets gone. It’s soft brass and sucks

You say “for the money” well that is Lapua. Lapua is consistent, ready to load from the box with zero prep and will outlast any brass out there. When you get a few more reloads on it compared to others it pays for itself

Buy 100 pieces of Lapua brass. Burn the barrel out. Repeat

If the cost of Lapua brass vs Peterson is your breaking point….then choose whatever you want as you won’t be shooting much anyways
View attachment 7646716

I take it you don't use new brass on a new barrel. That may work fine if going from one custom barrel to another but going from a factory to custom barrel I wouldn't recommend.

 

[Thesepaperwings]

If you're going once fired then the federal srp brass was made at Ruag. That's a steal for srp brass.

 

[acudaowner]

Lapua , peterson I will never know . I just use what I have 4k hornady factory once fired brass Works for me so far . good luck with what ever you use or can find .

 

[giumau1]

in the perfect world, buy berger ammo, shoot, reload lapua brass n times and shoot em, wait for the barrel to go south, repeat.
(perfect because I don't know when or where you'll be able to buy berger ammo...)

 

[918v]

If you're going once fired then the federal srp brass was made at Ruag. That's a steal for srp brass.

and yet it’s soft garbage

 

[Thesepaperwings]

and yet it’s soft garbage

The srp that only comes in the 140smk gmm? It's great brass, it was way over spec.

 

[hafejd30]

I take it you don't use new brass on a new barrel. That may work fine if going from one custom barrel to another but going from a factory to custom barrel I wouldn't recommend.

Huh?

My rule of thumb is new barrel/new brass. Can be 100-300 pieces of brass depending what the gun will be used for

 

[nn8734]

The srp that only comes in the 140smk gmm? It's great brass, it was way over spec.

Can’t speak for that particular brass but Fed 6.5 creed brass has super-thick walls, restricting the amount of powder one can charge the case with before pressure is reached, hampering velocity. Plus the primer pockets loosen up after only a couple firings (my personal experience with the large rifle primer Federal brass).

Lapua makes the best 6.5 Creedmoor brass that I have personally ever used and I will never use any other.

 

[Runnineh]

ADG!

 

[918v]

The srp that only comes in the 140smk gmm? It's great brass, it was way over spec.

I have some. After 3 mild loadings (140@2700) the primer pockets are loose.

 

[918v]

This shit right?

 

[John Glidewell]

Starline is good brass. Consistent internal capacity. Needs a bit of clean up, flash holes at min. Great value for $.
Alpha OCD is very consistent all around and you can run it very hard.
Peterson is very close to Alpha.
And all 3 are made in USA.

 

[Thesepaperwings]

Yeah that should be it. Hmmm, I'm probably on 11 reloads with mine and honestly I load hotter than I probably should. I only got 6 from my lrp federal brass but the srp are holding up like troopers

View attachment 7647063

This shit right?

 

[Legiopatrianostra]

Best 6.5 Creedmoor Brass (For the Money)?

well, I have everything but nice LRP brass

Not wanting to pay Lapua prices
I found a comparison of 223 on precision rifle blog and Hornady came in second on es/sd of weight
but no data for length, primer pocket etc

I am deciding between Petersen and Hornady. Which and why? Leaning towards Petersen due to lower cost

I like Prime but tuff to get

 

[John Glidewell]

I like Prime but tuff to get

Prime is Norma

edited to add, old Prime was Norma. After the dissolution of Ruag contract, the new Prime ammo is loaded in Peterson brass.

 

[RldrNewby]

Can’t speak for that particular brass but Fed 6.5 creed brass has super-thick walls, restricting the amount of powder one can charge the case with before pressure is reached, hampering velocity. Plus the primer pockets loosen up after only a couple firings (my personal experience with the large rifle primer Federal brass).

Lapua makes the best 6.5 Creedmoor brass that I have personally ever used and I will never use any other.

Would like to try Lapua LRP, but my searches have come up short, like most everything else related to reloading I’ve been looking for these days.

I started out reloading for my 6.5cm using 1x Fired Hornady American Gunner 140gBTHP brass. Got 8-10 firings before seeing stress signs & had a split neck, but I wasn’t annealing at that time either. A lot of folks didn’t speak highly of Hornady Brass, but it served me well on a budget.

Have since gone to Nosler Brass, bc I couldn’t find anything else, and just started loading it, so the jury is still out. If anyone knows where one could source some Lapua LRPs in 6.5cm in these lean times, please share. I hear they are as consistent as one can get, have long life expectancy if not loaded really hot, seem to produce great SDs with the right loads.

 

[Earnhardt]

I've got 40 firings on my Lapua Brass. (Longest lasting and still going)

Starline craps out between 15 and 20.
Lost some yesterday at 17th Reloading.

Oddly, basic Federal Brass lasts the same as my Starline does... On average...

I think it really depends on how you run it.

40 firings?
What bullet, powder and powder load?
Thanks

 

[JMGlasgow]

Alpha Munitions

 

[Mike Casselton]

So you are asking what the best cheapest brass is?

That's what I'm getting out of the question too.

My answer would be once fired range pickup Hornady brass.
All it costs is my time to pick it up, clean it and load them up.

I'll shoot it side by side with my Lapua brass and get the same accuracy.

Yes, it gets used to shoot out to 1200yds all the time.

Love the price.

 

[DubfromGA]

Recently added my first 6.5cm.
Scored on bullets….took longer to get powder.

The only brass I could get my hands on was Nosler. Sucked paying Lapua price for unknown quality….but I needed to get rolling.

Haven‘t used any of their brass.

Anyone had any experience with it ?

 

[SicVic]

40 firings?
What bullet, powder and powder load?
Thanks

This video gives the basic history of the Lot that I mentioned.
At the time of the video it was 30 firings and now is at 40.
PM me if you want more details as I don't want to hijack this post.
Thanks Man.

 

[lunatic209]

I’ve gotten more than 10 reloads with Hornady brass 2950 fps with Varget and 125 grn bullets under 10 es/sd

 

[OlsenG_360]

You guys have had way better luck with hornady 6.5 brass than me. 3 firings and you can't even glue those primers back in. Compared to 12 and counting on lapua brass, same bullet and velocity.

 

[918v]

3 firings to primer failure means you are exceeding max pressure.

 

[OlsenG_360]

3 firings to primer failure means you are exceeding max pressure.

Just trying to keep up with factory Hornady ammo that blows primers out of virgin brass

 

[918v]

Just trying to keep up with factory Hornady ammo that blows primers out of virgin brass

thats cuz your chamber is incorrect

 

[salks]

Lapua SR no doubt is the best value if you anneal and anneal properly. I don't keep real good track of it but I have to be in the twenties on mine .

 

[Mike Casselton]

You guys have had way better luck with hornady 6.5 brass than me. 3 firings and you can't even glue those primers back in. Compared to 12 and counting on lapua brass, same bullet and velocity.

If that's all you're getting, then your loads are smoking hot

 

[danatkins]

You guys have had way better luck with hornady 6.5 brass than me. 3 firings and you can't even glue those primers back in. Compared to 12 and counting on lapua brass, same bullet and velocity.

Seriously? I'm getting ready for number 4 on some I just loaded up and there were a majority that felt just as right as first time. Well 5th if you count the factory load when my 200 or so pieces of hornady brass goes in probably going to get some lapua but it's just not in the budget for me right now

 

[Ledzep]

I personally stick with Lapua and Peterson. With Hornady 6.5 brass I will only get 5, maybe 6 firings before the primer pockets loosen up or early signs of case head seperation. Think of good brass as an investment.

ETA- if you aren't annealing, there's a good chance you'll be splitting necks by the 5th firing anyway and loose primer pockets are a non-issue.

You guys have had way better luck with hornady 6.5 brass than me. 3 firings and you can't even glue those primers back in. Compared to 12 and counting on lapua brass, same bullet and velocity.

As was mentioned above, back your loads down, run a SAAMI reamer through your barrel, clean your rifle, or something to that effect to drop pressures. I have on multiple occasions done a "load to death" test with Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor cases and have never got fewer than 15-25 loads with a book max charge of H4350 in a SAAMI chambered barrel. Just because Lapua cases handle repeated 72,000psi loads doesn't mean what you're doing is any better.....

Just trying to keep up with factory Hornady ammo that blows primers out of virgin brass

See above. In a clean pressure test barrel, that ammo is <62ksi. Something about your rifle is causing pressures to be higher if you're consistently losing primers. If it's a single lot, that's probably a QC issue, but across lots it's probably a gun issue.

I'm not saying everything is always perfect, but about 4 years ago I switched over from Lapua to using Remington and then Hornady brass. I've isolated the brass in multiple tests of 20-50 rounds ea. In the tests I've done I can't see any meaningful difference in ES/SD. Sometimes Hornady edges Lapua out, sometimes Lapua edges out Hornady. We're talking like 11fps vs. 12fps for a SD. Accuracy is identical. When I lose a piece of Hornady brass at a match I say "oh well". Lapua is generally tougher and lasts longer but I'm not so convinced it's worth the extra cost for my application and loss rate. Lapua isn't above QC issues, either. I've had jacked up brass from them, too. YMMV

 

[J McGriddle]

As was mentioned above, back your loads down, run a SAAMI reamer through your barrel, clean your rifle, or something to that effect to drop pressures. I have on multiple occasions done a "load to death" test with Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor cases and have never got fewer than 15-25 loads with a book max charge of H4350 in a SAAMI chambered barrel. Just because Lapua cases handle repeated 72,000psi loads doesn't mean what you're doing is any better.....

It does mean that Lapua brass lasts longer. If you can get 15-25 firings with Hornady brass, you will get 30-40 with Lapua.

 

[4thandbleek]

I have a bunch of Hornady (600+) that are working well for me. Also bought 400 Nosler, only on 3rd reload but all are holding up well and seem to be a little better than the Hornady. I did buy a couple of cases of the Prime ammo mainly for the Norma brass, but I believe the Prime load is too hot, I have several out of the 200 that have too loose primer pockets after just firing the factory load, so don't expect them to last too long!