• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

  • The site has been updated!

    If you notice any issues, please let us know below!

    VIEW THREAD

Virgin brass prep?

pwmr_rob

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 5, 2017
17
0
I've looked through a few forums but cannot find a definitive answer, help? I am new to reloading for rifle and got some pretty brand new Lapua brass to load with. Do I run it through a sizer, trim, etc?
 
All I do to brand new Lapua brass is chamfer the case mouth a bit and run it through my expander mandrel in station one before seating a bullet in station 3 to equalize neck tension.
 
Since you're asking (just like I would) I doubt you know your chamber specs close enough to confidently size anything too much.

A mandrel would be best but if not I would run it trough your die but not so deep as to bump the shoulders any. Just to get a consistent neck grip. I wouldn't trim anything.

Or shoot it and go. That's what I've done.
 
I just started shooting a new 6.5x47 and asked myself the same question. Mostly because I'm lazy, I decided to run it straight out of the box and not do a thing with the brass. I may be just lucky but I found a huge node with varget and got the best numbers I've ever seen on my magneetospeed. I'm talking single digit ES's on three separate five round strings and one 10 round string. I figure I'll keep doing this till I've shot all my new brass and tinker with the load once I start sizing once fired. YMMV


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I just started shooting a new 6.5x47 and asked myself the same question. Mostly because I'm lazy, I decided to run it straight out of the box and not do a thing with the brass. I may be just lucky but I found a huge node with varget and got the best numbers I've ever seen on my magneetospeed. I'm talking single digit ES's on three separate five round strings and one 10 round string. I figure I'll keep doing this till I've shot all my new brass and tinker with the load once I start sizing once fired. YMMV


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This has consistently been my findings with virgin lapua brass. I do run them over a mandrel to make sure the mouths are straight before inside chamfering. Then load and shoot.

 
Thanks for all the input, I might try both ways to see what works best. Also I guess I'd better go get a mandrel now. Just when you think you have all the tools in the box.....
 
You do , it's called the expander ball in your sizing die.

just half stroke (to allow the expander ball to pass but not size the neck)

this is if you have a die with an expander ball
 
I just chamfer the case mouth and go.

This is what I thought of doing from the beginning, considering if anyone has their shit figured out when it comes to brass it's Lapua. I measured like 50 out of the 100 and every one measured the EXACT same. I didn't want to fudge anything up. Thanks
 
I haven't found anyone, that has figured out how to keep case mouths from getting dented in shipping, packaging, loading/unloading, or where ever it happens. That is why I round them out with the expander ball before I chamfer and debur. Or I should say I round them with the expander, so i am not rounding them with the bullet during seating. Also chamfering and demurring require a round neck for consistency also.
 
Simple piece of styrofoam compressed would prevent shipping damage , even bubble wrap

other than being aesthetically displeasing and I don't know why it's not being done

but I think they're getting dinged from some part in the process. The QC just makes sure there isn't any major issues
 
Last edited:
I haven't found anyone, that has figured out how to keep case mouths from getting dented in shipping, packaging, loading/unloading, or where ever it happens. That is why I round them out with the expander ball before I chamfer and debur. Or I should say I round them with the expander, so i am not rounding them with the bullet during seating. Also chamfering and demurring require a round neck for consistency also.

You should see how Alpha ships their brass. The few cases of theirs I have seen have been flawless!
 
The NORMA 300WM brass I just received came in boxes of 25 , individually separated with cardboard , foam top and bottom and they are flawless !
The LAPUA brass came in a plastic box loose with a thick foam pad , their were a few case mouths out of round but a quick run through the expander ball was all that it needed .
 
Chamfer, load and fireform for the real work to start for load development.
 
The NORMA 300WM brass I just received came in boxes of 25 , individually separated with cardboard , foam top and bottom and they are flawless !
The LAPUA brass came in a plastic box loose with a thick foam pad , their were a few case mouths out of round but a quick run through the expander ball was all that it needed .

I was just about to say this very thing yesterday except when I opened my new box of 6xc brass except I tuned the whole carton over to look at the mouths and one of the mouths was out of round. So I didnt. That makes me think that no matter how good they get shipped there is still the entire manufacturing and packaging process before they actually get in the box where they can still get dinged.