New brass help

[ArcherAdam]

Hi! Today I went out to the local Gander Mountain to look for 30-06 brass. I saw they only had Winchester in stock. I was going to get it until I looked it over. Many of the necks were almost oval in shape and many had burrs on them. I do recall someone stating that their quality has gone down a little. I am not sure how old this brass is.

So my questions:

1) is my above experience normal?
2) if buying new brass, whats the best for the money?

Thanks!

AA

 

[OU812]

Hi! Today I went out to the local Gander Mountain to look for 30-06 brass. I saw they only had Winchester in stock. I was going to get it until I looked it over. Many of the necks were almost oval in shape and many had burrs on them. I do recall someone stating that their quality has gone down a little. I am not sure how old this brass is.

So my questions:

1) is my above experience normal?
2) if buying new brass, whats the best for the money?

Thanks!

AA

The way Remington and Winchester brass is packaged and handled yes it's common to see some necks of various shapes. The necks are an easy fix and for the price of the brass worth it IMO.

Bill

 

[DrMike]

It is not unusual that bulk brass has necks that are distorted. During the final tumbling the process can be pretty aggressive. I take it as a given that all bulk brass (with very few exceptions) will have to be trued before the first loading. Lapua and Norma require less initial attention, and in that category, Nosler brass is superior. These firms take care to carefully package to avoid additional distortion. The value is reflected in the price. Winchester is still good brass, but you will need to give it a bit of initial attention. The same holds true for Remington and Federal, though it does seem less of a problem with Federal than with the other two big boys of the hand loading world.

 

[AzDak42]

One sized or given a run through with the expander ball on your sizing die, all will be well. Winchester is a great value for the price.

 

[bullet]

Yep, that is the normal. Prep your brass and you are good to go. Like has been stated, for the money, good deal, good brass.

 

[ArcherAdam]

Ok. Good to hear. Thanks for the replies guys!

 

[Elkman]

Your rifle will tell you what kind of a bargain it is. My STW likes the Nosler Brass (the most expensive) over Remington. My 308 likes WW the best over Remington and Federal Match. The 300 Win Mag just eats what ever its feed with very good results. They are all a little different. Mostly depends on your objective for the rifle.