Brass

[SWAMPFOX]

All of my reloading til now has been with once fired factory loaded brass from Remington, Federal, or Winchester. It has been worked a lot so I'm thinking to buy some good never fired brass. Would like some recommendations on what's a good brand. I'm talking 30-06 and it's for hunting but I'm striving for as much accuracy as possible because I missed a monster 8 point last season using my reloads.

Thanks

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

I load an embarrassing amount of 30-06 I have used and use virtually every make of brass including military from various arsenals. For hunting purposes there is not a hill of beans difference in any of them ( in my experience anyway). Now the super premium stuff I have not tried. I rotate through about 2500 cases and don't hotrod any of them. I have about 10 or 12 pet loads that include most bullet weights. All those loads were developed through trial and error. If I was to miss a deer with any of them it would be my fault not the ammo. I would work on developing a load that shoots well regardless of the brass and shoot it enough to be comfortable and confident with. I believe I have hit the accuracy nodes that my three rifles are capable of. Even if I bought the finest brass available I don't believe it would make a meaningful difference.

 

[Liberty]

All of my reloading til now has been with once fired factory loaded brass from Remington, Federal, or Winchester. It has been worked a lot so I'm thinking to buy some good never fired brass. Would like some recommendations on what's a good brand. I'm talking 30-06 and it's for hunting but I'm striving for as much accuracy as possible because I missed a monster 8 point last season using my reloads.

Thanks

I like Winchester and PPU and Greek surplus HXP stamped for affordable brass. If I’m feeling rich, Nosler is pretty good. Generally brass makes less difference for me within reason than a good load with tight consistency in runout and powder weight. I can get under a minute with about anything than strange foreign surplus brass.

 

[trial&error]

I haven't found that much of a difference with brand personally. I don't vary bullet or charge once the load is developed. I do find more difference with trim length and seating. And even then it's only a marginal difference with my limited abilities.

 

[transfixer]

I know its natural to want to find a reason for a missed shot, but chances are it wasn't your reload, I've never noticed a significant difference in cases, not when it comes to standard hunting loads, and what most people consider accurate enough for hunting purposes, if I'm trying to shoot sub moa groups at 100yds and beyond then cases come into play a bit, but I would imagine you could find Hornady or Winchester cases brand new without much trouble, I've probably bought more Hornady cases new than any other brand for rifles, starline if we're talking about pistol rounds

 

[GregoryB.]

I have a lot of PPU brass since they make it for less than common American standard calibers (European calibers) Most shoot under an inch at 100 yards without much effort.

 

[RamblinWreck88]

I have a lot of PPU brass since they make it for less than common American standard calibers (European calibers) Most shoot under an inch at 100 yards without much effort.

I use necked-up PPU brass (once-fired from my Garand) for my 35 Whelen loads. My current batch is on its fourth total firing; makes 1" or less groups every time I do my part.

 

[menhadenman]

Here’s my take… @Jester896 is an encyclopedia on this stuff so I’d get his opinion.

1 - top tier: Peterson, AGM, Alpha, Lapua. Expensive but accurate and not crazy to get 20 loads out of one piece. I use this stuff in my hunting loads.

2 - better cost and good performance: Starline, PPU, Sig, Nosler. Also hunt with some of this.

3 - plinking stuff: Hornady, Rem, Win, Lake City.

Lots of good options. And if you missed a good buck I’d check your scope first. That’s burned me on two nice bucks. I’d all but written that off as a possibility.

 

[Ruger#3]

Here’s my take… @Jester896 is an encyclopedia on this stuff so I’d get his opinion.

1 - top tier: Peterson, AGM, Alpha, Lapua. Expensive but accurate and not crazy to get 20 loads out of one piece. I use this stuff in my hunting loads.

2 - better cost and good performance: Starline, PPU, Sig, Nosler. Also hunt with some of this.

3 - plinking stuff: Hornady, Rem, Win, Lake City.

Lots of good options. And if you missed a good buck I’d check your scope first. That’s burned me on two nice bucks. I’d all but written that off as a possibility.

Well summarized, can’t argue with that.

 

[Jester896]

I don't use high end brass in my hunting loads for the most part except for my 6.5WSM, I started with Nosler then moved to something with the correct headstamp. My .22-250 I have Lapua for but haven't moved to it yet, I'm still using commercial brass for the most part. I have Lapua, Peterson S/P and R-P for my .260s but only use the R-P so far. I do my very best to stay away from FC cases...in fact I give all of them to my buddy to load when I am sizing and sorting. I use Frontier/Hornady, R-P and Winchester for the most part for my hunting stuff.

I don't mix them either. I will use all of one headstamp. Different cases may/usually have different case capacities. I don't go as far as checking for case capacity. I also have an annealer.

My opinion about the OPs question is, new brass will not make his rifle more accurate. If the once fired brass was fired in his rifle and they are properly prepped they would be more accurate in his rifle.

Do you screw the die into the press like the instruction state?
Do you F/L bushing size and only bump your shoulders back .001-.002?
Do you run the case up into the die before you tighten the nut?

there are many other possiblities the issue could be other than brass mfg. If you can't replicate the issue in target practice my first thought would be the issue is elsewhere.

 

[lampern]

Winchester and Sig Sauer are fine

 

[SWAMPFOX]

Jester896, you asked, "Do you run the case up into the die before you tighten the nut?" I don't remember. Should I run the case into the die before I tighten the nut? I full length resize, always have.
Thanks for you input.

 

[01Foreman400]

Lapua, Peterson, Norma and ADG are my top picks. I’ll use Starline if I can’t get any of those in a particular cartridge.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

Winchester if I can find it. Very uniform for mass produced factory fodder.

 

[Jester896]

Jester896, you asked, "Do you run the case up into the die before you tighten the nut?" I don't remember. Should I run the case into the die before I tighten the nut? I full length resize, always have.
Thanks for you input.

I do, I see many tighten their lock nuts down. I don't have that luxury with the different things I have do. There is no science in this that I am aware of, but somewhere in the back of my mind there is something about this. There is some slop in the threads of the press and die. If you run a lubed case up in the die then tighten the lock ring it may line everything up a little more concentric to the ram/shell holder. I'm not sure who told me that or when. If your shoulder bump isn't enough run it in more and do it again.

 

[killerv]

I do, I see many tighten their lock nuts down. I don't have that luxury with the different things I have do. There is no science in this that I am aware of, but somewhere in the back of my mind there is something about this. There is some slop in the threads of the press and die. If you run a lubed case up in the die then tighten the lock ring it may line everything up a little more concentric to the ram/shell holder. I'm not sure who told me that or when. If your shoulder bump isn't enough run it in more and do it again.

I actually use the oring trick to help with that "slop". If things need lining up, the give in the oring will do it. Just allows the die to "float" a little.

 

[Jester896]

I actually use the oring trick to help with that "slop". If things need lining up, the give in the oring will do it. Just allows the die to "float" a little.

I'm not sure I follow.

 

[Bobby Bigtime]

Dies and presses are pretty precise. I think that is the point isn't it? I may be wrong here but I don't think I have ever experienced slop, yaw or any cantering of any kind And I use really basic equipment. Even though I have loaded plenty of cases I still go back occasionally and check the manual to make sure I am doing things properly. I am not one to modify things that are precision engineered. I only have to be smart four days a week. So reloading requires me to rely on manuals that someone else put their four days in.

 

[Darkhorse]

There is a lot of slop in the 7/8-14 threads on a die and that can cock a die enough to really effect your accuracy.
Jester was on the right track. I think I detailed this in one of my process posts.
Be sure your shell holder is clean and that includes the part of the ram that holds the shell holder. Do not tighten down the shell holder, let it move. That's all the float you need.
I take a case fired in my rifle to set the die. I run the die down to almost or just kiss the shell holder. I also remove the expander ball because it can bend a case mouth out of alignment.
I have a flat ground thick washer that fits over the case and I slide it down to rest on the shell holder. I then run the ram up until the bottom of the size die contacts the washer then I hold the handle down with pressure while I hand tighten the lock ring. When you d o this you will see the die straighten itself and the lock ring removes the slop in the threads.
Then I remove the spent primer with a punch and put the expander back in the die leaving it long so the case doesn't touch the die. Do not tighten the expander it needs to float. Put a touch of lube in the case mouth and run the expander into the case. Now pull it slowly back, when it touches the bottom of the case mouth it will "float" to center.
Now that case should be sized on the centerline of your chamber and hopefully your barrel.

 

[menhadenman]

I do, I see many tighten their lock nuts down. I don't have that luxury with the different things I have do. There is no science in this that I am aware of, but somewhere in the back of my mind there is something about this. There is some slop in the threads of the press and die. If you run a lubed case up in the die then tighten the lock ring it may line everything up a little more concentric to the ram/shell holder. I'm not sure who told me that or when. If your shoulder bump isn't enough run it in more and do it again.

I think the Dillon manual says that if I remember.