Thread: Brass thickness vs capacity question

Hey Guys/Gals,

I've been reloading with federal brass and have found it to be alright (factory load brass) but have recently brought some Nosler to load up and see if theres any difference to my federal loads (heap of fed cases).

Now I've loaded up some fed and nosler cases (weeks apart) with some 140gr sierra HPBT (first time trialing these pills) and have done a max load and a couple under max to test them. Now when I shake the fed cases loaded up with a max load I can hear the rattle of the powder, now with the Nosler cases I can't, it's not until I went a whole grain under max that there was space. Is this normal? First time using 140gr pills but they are quite abit longer than the usual sierra 130gr I use.

My question:

-Is Nosler brass quite thick? both fed cases and nosler weight quite similar - around the 205gr mark with primers in.


Cheers,
Grant

If your cases are weighing in the same, then it is more than likely the new pills. As long as you're under max load, and your OAL is right for the projectile, you'll be right.

I've found different cases can give different results accuracy wise, so you might need to work your load up again for the new brass.

The bullets are seated in .471" into the case which is quite a lot I thought, but that was the minimum for my rifle. I'll be in the lands if I was any further out. Just thought it strange having two different branded brass weighing pretty close to each other but capacity different.

EDIT: Haven't mentioned calibre yet. It's a .270

Hmmm.... I'm no expert on .270. How deep do your usual pills seat into the case? If it is a lot different, I'd back off to a min load, and work back up again from scratch.

What is your OAL?
Yes as scraggly says it will pay to start at minimum again. I help load for a 270win A bolt and its OAL is quite low also, I can't remember without looking in book but it meant we stayed under max books loads.

Is yours an A bolt?


Also when your weighed them were they treated the same before weighing? I.e. trimmed to same length, both chamfered, same primers? Would there be any difference like those?

Puku

Just trying to get my head round this. You are using these projectiles for the first time in either brand of case? You have not used the Nozzler caes before?
I am lead to believe that Norma make the cases for Nosler. It probably wouldn't take much of a change in brass alloy composiyion to make 1 grain difference in case volume with the weight staying the same between to manufactures cases. I have found that Norma cases normally have a greater capacity than other brands (in the calibres I shoot) and I have to drop my charge weights for loads worked up in them if I go to Fedral or Remingtom cases.

Originally Posted by scaggly

Hmmm.... I'm no expert on .270. How deep do your usual pills seat into the case? If it is a lot different, I'd back off to a min load, and work back up again from scratch.

Not that deep. Can't really compare apples with oranges in terms of what I normally use - 130gr Sierra SPBT and the 140gr HPBT,but there is alot of difference - the 130gr get seated .306" in compared to the .434" of the 140gr.The 140 are a longer bullet by .060" but the ogive must be closer to the tip than what the 130 are as they have to be seated deeper. I think i'll just have to choose what brass and want to use and load them to suit. I was just amazed that there would be that much difference in capacity.

Originally Posted by puku

What is your OAL?
Yes as scraggly says it will pay to start at minimum again. I help load for a 270win A bolt and its OAL is quite low also, I can't remember without looking in book but it meant we stayed under max books loads.

Is yours an A bolt?


Also when your weighed them were they treated the same before weighing? I.e. trimmed to same length, both chamfered, same primers? Would there be any difference like those?

Puku

Funny enough my rifle is an A-bolt. the OAL is 3.261" with the 140gr. and 3.322 with the 130gr. In terms of case prep, the noslers are straight out of the packet ready to load, so I did not prep them. Case length difference between the two is .020". Not too much of a factor in this case i thought??

Originally Posted by Pnumatix

Just trying to get my head round this. You are using these projectiles for the first time in either brand of case? You have not used the Nozzler caes before?
I am lead to believe that Norma make the cases for Nosler. It probably wouldn't take much of a change in brass alloy composiyion to make 1 grain difference in case volume with the weight staying the same between to manufactures cases. I have found that Norma cases normally have a greater capacity than other brands (in the calibres I shoot) and I have to drop my charge weights for loads worked up in them if I go to Fedral or Remingtom cases.

Yes correct, using the projectiles for the first time in both cases. Never used Nosler before at all, but have used the federal many times with the 130gr sierras and other projectiles.

I guess our situations are backwards - I'm finding the federals will hold more than the noslers. They're both nice and heavyish brass - I was using Hornady for a while and found them to be shithouse!! Lightweight and the brass weight very inconsistent.

Cheers for the replies everyone.

G

Yes the A bolts seem to be easy to reload to touch the lands but still fit magazine.

Grunta

A simple way to measure the capacity of your cases is with water.

Trim a couple of each brand of case to the same length.

Fill each one with water until the miniscus forms at the top of the neck.

Empty each case in turn into your powder tray and weight the amount of water.

This will tell you which case has the bigger or smaller internal capacity. Bigger weighs more.

You can also measure the actual capacity in millilitres with an accurately marked measuring cylinder and can easily convert this to CC's if you wish.

Cheers
Pete

Hi Pete,


I'll borrow my mates digital scales and give it a go. I'll do it once I've got some fired Noslers so I can test all 3 cases. Fed, new nosler and once fired.

Cheers,
Grant

You say you loaded the cases weeks apart. Did you load the Federal first? If so it might just be that the powder has had more time to settle down in the case.

Correct stug, they were done weeks apart and federal done first. Do you think it would settle that much? hmmmm interesting. Cheers.

Load two up fresh, one federal one nosler, see if there is a difference.

lol, I had the reloading gear out last night to load up another load before this weekends trial and I didn't even think about doing the above. As Homer would say......DOH!! (slaps forehead)

I'll do that this weekend.

Cheers Stug