I'd like to hear some feedback on what brass you fellas are using in the 6.5 Creedmoor gas guns. I'm putting together a Palmetto variation. As much as I like Lapua brass, I'm not sure that feeding that through an AR would be cost effective. I know that in my DPMS 308, I prefer to use Winchester brass as opposed to Lapua and they get loose primer pockets quick enough. What say ye?
- Thread starter Mk4A1
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for the $, Starline. If you are going to be going through brass rather quickly, Starline. Peterson if you want the best, but it is near 3x the cost. Starline is very good if you do not run it hot.
Gas guns beat up brass... I was using Lapua in my .260 and it was taking a beating. Fortunately I got my Tikka T3x TAC A1, so have been shooting it mostly. I’ve got about 100 pieces of brass now designated for the AR 10, and the rest are being cycled through the Tikka.
Had I thought it through, I would have likely bought the cheapest brass I could find, or at least some cheaper brass, for the gas gun to eat.
Had I thought it through, I would have likely bought the cheapest brass I could find, or at least some cheaper brass, for the gas gun to eat.
I just went through the same decision. No way am I running Lapua through a gas gun, a suppressed one at that. I went with the bagged hornady from midsouth. It’s like $38 per 100, thats pretty hard to beat. I’ve always had decent results with hornady brass and early testing has produced a few .5 groups so I’m not complaining!
Exactly. That's the reason I use Winchester in my .308 and not Lapua. Starline might be worth a try. Much cheaper than anything else, I just don't know anything about it....in a rifle anyways.
Does the Hornady brass come with the small rifle primer pocket?
Hornady brass is large rifle.
I get 2, MAYBE 3, loadings in my 6.5c gas gun, but im running 123's at 2900, so im hammering it. Im running the JP high pressure bolt too which is supposed to help with brass life as well as primer piercing... i dont think it does much personally, but when I built this gun 4 years ago, 6.5c gas guns were not as main stream as now.
Im ok with it because the gun is a hammer with the load.
I get 2, MAYBE 3, loadings in my 6.5c gas gun, but im running 123's at 2900, so im hammering it. Im running the JP high pressure bolt too which is supposed to help with brass life as well as primer piercing... i dont think it does much personally, but when I built this gun 4 years ago, 6.5c gas guns were not as main stream as now.
Im ok with it because the gun is a hammer with the load.
Starline is very consistent, very solid internal case capacity numbers. I used it in my long range rig but it did not like running hot, so it is only used for practice at factory match type loads. On 9th firing right now in 6cm pushing 108 ELD at 2985. I run actual long range match loads in Perterson brass. 250 pieces of Starline for $126 or 151 for SRP version
That's interesting. You're running the Starline but primarily in practice loads and Peterson for your match (and monster masher) loads. Do you prefer the large primer style or do you use both?
How long have you been running the JP bolt? You're seeing a definite difference?
For the ARs I prefer the LRP, the SRP stuff craters bad and the LRP bras just seems to run better, less issues with ejection or jams.
Edit - Adding: The bolts are standard bolts with large firing pins. If I were to go to a high pressure bolt with small firing pin I would try the SRPs.
Edit - Adding: The bolts are standard bolts with large firing pins. If I were to go to a high pressure bolt with small firing pin I would try the SRPs.
Unless you built it with high pressure bolt and small diameter firing pin.
I've only put about 500 rounds through the gun, always with this bolt(im running a JP barrel and matched high pressure HP bolt). So I dont know any better. I just know when I was building this gun, there were lots of issues reported with regular 308 bolts and, at the time, the JP was the only option. I think now there are quite a few options for high pressure bolts, which all it is, as has been stated, is a small firing pin hole and small firing pin. But as far as brass life, I dont think it ADDS to brass life, the HP bolt is only to keep from piercing primers and having a ton of primer flow, as far as I understand it. And as hot as I run my load, ill take anything that helps.
I paid like $70 per 100 for my Hornady brass because thats all that there was then(in 2015). Lapua wasnt out yet, Starline, etc... I bought 500 pieces when I built the gun, used 100-125 for load development, then loaded 500 rounds. So 100-125 pieces of brass are once fired. Primers went in easy in those pieces compared to the virgin brass. Thats why I doubt I get 3 loadings out of it, but as I said, im abusing it running it so hard at 2900fps with a 123g bullet, but its a hammer with no pressure signs(maybe slight ejector swipe, but thats common on big frame AR's). So shit brass life IMO is part of the game. Somebody was experimenting with a push through die for a 20 ton shop press to swage the primer pockets back down, but I dont know if it went anywhere. If I was buying brass today it would be the Starline at ~50c a piece... thats cheaper than I paid for the Hornady brass and I GUARANTEE its higher quality. To me, if you get 3 solid firings out of brass in a 6.5c gas gun, thats a win, any more life is bonus points.
Palmetto gas gun? 1x fired brass of whatever you can find, sorted by headstamp.
If still looking for brass, give GWT a try. (Go West Trading) It is tough brass, lasts a long time, and is mil-spec whatever that means. It has less capacity so reduce your book loads by 2 grains and work up. It's very cost effective as well. (Large primer) I got mine at Sagesreloadingsupply.com new for about 30.00/50. It comes annealed, and seems to be better than Lapua as far as durability. They are also very consistent for me. I would never run Lapua anything through a semi auto, since I usually shoot them suppressed, and my Lapua brass is toast after one firing suppressed.
+1 to this. Only used the 338 Lapua brass from them but it was an outstanding performer. I ran it pretty hot for 8-9 firings before barrel went. Primer pockets still good too.
