Hornady or Lapua Brass for 6mm Creedmoor.
- Thread starter Bl0407
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I've run Hornady for years and can't say I have ever had any issues with it. If I was going to go to anything else, it would probably be Alpha.
The 200 pieces I have sitting on the shelf were *very* consistent when checked on the scale, and they offer LR primer pockets instead of the small primers in Lapua.
Some receivers with large firing pins will pierce small rifle primers even at modest pressures. Not a universal thing, but some have experienced this.
That preference aside, there's no question Lapua is better quality. If you occasionally anneal the the necks of Lapua, it will last far longer than Hornady brass and be cheaper in the long run. It has a near indestructible case head/primer pocket, which is hornady’s weak point.
Peterson is another good option.
FWIW, I’d take a good look at Peterson brass. They offer large & small primer, guaranteed to be within 1 grain of each other & within .001” length. Across 200 cases of two lots, ALL were within 1.2 gn and .003” length, and neck walls didn’t wary more than .0005”
All at a lower price point.
They went well above & beyond on customer service for me when I screwed up an order. It’s all I’m buying from now on.
All at a lower price point.
They went well above & beyond on customer service for me when I screwed up an order. It’s all I’m buying from now on.
Thanks for the info my first 300 were Lapua but then I hear guys saying Hornady is all you need and it’s half the price. I do have an amp annealer so yes i’ll Be annealing. Thanks
Lapua does not have a "near indestructible case head/ primer pocket." Over pressure them and they will stretch out. Bump the shoulder too much and they will CHS.
Had a fair number of case head separations with Hornady after 6-8 firings which was not surprising and had no problems with SD, accuracy and consistency but the next 200 of Lapua brass has been better SD, consistency and primer pockets not loosening up. Both are good but Lapua will last longer. No case head separations so far with Lapua. Using 6.5 creed at modest pressures.
CHS is not caused by pressure, CHS is caused by over bumping shoulders. Lapua should last longer, but can be ruined easily also.
Reloader error should not be a criterion for comparison. You can destroy any piece of brass with poor reloading practices.
Lapua is superior to Hornady in every way except price.
Lapua is superior to Hornady in every way except price.
Lapua is absolutely worth the extra money, but it also depends on your shooting. Do you shoot enough volume for it to matter? Do you burn through barrels and stick to the same caliber? I've ran quite a bit of both and in my opinion, Lapua is actually cheaper. On average, I'd say I can get 6-8 loads out of Hornady brass before major issues start to pop up and the brass is garbage. Some lots/calibers may be a little more or a little less. The early 6.5 SAUM Hornady brass is absolute shit and only good for 1-2 firings. My 6creed Hornady brass went 8. Now my 6.5x47 Lapua brass has been used in 3 past barrels and is still going strong, and has been fired 14 times. The only brass showing any age is the stuff I shot at a match in downpour rain and mud conditions, some of those have looser primer pockets now. A couple guys I shoot with have the same brass and have used it 25+ times.
So premium brass (small primer pockets are even better) is wroth it if you plan on using the same cartridge barrel after barrel, and don't feel the need to experiment with new things each time. You also need to use proper reloading procedures so you don't cause wear prematurely. If you don't want to hunt down your brass after each use, or know that you will lose a bunch, then cheaper brass will get you through several firings just fine.
Compared to Hornady, they pretty much are. You gotta go way over the line with a Lapua creedmoor case to hurt it. Never lost a primer pocket, and some of my stuff has 25+ firings.
when I run 6creedmoor I buy 400 pieces and load it 3-4 times. By that time I'm getting split necks or bad primer pockets and its toast, but so is the barrel.
If you plan on running the creedmoor for more than one barrel then Lapua is worth it. If not get Hornady and toss it after 3 or 4 loadings.
If you plan on running the creedmoor for more than one barrel then Lapua is worth it. If not get Hornady and toss it after 3 or 4 loadings.
I just prefer LR primers, and have a pretty solid supply of them on hand, and no desire to switch.
To add to Hollywood's reply, the general consensus is that SRP brass primer pockets last longer than LRP primer pockets.
