Very keen to see this! A big advantage of the Palma brass for me is that I have over 2000 small rifle printers and only a few hundred large rifle printers.
Pretty good data, I shoot Lapua Brass in different cartridges with both SM & LG configurations, once you find the load they tend to shoot pretty close to each other ..........Thanks for sharing !!
Keith, thank you and great advice about being careful with running high pressure loads. I just learned how much a new lot of powder can vary. I'm shooting. 308 F-TR using what I thought was a mild load 43.5 gr of varget over a 200 20x I was getting 2645 average I had to drop all the way down to 42.7 gr And 2420 and I'm on the edge of pressure..
Having loaded a bunch of 308 over the years, much of it with Varget... it does have some noticeable lot to lot variability... but that sounds more like the wrong powder than a lot # issue. Hodgdon has screwed up in the past that way; might be worth a call to see if there is a recall on your lot#.
Most all high level FTR shooters, use SRP brass with the heavier bullets such as the 185 jugs and 200.20x Berger’s. We need the extra speeds for LR competitions and the slight advantage at mid range. I run mine at the lower nodes to save barrel life and for higher temp matches. But, I agree you can run the LRP too and just as effectively.
Nice, I was wondering about this. I have a Sig Sauer Cross chambered in the .308 coming in and going to do some load developments using both the 168 and 175 SMKs with it. I noticed that my rifles chambered in the 6.5 CM prefer the lapua small rifle brass and produced the best groups and really low ES/SDs.
First the disclaimer: That is why I put warnings everywhere. "Do not use my load data, as it might be unsafe in your rifle". And an explanation: I don't load to the SAAMI OAL, nor do I use the same brass as many of the powder manufacturers. The configuration of the barrel lands and grooves can also have a dramatic effect on pressures. My increased OAL alone increases the effective case capacity by a large amount (think the difference between 308 and 30/06). I think that has the biggest effect on pressures. Last, but not least, powder humidity levels dramatically change the burn rates. Neither Vhitavuori, nor anyone else, publishes the powder humidity at time of testing. Mine could very well be quite different from theirs. Does that make any sense?
what i dont get, is why bench rest shooters can get 0.2 inch groups or smaller @ 100 meters, and they dont even weigh their charges. I seen them load the bullets, at the range, with just fancy volumetric droppers. I talked alot with bench rest shooters winning swedish and had medal spots in europe, and they dont even chronograph their loads! I find 0.1 grain is well enough and using 0.02 grain is just overkill... 0.1 grain of N140 is what, 4 granules? if even that.
Redding do a decapping die that you can get the small pin for Lapua brass, not sure if they have started to do this with the Competition Dies - or just give them a polish with some fine wet n dry
Because large rifle primers are all gone, I bought 50 Peterson 308 small rifle primer brass. What a danger to use small primers in 308 with slow ignition to long wait hang fires. I used all of the brands of small rifle primers and even CCI 450 M all caused late ignition and hang fires. I even had a slow hang fire that went off after I took the AR 10 off my shoulder then blew a hole in the ground by my feet so to hell with that not again !
......Some GREAT info. there !! - Thank You Sir for your kindness & generosity to produce & share !....you never cease to be a notch above the rest.
That was some cool data. You continue to amaze me! Thanks Keith!
Very keen to see this!
A big advantage of the Palma brass for me is that I have over 2000 small rifle printers and only a few hundred large rifle printers.
Enjoying your vids. I appreciate your easy to understand explanations of complicated things.
Nice comparison between primer pocket sizes. I will stay with larger primer pockets for hunting loads and smaller Palma for target loads.
Great stuff Keith, thanks for making these videos!
Always fun to watch your content. thanks and have a nice day
Pretty good data, I shoot Lapua Brass in different cartridges with both SM & LG configurations,
once you find the load they tend to shoot pretty close to each other ..........Thanks for sharing !!
Thanks Keith !! 👏👏👏👏👏
Keith, thank you and great advice about being careful with running high pressure loads. I just learned how much a new lot of powder can vary. I'm shooting. 308 F-TR using what I thought was a mild load 43.5 gr of varget over a 200 20x
I was getting 2645 average
I had to drop all the way down to 42.7 gr
And 2420 and I'm on the edge of pressure..
Having loaded a bunch of 308 over the years, much of it with Varget... it does have some noticeable lot to lot variability... but that sounds more like the wrong powder than a lot # issue. Hodgdon has screwed up in the past that way; might be worth a call to see if there is a recall on your lot#.
Most all high level FTR shooters, use SRP brass with the heavier bullets such as the 185 jugs and 200.20x Berger’s. We need the extra speeds for LR competitions and the slight advantage at mid range. I run mine at the lower nodes to save barrel life and for higher temp matches. But, I agree you can run the LRP too and just as effectively.
Great video, as always!
Excellent info. May I just point out that Lapua is Finnish and is pronounced 'Lah-pua with a short "a" and with the stress on the first syllable.
Excellent....again Keith.
As always well done, I’d love to see you show off that chronoplotter software some time btw!
Thank you for your work mate😄👍
Nice, I was wondering about this. I have a Sig Sauer Cross chambered in the .308 coming in and going to do some load developments using both the 168 and 175 SMKs with it. I noticed that my rifles chambered in the 6.5 CM prefer the lapua small rifle brass and produced the best groups and really low ES/SDs.
Great video. Thank u.
Embarrassing kinda newbie question here, Lapua "palma" brass. Is palma part of Berger's brand name,or is it a general term for a type of brass?
Great content
Wow. I've just noticed that your loads are way over than vihta data and they are safe. How is that? Can you please explain?
First the disclaimer: That is why I put warnings everywhere. "Do not use my load data, as it might be unsafe in your rifle".
And an explanation: I don't load to the SAAMI OAL, nor do I use the same brass as many of the powder manufacturers. The configuration of the barrel lands and grooves can also have a dramatic effect on pressures.
My increased OAL alone increases the effective case capacity by a large amount (think the difference between 308 and 30/06). I think that has the biggest effect on pressures.
Last, but not least, powder humidity levels dramatically change the burn rates. Neither Vhitavuori, nor anyone else, publishes the powder humidity at time of testing. Mine could very well be quite different from theirs.
Does that make any sense?
The same test in cold weather and compare both would be great.
I'll try to remember to do that in January... :)
Great Advice …
what i dont get, is why bench rest shooters can get 0.2 inch groups or smaller @ 100 meters, and they dont even weigh their charges. I seen them load the bullets, at the range, with just fancy volumetric droppers. I talked alot with bench rest shooters winning swedish and had medal spots in europe, and they dont even chronograph their loads!
I find 0.1 grain is well enough and using 0.02 grain is just overkill... 0.1 grain of N140 is what, 4 granules? if even that.
Midway has br2!
How are you decapping the small primer, its flash hole is smaller than normal
With a thinner pin :). I just sand one down when I need it.
Redding do a decapping die that you can get the small pin for Lapua brass, not sure if they have started to do this with the Competition Dies - or just give them a polish with some fine wet n dry
Because large rifle primers are all gone, I bought 50 Peterson 308 small rifle primer brass.
What a danger to use small primers in 308 with slow ignition to long wait hang fires.
I used all of the brands of small rifle primers and even CCI 450 M all caused late ignition and hang fires.
I even had a slow hang fire that went off after I took the AR 10 off my shoulder then blew a hole in the ground by my feet so to hell with that not again !