The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old August 22, 2018, 01:25 PM   #1
rebs
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 10, 2012
Posts: 3,881
6.5 creedmoor brass ?

Of all the different brands of 6.5 creedmoor brass which brand do you guys prefer ?
rebs is offline  
Old August 22, 2018, 02:40 PM   #2
T. O'Heir
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 13, 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 12,453
The specific cartridge doesn't make any difference brand wise.
__________________
Spelling and grammar count!
T. O'Heir is offline  
Old August 22, 2018, 03:38 PM   #3
m&p45acp10+1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 3, 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,930
The ones that are free. I picked up 100 pieces from a guy that shot 5 20 round boxes. He sl8d each back into the holder in the box. He put the boxes back into the bag, and left it on the bench when he went home. The recipt was in the bag. I could not believe he paid that much for new ammo.
__________________
No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.
m&p45acp10+1 is offline  
Old August 22, 2018, 05:15 PM   #4
Unclenick
Staff
 
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,013
Rebs,

It depends what you want out of it. In general, anything made by Norma or Lapua will not require any kind of case prep to be match grade, but you will pay a pretty penny for it. Hornady tends to be soft. That's about all I can think to offer up for your consideration.
__________________
Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member
CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor
NRA Certified Rifle Instructor
NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle
Unclenick is offline  
Old August 23, 2018, 05:39 AM   #5
Chainsaw.
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 12, 2015
Location: Issaquah WA. Its a dry rain.
Posts: 1,774
Starline, nosler or lapua. If you are looking for absolute accuracy buy one big lot of all the same brand and all the same lot number. Some will turn their nose up at me saying this but I have found even different lot numbers mixed together can result in bigger groups.
And for the love of Christmas full length size your brass.
__________________
Just shoot the damn thing.
Chainsaw. is offline  
Old August 23, 2018, 07:30 AM   #6
rebs
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 10, 2012
Posts: 3,881
Thank you guys for the help
rebs is offline  
Old August 23, 2018, 07:52 AM   #7
zeke
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 17, 1999
Location: NW Wi
Posts: 1,664
Have only ever used the Hornady, but hard to argue with the accuracy gotten from it without any special prep. Since jumping on a bunch of it when availability was spotty, likely stick with it.
zeke is offline  
Old August 23, 2018, 08:04 AM   #8
jetinteriorguy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 28, 2013
Posts: 3,138
I’ve had excellent results with starline large primer, but make sure you full length size first. I tried just neck sizing, on one bag no problem but the second bag I crushed a couple because the necks were so small. But running them through the full length die with a normal expanding ball got them to where I could safely neck size them. Kind of a pain but only had to do it once and well worth it in the end for the results I’ve been getting.
jetinteriorguy is offline  
Old August 23, 2018, 01:55 PM   #9
98 220 swift
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 4, 2015
Location: Perryville MO
Posts: 426
I have found Hornady brass to have a lot of weight variation. Starline has been much better. Federal has been great with weighs being close to the same. at least in the small batch I have of them.
98 220 swift is offline  
Old August 23, 2018, 11:51 PM   #10
m&p45acp10+1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 3, 2009
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 3,930
I have and use the following:

1. Hornady- I have not weighed a single one. I bought 2 boxes of 50 right before Christmas this year when I bought my Savage rifle. I have also picked up 160 more from people that shot factory Hornady ammo, and gave me the once fired brass. (I know it to be once fired. I have not weighed a singe one of them. My original lot has 12 firings and the primer pockets are still holding up fine. I get sub 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards. Most groups of 5 are under half an inch from outside edge to edge. That is using a lead sled.

2. Nosler- Have not weighed a single one. Loaded with the same charge weight as the Hornady with the same bullet, and same primer I get the same sized groups.

3. Star Line- Works the same as the other two. No noticeable changes in accuracy either way. $50 per 100 for new off the shelf at the store is big plus.

Note I treat all brass to the same initial steps. I deburr the flash holes. I chamfer the case mouth. I use the deburr for outside of the case mouth. I then load them.

I have used them with 2 rifles. One Ruger RPR, and a Savage 12 FV. Both give half to 3/4 inch groups from outside edge to edge groups from the lead sled. A bit more if I am using the bipod and a sand sock.

I quit with seeking the things that are going to make the uber perfect load. I get a load that works very well, and then start putting them down range. Once a load is doing great. I work more on me. No matter how exact the load is. No matter how well prepped the brass is. No matter how exact the charge weight is. I am the weak link.
__________________
No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.
m&p45acp10+1 is offline  
Old August 25, 2018, 06:48 PM   #11
Unclenick
Staff
 
Join Date: March 4, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,013
Ed Dillon at NECO just put me onto Atlas Development Group cartridge cases, made in Kentucky here in the U.S.A. He said match shooters are going nuts for them. You are guaranteed all the cases come off the same set of tooling in each lot. They claim to have added brass in key places to maximize reloading life.

I just got a sample in today. The flash holes are deburred for you. The case mouths are not chamfered or deburred, but they are cut cleanly and don't have the usual commercial saw marks around the perimeter. The weight of my 308 brass averaged 172.5 about like Lapua, and the weight SD was 0.58 for the first 30 I weighed. About 0.001" neck wall runout on the first 3 I looked at, but that's too tiny a sample. More later. Ed isn't selling the 6.5 Creedmore at this point, but the company site has it. They also have a promotional no-shipping charge policy going on right now.
__________________
Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member
CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor
NRA Certified Rifle Instructor
NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle
Unclenick is offline  
Old August 25, 2018, 10:29 PM   #12
Rimfire5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 2, 2009
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 912
rebs,

You probably already realize that the some manufacturers of 6.5mm Creedmoor brass set up for Large Rifle Primers and some set up for Small Rifle Primers.

When I got my first 6.5mm Creedmoor, I only could get find new brass with Large Rifle Primers (Norma and Hornady). I found to my amazement that the large rifle primer pockets wore out much faster than in my .308 brass.

When it became available, I switched to Lapua brass with small rifle primers and the primer pockets lasted about 4 times longer. I have retired the first 100 Lapua brass after 23 reloads with no loss in accuracy right up until the last reload.

The Lapua brass cost me $112 per 100. Norma brass cost $122 and Hornady brass cost $74. I got more than 3x the number of reloads with Lapua brass than with the others so Lapua actually cost the least per reload.

The average of group sizes I have recorded show that the small rifle primers, specifically the CCI 400 and CCI BR-4 have produced better accuracy than the Federal 210M large rifle match primers.
CCI BR-4s were the best but are twice the cost of CCI 400s.
CCI 400s shot 10% larger groups than the BR-4s.
Federal 210Ms shot 21% larger groups than the BR-4s.
Rimfire5 is offline  
Old August 27, 2018, 10:15 AM   #13
ed308
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 5, 2016
Location: DFW, TX
Posts: 1,147
Lapua is my preferred brass. But I have less of it due to the cost. I'm liking Starlines SR brass too. It's tough and will last.
ed308 is offline  
Old August 27, 2018, 11:59 AM   #14
RC20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 10, 2008
Location: Alaska
Posts: 7,014
Ok, here is my take. YOMV.

Lapua: I have to disagree, I have some and the case mouths were dented, nice stuff, but I had to run through the M die. Should not happen with that cost and quality.

PPU/RP (Remington): These are about the same, good solid middle of the road brass, my go to. I have run a lot of rounds of 7.5 Swiss though the press and no failure (PPU is the only type I cold find, cost was ok and I liked it anyway so happy with it) PPU did not need any case mouth work and it comes in a bag not a cool box.

Norma: Good stuff Maynard, cost an arm and a leg. Only for David Tubb etc.

Horandyh/Nossler/FC etc: Meah. Too costly for what you get, thin, soft etc.

I am still kicking myself, came across a link where they hard tested the various brasses and did not save it. Norma did last a lot longer, best of all.

Lapua was down in the RP area. I don't remember if PPU was tested.

Both were about 2/3 of the longevity of the Norma (big fall off to that spot)

The rest wandered on down from there.
__________________
Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not
RC20 is offline  
Old August 27, 2018, 01:11 PM   #15
F. Guffey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 18, 2008
Posts: 7,249
https://www.outdoorlife.com/evolution-65-creedmoor

In the big inning: or as they say "the evolution of the 6.5 Creedmoor" out of New York or as they say once you get to New York take the LIE They explain the large primer and the small primer and all the reloaders complaining because they are helpless and can not put a load together.

And they explained the difficulty reloaders have doing anything that is metric with the exception of the 7MM Remington Mag.

If I had a 6.5 Creedmoor I would start with 308 W cases. After forming the cases I could call the cases 264/08s.

F. Guffey
F. Guffey is offline  
Old August 27, 2018, 02:28 PM   #16
hounddawg
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 1, 2009
Posts: 4,232
I would assume 6.5 would be similar to other 6.5's and all other brass in general. If the 6.5 is some special breed then ignore this post.

My best luck with brass is with Lapua in .260 Rem, .223, and .308. Starline is Ok but don't try more than ten loads. I had some Norma in .204 but re barreled the rifle to .223 before I had got to ten reloads so I can't speak much about them.

I just tossed 50 Peterson this morning as it was on it's 12th reload, I had a case do a head separation. First one I have had since I started reloading rifle ten years ago. I will not be loading the rest of the Petersons I have past ten. Peterson makes decent brass but it is not as good as Lapua.

Say what you will about Lapua pricing but I have never had a Lapua case fail for any reason other than loose primer pockets. Others may have but I am just speaking about my personal experience. Lapua is all I will use from now on.
__________________
“How do I get to the next level?” Well, you get to the next level by being the first one on the range and the last one to leave.” – Jerry Miculek
hounddawg is offline  
Old August 27, 2018, 04:47 PM   #17
TXAZ
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 5, 2010
Location: McMurdo Sound Texas
Posts: 4,322
My 6.5 CM was designed for Hornady 140 ELD, with sub-minute groups as proof.
Not changing anything.
__________________

Cave illos in guns et backhoes
TXAZ is offline  
Old August 27, 2018, 06:14 PM   #18
hounddawg
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 1, 2009
Posts: 4,232
Quote:
My 6.5 CM was designed for Hornady 140 ELD, with sub-minute groups as proof.
Not changing anything.
Hornady was my go to brass in .204 for a couple of thousand rounds, only switched to Norma at the end of that barrel. I liked them but I loaded that .204 hot and the primer pockets wore out fast and after 5 or six reloads I would not trust them. That was just under my circumstances

A month or two back there was a thread here about how stock Hornady ammo was getting to the point where it was rivaling reloads. I have eyewitness proof of that because at a recent match a guy take a off the shelf Ruger precision with the department store scope load up with the Horandy bulk in the red white and blue box and shoot a 199 out of 200 target at 300 yards. Made some of the boys shooting the custom rifle with handloads say some bad words. At 300 velocity SD doesn't matter all that much but that would hold true up to 500. That's good for anything from varmint on in shooting.
__________________
“How do I get to the next level?” Well, you get to the next level by being the first one on the range and the last one to leave.” – Jerry Miculek

Last edited by hounddawg; August 27, 2018 at 06:20 PM.
hounddawg is offline  
Old September 5, 2018, 04:04 PM   #19
hooligan1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 18, 2010
Location: Independence Missouri
Posts: 4,582
I use Hornady, Nosler, and just about any .243 win brass I can get.
All have been fine in my rifle, thank God it's not picky about brass, but it is about powders...
__________________
Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.
hooligan1 is offline  
Old September 5, 2018, 05:45 PM   #20
taylorce1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 18, 2005
Location: On the Santa Fe Trail
Posts: 8,192
Posting for Hooligan1.

__________________
NRA Life Member
taylorce1 is offline  
Old September 5, 2018, 05:53 PM   #21
hooligan1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 18, 2010
Location: Independence Missouri
Posts: 4,582
The flyer is a cold bore shot, all this brass is mixed.
The barrel is a 24" ,1:8" twisted #2 Douglas Sporter barrel, action is a Turkish Mauser with a 3 position PTG safety shroud, and a Tubbs Speedlock system.
Taylorce1 provided the Canjar trigger on it, it's stock is a bargain barn Ultralight Laminate from Microfit.
This rifle, after 150 rnds of testing finally settled down and does well with a plethora of bullets.

I use the 140 grn Accubond and RL 19 as my primary deer hunting load, but damn she likes the Berger's too....
I repeat this is a load made up of Mixed brass.....and btw, 11 round group.
__________________
Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.
hooligan1 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:17 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.10257 seconds with 10 queries