300 weatherby Brass

[Hank Hunter]

New to loading for the 300 weatherby. Can some of you experienced folks tell me about the difference in make of brass. Norma(wby), Remington and of course Nosler. I understand case capacity maybe different so should I start lower using one vs another and if so a comparison would be great. Thanks

 

[DrMike]

Norma flash holes and primer pockets are drilled rather than punched. Hence, less preparation and more consistency. Nosler brass is made by Norma, so all the advantages of Norma, plus, it is weight sorted and the mouths are chamfered. Remington brass will require attention. For what it is worth, I use Norma or Nosler whenever it is available.

 

[Hank Hunter]

Thanks Mike, I use Nosler brass in my 338 mag it is good stuff. I was given a bag of Remington brass but have heard that it won't handle the charge capacity of the others in a 300 Bee

 

[DrMike]

I don't believe you'll find that the Remington brass is less capable of handling pressure relative to either Norma or Nosler brass. It will require more preparation before using to load. There may be a difference in case capacity (in fact, I'd be surprised if there isn't). However, provided you stay within established parameters (pressure-tested recipes) and work up your load according to recognised safe practises, you won't have a problem.

 

[BK]

Bit of a random question, Doc: have you ever interchanged brass between Nosler and Norma? Or put another way, will mixing Norma and Nosler brass cause groups to open up?

 

[DrMike]

will mixing Norma and Nosler brass cause groups to open up?

Good question. I'll have to try that one of these days. I'd guess that they differ because each company sets different specifications for what they want to market. However, it is impossible to know until one tries.

 

[OldMan]

As long as you start low and work up your powder charges you won't have a problem with Remington brass. If I use the tried and true recommended 84.5 grains of 7828 in a 180 AB with Remington brass I get 3280 plus f.p.s. and a real fear of finding the bolt coming out the back of my head! With 87 gr of RL-25 in the same bullet I get 3250 with no pressure signs anywhere. I am using a model 70 in this caliber and feel real nervous when flirting with pressure, if you use the Mark V with factory chambers I doubt you would ever run into danger with Nosler's book loads with any brass. Now getting groups with a Mark V can be challenging, but with the correct load they will shoot!

 

[Desert Fox]

I believe Weatherby and Nosler brass were all made by Norma. They're pricey but the quality is top notch. Norma brass however are soft. Push it hard and the primer pocket will start to loosen up after two to three firings. I wish Lapua makes brass for Weatherby. Their brass is much tougher than Norma and the quality is just as good if not better.

 

[R Flowers]

Good responses here so far. Norma does indeed make Weatherby brass and it is good quality.

Remington made brass is, in my opinion, capable of withstanding more pressure than the Norma brass. This is a good thing, because Remington brass is enough thicker that the pressures are higher when shooting it. In my 300 Weatherby Magnum when using RL 22 I get virtually identical velocities if I use 1.5 grains less powder in the Remington brass versus using Weatherby headstamped brass.

I have never tried it, but I would imagine mixing the two brands would lead to some lousy groups due to the pressure differences.

 

[Elkman]

I will bet that changing the brass will change the groups. Not only can/will it make them larger I have seen them move a couple of inches with different brass as will as with different bullets, in the same case. Just my .02.

 

[JD338]

Norma made brass is of very high quality. If you mix mfgs, drop down a few grains and work up.

JD338

 

[Guest]

Just about the only complaint I have about Norma-made brass (regardless of headstamp) is that it's a bit softer than other brass. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage? It sizes 'better' for me, and seems not to spring back quite as much. That's totally subjective on my part, but that's what it 'seems like' to me. The disadvantage? It doesn't take too many loads at or near max to loosen a primer pocket. Nothing out of line, mind you, but loads that are at published max (and getting around the published velocities, so I expect all is working as planned) are grieving me at loading number 4 or 5, where I get 8-10 loadings from other makes of brass as far as primer pockets go. Then again, the Norma-made stuff seems to be more accurate than RemChester, so you do give up accuracy to get longevity, perhaps. I need to do a better "test" across multiple rifles to make a full determination on accuracy, but the Norma brass I've worked with up to now is great except for the primer pockets going away more quickly than other makes.

 

[hardpan]

Hi there,
I own 1 and load for another as well. Norma makes Weatherby, Nosler and Norma brass. I do use a belt bulge die from Larry Willis. It is worth the money. I also weigh each piece, use a primer pocket former, and a flash hole deburrer.

I would definitely recommend using one of the three above. The other alternative is to buy a box of ammo, and then use that brass.
Hardpan

 

[FOTIS]

I have always used WBY/Norma but only that and Remington was around then.

Whatever you do start low and work up slow when swapping brass.

 

[Elkman]

When I started loading for the 300 Bee (last year I inherted the rifles) the first thing I did was clean, and prep for loading. As I wanted to check the 50 year old 721 for accuracy I put together the best combination of components that I had available. In doing so I also checked the case weights after weighing 35 cases I had a box that were within a couple of grains of each other. Never have I seen case weights vary so much, especially for ammo that costs $50 a box.

 

[kraky]

wow--I didn't know the nosler stuff was made by norma. OK...I've necked up 300 wby for my 340 wby with a tapered expander and neck die. It goes perfect and even leaves me with minimal headspace.
So now I see that nosler has 340 wby 2nds listed for $34.95. Thats a great price if they are indeed norma brass. (didn't think norma could make a 2nd class piece of brass). So...has anyone necked down 340 wby to 300? I would think it would go pretty slick also....I think the measurement of headstamp to mid shoulder might be just a tad shorter for the 340 so maybe headspace would be just a tiny bit short?