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Lapua or alpha 6bra brass?

Matt_3479

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Oct 12, 2009
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Got my first 6bra on its way. Wondering if people are getting better results with Lapua or alpha brass? Do they handle pressures the same? Hold similar velocities? Lapua is roughly 40 bucks cheaper in Canada
 
From memory Lapua doesn't have a 6BRA option (need to fire form from 6BR) but Alpha does if that is a concern.......
 
At this point it suprises me that people even have questions about brass and 6BR. Weird or uncommon stuff sure, there are other brands out there that might let you get away without fireforming. But you have to ask yourself, if you're not willing to or dont know how to fireform brass for wildcats or at least uncommon cartridges then should you really be chambering for it?

On brass brands in particular. I believe brass should be looked at like the model T ford......you can have any one you like, so long as its lapua.
 
Proven track record versus an owner who blames the end user when his shit brass blows up guns
 
Lots of great reviews from Accurate Shooter on the Alpha brass. But as said above, Lapua is consistently great too, you can't go wrong. FWIW, personally if the Alpha were available after I built my gun that's what I would have started with, just to save some wear on the barrel.
 
Can you point us to where others have talked about these issues. Im interested as i have not read much about Alpha brass and thought it was good stuff. I was about to order some and am hesitating now. Would love to read more about these issues others have had. Thanks for any info.
 
Can you point us to where others have talked about these issues. Im interested as i have not read much about Alpha brass and thought it was good stuff. I was about to order some and am hesitating now. Would love to read more about these issues others have had. Thanks for any info.
The 6BRA group on FB

Various other posts/groups on FB

It typically ends with Mike Keenan and Tom Danielson shitting on the end user
 
At this point it suprises me that people even have questions about brass and 6BR. Weird or uncommon stuff sure, there are other brands out there that might let you get away without fireforming. But you have to ask yourself, if you're not willing to or dont know how to fireform brass for wildcats or at least uncommon cartridges then should you really be chambering for it?

On brass brands in particular. I believe brass should be looked at like the model T ford......you can have any one you like, so long as its lapua.

It isn’t the fire forming part as I fire form to chamber before finalizing load regardless it’s more so to see if people were having better luck with alpha, for pressure, velocity, accuracy etc
 
It isn’t the fire forming part as I fire form to chamber before finalizing load regardless it’s more so to see if people were having better luck with alpha, for pressure, velocity, accuracy etc
If you buy Lapua, the brass will be 6BR Norma. I assume you are goinng to buy alpha 6BRA brass. You will have to take the extra step to fireform the BR brass into 6BRA. Not a big loss in time and effort as you would likely be doing the same to the BRA cases anyway.

So far as brass, why would you look for anything other than lapua if you didnt have to? Proven track record and used by the vast overwhelming majority of competitors from the pointy end right down to joe blow. Go to any match of any discipline and you will see the majority of people running it. The only excuse to NOT run Lapua brass is for something like the 7SAUM where you cant make it from one of their options.

There is literally thousands of threads allover the net on Brass and lapua brass specifically. You want good info on the BR family? You are FAR more likely to find it over on 6mmBR/Accurate shooter than here by virture of disciplines.

If you want to use Alpha, go right ahead. You could do the testing yourself like any of the top competitors do and report back with your findings.
 
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If you buy Lapua, the brass will be 6BR Norma. I assume you are goinng to buy alpha 6BRA brass. You will have to take the extra step to fireform the BR brass into 6BRA. Not a big loss in time and effort as you would likely be doing the same to the BRA cases anyway.

So far as brass, why would you look for anything other than lapua if you didnt have to? Proven track record and used by the vast overwhelming majority of competitors from the pointy end right down to joe blow. Go to any match of any discipline and you will see the majority of people running it. The only excuse to NOT run Lapua brass is for something like the 7SAUM where you cant make it from one of their options.

There is literally thousands of threads allover the net on Brass and lapua brass specifically. You want good info on the BR family? You are FAR more likely to find it over on 6mmBR/Accurate shooter than here by virture of disciplines.

If you want to use Alpha, go right ahead. You could do the testing yourself like any of the top competitors do and report back with your findings.

I understand that, I know I would have to fire form to 6bra from Lapua. It was just to see if people were receiving better luck with the new alpha ocd brass over the Lapua. I’m just going get Lapua. Like mentioned it’s 40 dollars cheaper anyways
 
By the time you fireform 400 pieces you have 200 rounds on 2 different barrels and enough brass life to shoot both out
 
By the time you fireform 400 pieces you have 200 rounds on 2 different barrels and enough brass life to shoot both out

Not a bad idea. The gun is coming with 1900 rounds on a benchmark and a second blank. Was going send off to chamber in 6bra with a different smith (my smith) but maybe I should send off to his smith and use the 1900 round barrel for fireforming and the fresh barrel as a shooter.

Anyone have an idea on barrel life on the bra?
 
Would like to know how many that have posted here about their own personal experiences with Alpha OCD BRA brass or is it interweb BS? I shoot the BRA and have run both and while the early Alpha BRA brass experienced some issues they were due to different chamber reamers (problems with wildcats, heck talk to all the early Dasher shooters...me being one because of all the different reamers that were out there). I can tell you that BOTH the 6BR Lapua and the OCD BRA brass perform excellent. Alpha was smart and got together with Alex Wheeler (the man) when they developed their BRA brass. Get on Accurate Shooter!
 
Not a bad idea. The gun is coming with 1900 rounds on a benchmark and a second blank. Was going send off to chamber in 6bra with a different smith (my smith) but maybe I should send off to his smith and use the 1900 round barrel for fireforming and the fresh barrel as a shooter.

Anyone have an idea on barrel life on the bra?
For the best accuracy, I would fireform the brass with the same barrel I was going to shoot the brass in. Even if it's chambered by the same smith using the same tools, it doesn't mean that the two chambers will be identical. Though I'm sure they'll be very close.
 
Glen Kulzer just set a IBS 1000yd heavy gun record with a 2.695" group.


Oh ya....with a 6BRA


Oh. Ya....brass? Alpha.


No dog in the fight. But the 10 pieces he used must been alright.
 
Glen Kulzer just set a IBS 1000yd heavy gun record with a 2.695" group.


Oh ya....with a 6BRA


Oh. Ya....brass? Alpha.


No dog in the fight. But the 10 pieces he used must been alright.
The brass might be the best there is(its not). But Tom is a douche.

I've seen guns blow up because of alpha brass and its just a massive blame game with him and his dick riders
 
The brass might be the best there is(its not). But Tom is a douche.

I've seen guns blow up because of alpha brass and its just a massive blame game with him and his dick riders

And that's where I haven't read up on.


I will be having a couple barrels spun up this winter. One in a 6bra or dasher. One of the deciding factors is factory brass or easiest forming. Need to do my homework and make decisions.
 
For the best accuracy, I would fireform the brass with the same barrel I was going to shoot the brass in. Even if it's chambered by the same smith using the same tools, it doesn't mean that the two chambers will be identical. Though I'm sure they'll be very close.

I feel you there but I contacted the smith and he has the same reamer that chambered my barrel. I feel like it has to be close enough to be able to swap back and forth like that. Otherwise the barrel with 1900 on it is basically trash when it could potentially last another 300-700 rounds
 
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I’m thinking about trying out the alpha brass for my next 6BRA barrel. Seems like folks have been having good luck with the OCD brass.


I know the early 6GT brass was plagued with issues, which I also have for a 22GT I had spun up. Running 37.6 gr of H4350 and 95gr SMK’s at 3260. So super hot. My AI has yet to blow up. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Mike Wilson got a 1.068" group at 1000 yards in 2018 shooting a 6BRA using Lapua brass. I don't think you can go wrong with this cartridge.
 
Pretty strong words right there. Please provide factual evidence of that and not just words
Might be pretty hard to find the FB thread as its been probably 2 years and the shooter has since passed. But it was a tubb gun and the receiver was trashed. national champion high power shooter. 6XC. norma and peterson brass no issues same barrel.
 
Pretty strong words right there. Please provide factual evidence of that and not just words
Since AccurateShooter was brought up earlier.

More than one thread over there about it

Here's your factual evidence. Btw this happened twice.
 

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And you know what. Shit happens. Bad batches of metal exist. Spuhr has had cracked clamping rails

But spuhr owns it and fixes the problem

Alpha responds poorly at best to anyone who has a negative comment or critique

Anyone every wonder why they had to make OCD brass? I'm sure it has nothing to do with original brass being softer than legit everyone else
 
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The OCD brass was a fix to the original brass' problems but the problems of the original brass was never admitted to or acknowledged by Alpha. If there was a problem with your brass, it was your fault, not the brass. I never had an issue dealing with them personally but i saw it all the time in the dasher group on FB. I have 3 firings on the original dasher brass that now sits in a box on the floor of my reloading room, along beside the .25CM brass as well. I'll only use it if i run out of lapua and can't get anymore.
 
Might be pretty hard to find the FB thread as its been probably 2 years and the shooter has since passed. But it was a tubb gun and the receiver was trashed. national champion high power shooter. 6XC. norma and peterson brass no
Might be pretty hard to find the FB thread as its been probably 2 years and the shooter has since passed. But it was a tubb gun and the receiver was trashed. national champion high power shooter. 6XC. norma and peterson brass no issues same barrel.
Wow, again confusing everyone on chamber issues with this 6XC story. The Aplpha brass is 6XC II and not developed to Tubbs reamer, and yes there was big issues there but Alpha’s fault... not totally. David needed brass people to help him since Norma wouldn’t play anymore so Alpha stepped up to help but communication issues resulted in wrong spec’d brass( Alpha wanting to know stuff that David didn’t want to give out— don’t blame him) Peterson stepped up and made great brass for him without all the questions. Again the problems with wildcats and Ackley’s there’s always folks out there tweeting stuff and not wanting to give out there whole spec’s and folks need to understand that. Lapua is the king no doubt but there are also folks having issues with Lapua, why? because of chambering issues! Is true Alpha had issues starting out but so has everyone that makes stuff for these new calibers and chambering. Folks just need to educate themselves and just like Alpha and other component mfgrs adapt and be sure that’s what to want to produce or want to shoot before you jump on the train!! Heck I remember Lapua’s first batch of 260 brass, it was shit but even though they said it was produced to spec it was shit and they knew it. They corrected the issue and everyone moved on. Education is the best tool but there is so much crap for some folks to sift through but it’s easy to pile on through the inter web!! Go day folks and have a great 4th!!!
 
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it's not just 6XC brass that had problems...

either way

it's more of a character thing for me
 
it's not just 6XC brass that had problems...

either way

it's more of a character thing for me
It’s all good, Every component mfgr gets defensive and it because they don’t know who’s telling them the truth or got an ax to grind and I’ll say “ they ALL need to get better and do their homework and be better listeners”
Have a great 4th! God bless our country!!!
 
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