243 Brass Weight & Quality Comparison

[PathFinder]

This thread is mostly a request for data. It's primarily for the purpose of predicting successful fire forming of 243 AI, but will hopefully also be good for standard 243 reference. There is a pretty significant difference in the capacity of different brands of 243 brass. So far, it seems that the lighter/thinner ones don't fire form as successfully as the thicker/heavier ones.
Can you add the following info?

• Brand of brass
  • Average weight (out of 5 or so is fine)
  • Average number of firings before primer pockets are too loose
  • Any other brass issues to note (split necks, etc)

My hope is to identify a cheap brand of brass that fireforms well and will hold primer pockets for 10+ firings. If not, it will be back to Alpha or Lapua.

• Alpha Munitions
  • 176 grains avg. ES of no more than 1.5 grains
  • 5 so far, pockets feel new still. Even when loaded a bit too hot.
  • Only come head stamped 260 Rem. Brass are a smidge longer than others. 100% fire forming success out of 100.
• Federal
  • 175 grains avg.
  • 4 firings so far, not enough data to know for sure.
  • A couple split necks, minor splits only. Reputation for soft case heads, not sure on that yet.
• Winchester
  • 160 grains average
  • 3 so far, not enough data to say.
  • 50% failure rate in fire forming. Completely ruptured shoulders.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

What is the firing load in regards to primer pocket life? Even great brass is gonna suck if you stand on it, so if you're wanting to collect some data what parameters do you want? You should specific LRP and SRP also.

I had a bunch of LRP dogtown ammo / once fired brass which is supposedly nosler that I'll be shooting through mine initially because I already had it. Only shot 40 through so far but all formed fine, no formed firings yet.

Starline I think would be the one to try out to see how it holds up as a mid cost/quality brass.

 

[PathFinder]

Hopefully the fire forming doesn't mean much. I've been using a pretty mild load for it that produces very low pressure signs. That's an important detail, please include the load and velocity for the primer pocket data. There could be a lot of variation there for sure.

40 with no failures is a good sign.

That's what I'm thinking as well. I'm debating between that and forming the rest of the Federal I have on hand.

 

[Castle Rock]

PPU is excellent brass at a good price, I would look at it first.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

That's what I'm thinking as well. I'm debating between that and forming the rest of the Federal I have on hand.

There is something to be said about using components you trust versus question, esp. with limited barrel life.

In my case I have a sacrificial 1:10 barrel I don't care about, a bunch of blem 75sst bullets and a jug of stabal 6.5 so forming extra brass isn't a concern. If I was forming in the 1:8 barrels I have (chambered at the same time/reamer/headspace) I'd just just use brass that was performing without issues.

 

[nm.otter]

Have you looked at hydraulic form dies?

 

[PathFinder]

PPU is excellent brass at a good price, I would look at it first.

Do you have any to weigh? PPU has been good in 223. And it is very affordable for 243.

 

[PathFinder]

Have you looked at hydraulic form dies?

Looks like the Hornady ones are only $125 or so? That's a pretty good deal, even a FF barrel alone would cost about that. Any experience using them?

 

[nm.otter]

Not personally, but the videos are pretty compelling.

 

[HighUintas]

Starline is very very good for price. For a hunting gun, I really don't see the value in going to Peterson or alpha or Lapua . Maybe you'd get more reloads from those with similarly abusive pressures, but at least you don't have to worry about losing a $2 piece of brass and don't have to deal with donuts if you're seating below neck.

I guess disregard my comment. I didn't read closely enough. I have no data, other than I usually get at least 5 loads on starline 243 hot loads before before I toss them, but they're not so loose then that they really need to be tossed. No split necks. I don't anneal. I use a forster 243 standard FL die