260 Rem brass

[smlekid]

Hi guys am looking at getting some more 260 brass to form into 6.5 super LR I am currently using Lapua
looking around it seems the Lapua has gone through the roof pricewise I am wondering if the Norma brass was a worthwhile alternative?

[Frank Green]

I got a few hundred pieces of the .260 Norma brass. No complaints on it. I feel it's just as nice as the Lapua.

I've got Lapua, Norma, Remington and Nosler brass. For cheap brass and it works the Remington is fine. I don't know if Nosler brass is worth the extra cost vs. the Norma and Lapua. I only picked up the Nosler because it was all I could find at the time when I needed some.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

[smlekid]

Thanks Frank I always considered Norma to be very good brass just been hearing a few stories that it isn't what it once was

[KHGS]

I have 200 pieces of Norma cases that I use in my 280 HI rifles for "F" Open, I have found it to be very good.
Keith H.

[williada]

Soft new brass is what people talk about. The issue is really how do you condition it, and the same simple process should apply to all new brass if you want it to last much longer with reduced brass flow and retain firm primer pockets. You condition it by not using full bottle loads for the first couple of shots to allow the brass to harden before it is stretched too far.

What Mike Ratigan does (refer to p115, Extreme Rifle Accuracy) when fire-forming is put a few drops of oil on a patch and wipes his cases for their first firing to avoid stretching the web. This prevents cases gripping the wall of the chamber and allows them to be forced up against the bolt face. Not something you do not do with a warm load either.

I have even come around to this way of thinking when fire forming. Now I don't try and snap that shoulder out with fast burning powder. I take two goes with reduced loads. While a neat shoulder looks great on first firing with my old method, the other end can suffer i.e. you begin loosening primer pockets or stretch the web before the brass is hard enough to resist. Before the second firing I anneal the neck to prevent splits. While it might seem time consuming, it saves the constant re-tuning of loads down the track which relate to case capacity, neck tension and loose primer pockets.

Even with a hydraulic process, I would use a kinder charge for the first two shots to condition the brass which tends to shrink even after the second shot and it is not until the 3rd shot do dimensions settle. I apply the third firing principle to cases which are not fire-formed as well before I get serious about tuning. Like new barrels , new cases are "green" too.

[nmcrae]

Do any of you guys know where I can pick up some Norma 260 brass? I have just purchased a new sako 260 varmint, and only have 100 cases so far! Any help would be appreciated.

[lee_enfield223]

i use 308 winchester brass in my 260 rem and just full length size it before use it has a slightly thicker neck and it seems to help with accuracy plus it's heaps cheaper

[Hangfire]

I have just started playing with the 6.5 Super LR and am using .243 Lapua cases. So far I have one batch with 11 firings on them and the pockets are still tight and anneal every 3 firings. Other options are Lapua Palma brass that have small primer pockets which if you are running hot should stand up well to multiple firings. The cheaper option is .243 Win. brass which is easy to form. Of interest, the only 60.10 recorded in S.A was shot with a 6.5 SLR using Win. brass, not sure how many firings this brass will give you.

[DenisA]

Soft new brass is what people talk about. The issue is really how do you condition it, and the same simple process should apply to all new brass if you want it to last much longer with reduced brass flow and retain firm primer pockets. You condition it by not using full bottle loads for the first couple of shots to allow the brass to harden before it is stretched too far.

What Mike Ratigan does (refer to p115, Extreme Rifle Accuracy) when fire-forming is put a few drops of oil on a patch and wipes his cases for their first firing to avoid stretching the web. This prevents cases gripping the wall of the chamber and allows them to be forced up against the bolt face. Not something you do not do with a warm load either.

I have even come around to this way of thinking when fire forming. Now I don't try and snap that shoulder out with fast burning powder. I take two goes with reduced loads. While a neat shoulder looks great on first firing with my old method, the other end can suffer i.e. you begin loosening primer pockets or stretch the web before the brass is hard enough to resist. Before the second firing I anneal the neck to prevent splits. While it might seem time consuming, it saves the constant re-tuning of loads down the track which relate to case capacity, neck tension and loose primer pockets.

Even with a hydraulic process, I would use a kinder charge for the first two shots to condition the brass which tends to shrink even after the second shot and it is not until the 3rd shot do dimensions settle. I apply the third firing principle to cases which are not fire-formed as well before I get serious about tuning. Like new barrels , new cases are "green" too.

Hi David. As always thanks for great post outlining important information. This is a good subject and should have it's own thread, maybe a sticky. Initial case conditioning and preparation. It has the potential to help everyone, regardless of cartridge, from club level shooters to the FCWC inspired, to save money through longer case life and build hiqh quality ammo.

The .284W primer pocket issue has been well accepted for a while now and still not everyone that I speak to understands conditioning the brass to work harden the head and pocket prior to running full loads.

I've recently proved to myself another idea that I've had.
In the past, I have never neck turned until after the second or third firing. Only because the shoulder and neck/shoulder junctions aren't definitively sharp until then. Always just cutting the shoulder with the tapered tip as you should.
With my latest 300wsm project, for various reasons I decided to neck turn for uniformity after only one firing. After FLS, expanding and trimming, the amount that the tapered cutter touched the shoulder varied a lot between cases and was very obvious. Many only just touched the shoulder. It's not an issue as much as a PITA as I'll have to do another clean up run in a few firings.

My example isn't perfect because I'm using Winchester brass which isn't as uniform as Lapua or Norma. Due to 300wsm brass availability at the time of purchase I've combined 3 batch numbers of brass. Despite having noticeable differences, they still had uniform base to shoulder datum measurements. Hence the need to uniform all the cases early.

A long story short, it proves in my own mind that fresh brass or even once fired is not the ideal time to neck turn for uniformity either, as I see many people do even with no turn chambers.