Renington or winchester brass

[noname]

which do you prefer? Is one better than the other? Yeah for 223 only

[mjcmichigan]

I prefer Remington. If I really care about my brass like I do for my 300 WM, I buy Norma or Lapaua


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[bigedp51]

which do you prefer? Is one better than the other? Yeah for 223 only

I prefer buying bulk once fired Lake City 5.56 brass, it is more uniform and harder in the base than Remington or Winchester brass.

Below the extreme spread in case weight variations.

http://i.imgur.com/PExmCCk.jpg

Below case capacity in grains of H2O

http://i.imgur.com/LjAQ7L9.jpg

Below Lake City 5.56 cases are the hardest .223/5.56 cases made, and they have the thickest flash hole web that adds radial strength to the base.
The 5.56 cases could not be made thicker like 7.62 cases because they would loose too much case capacity and instead were made harder.

How Hard is Your Brass? 5.56 and .223 Rem Base Hardness Tests
http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014/05/how-hard-is-your-brass-5-56-and-223-rem-base-hardness-tests/

Bottom line, buying bulk once fired Lake City 5.56 cases can be had for a fraction of the cost of new brass. And the Lake City cases are made Ford Truck Tough.

.223/5.56 - Cleaned, Deprimed & Swaged - LC Only - 500 Pieces $54.00 Free Shipping. We source our brass directly from US Military auctions.
http://www.brassbombers.com/223-556-Cleaned-Deprimed-Swaged-LC-Only-500-Pieces-2LC-S0050.htm

[mjcmichigan]

Great post. Are the primer pockets crimped?


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[Robinhood]

It is hard to argue with some of the facts that Big ed points out. We could get into Cartridge brass alloys and the weight of the two majority metals and the variations of weight due to there tolerences in metal percentages from lot to lot yada yada, that would go deeper than most care about.

If we look at Eds charts we see, with external dimensions being very similar, using weight and case volume it is easy to conclude that out of the three manufacturers mentioned, Winchester has the least amount of case volume and on average is the heaviest. I conclude that the Winchester brass is as good as it gets. I like LC stuff, It is very uniform. In 223 I prefer Winchester. I have shot many high master scores with it in F/TR Mid range.

As for hardness, this is important at the base for sure. Everything is a trade off. Brass gets hard by being worked. Gets soft by being heated to certain temperatures. Federals claim to fame with their FGMM is due to soft brass. Their proccess softens the base as well so the brass is not considered much after the 3rd firing as the pockets are usually oversized. Almost all cases fall in the C26000 Brass alloy tolerance. I have had many manufacturers cases nuked and have found some surprising variations.


If you look at scores you will see Lapua at the top of the heap. I think Winchester, then LC and have no information on Remington.

Depending on your plans though, LC is your best all around gamble. If you could find some that was not fired with a m249 all the better. Regardless of what it was fired in, match prep

If you plan on shooting for score I think you will find Lapua (Winchester match prepped and annealed has worked for me) in your ammo boxes in the end. I would not hesitate to begin with LC to get started though.

[RC20]

I will see if I can dig up represetanive of the 223.

In general my favorite bulk brass is RP. Some tests were done with it and it was one of the highest scorrring in terms of no having case separation.

Lapua oddly was good but not great.

Norma was by far the best (and by far the most expensive)

Most of the older cartage I have weighted, FC was the heviets, RP was next and then varyoy closely or maticn it was LAPUA, PPU.

I get a supply of 500 or so RP for those I can (30-06 and 308) and then fill in with fine tuned loads with LAPUA (on sale only and not a lot) for both 308 and 30-06.

I also have PPU. What has impressed me is that on first loading its more consistent than LAPUA for bullet seting.


Base is hard. I have not shot it enough times to get a good baseline.


Its all I have in 7.5 Swiss, only LAPUA makes that (at east affordable). So it will get a serious work out.


Its all come in clean, neat centered primer holes, no flash. Only issue was the 7.5 Swiss and I believe it was sized to Erupean primers and those are smaller (if my info is right).

I had to open them up to get primers in other than using the vice to squeeze them in.


I also beveled the primer pockets, took a lot to get a believe due to hardness.


I don't take FC if its given to me. Hornady is not that great (well under PPU/RP) and the Nossler was not either.

I don't use LC. I don't like having to get rid of the crimps.

I have some HXP that I got the crimps out but my Forsteer die took badly to them and broke the pin. They had snuck in, did not know they were there.

Forster clearly says do not use their sizing dies on crimped primers.

Keep in mind that's from a 1/2 to 3/8 MOA shooter, you get down into the 1s and 2s brass choice might change.

[Zero333]

The chart ed posted from accurateshooter.com is fairly old. Nevertheless might still be just as valid.

I like Winchester brass over Remington. I came across too much Remington brass with flash-holes off center, breaking my decapping pins.

[RC20]

Never had that problem. Can't say I did much 223 when I was doing it.

[noname]

Well for what it may be worth,I tried some lapua a few years ago in another 223 and had several necks split on the first fireing..
I sent them a couple of e mails about it and NEVER heard anything from them,so that done it for me...And I do have a lot
of LC brass but different years. Not sure if this will make a difference or not..I use a lee die to deprime them and never had any issues
removing the primers..But did have to do the primer pockets..