Thread: 6.5 Creedmoor load development

Originally Posted by Gibo

Question on brass. If I have stamped brass in a previous rifle but it still chambers etc. fine in a new one, would you still bin it? What damage has been done would you suspect? That link has got me thinking all sorts of things about the way I treat brass

If by stamped brass you are referring to extractor marks it really depends on severity and how you go about prepping that brass for the new chamber.
Pressure high enough to give you that kind of marking can be minor with little lasting effects or like in the link I shared it may look minor but lasting damage has been done to the brass that has in turn shortened its life regardless of the chamber its fired in. it depends on where that brass has take the pressure damage and each piece should be inspected for tightness of primer pocket and over all dimensions.
Brass flows and will be migrating every shot regardless of pressure so all cases have a lifespan... just what than span is depends greatly on the user and honestly Creedmoor and I are still not intimate enough in our relatively fresh relationship for me to even guess and average number of firings the Lapua brass will yield at any given load data. My Lapua brass is on its 6th load and it took a punishing with ADI 2209 tests so Ill watch it closely an retire it when it once its had a few OAL cuts or when the primer pockets lose their tension which is the norm with this thicker small rifle primed Lapua brass in most cals.
Many people over work their brass when full length sizing or even neck sizing by bumping back the shoulder excessively. it only need a couple of though to headspace correctly and chamber with a smooth bolt closure. The shoulder does blow forward to a certain extent if you keep up with your annealing and full lenth cutting etc but it also stretches the thicker cup out at the base of the case which runs a much higher risk of case head separation. This excessive shoulder bumping practice alone will kill your brass quicker than a few hotter loads will.

Use light loads to reform the usable brass to your new chamber and inspect it again. A good s/s or media tumble will hide old ejector kisses but dont let this give you a false sense of security. Keep a close eye on the post fired dimensions above the cases thick section at the base.. if its bulging each time and then just getting resized, there is a good chance it getting thin and brittle.