308 Win Palma and 308 Win Cases

[higginsdj]

OK,

I think I ordered the wrong cases. Since I am currently reloading the brass from Factory 308 Win Palma ammo I just ordered some 308 Win Lapua Palma - but they aren't the same thing - the Lapua have a smaller primer pocket and tiny flash holes. What primers do I need? Is it still good for my 308 Savage and Omark?

Cheers

David

[Quick]

David,

Still fine mate. You will need small rifle primers, I would start with CCI 450, CCI Br4, FGMM 205M and FGMM 205 primers. You will also need to fit the gear for your priming tool for small rifle primers, Look on your instructions for how to do that.

Many claim that you get better accuracy with the small rifle primed cases. I have done a lil playing around with them and did get good accuracy but i use LR primer winchester brass for my Remington 308.

[higginsdj]

Thanks Shaun,

I though for sure I had done something bad after my poor experiences with the Savage over the last few months At least I am getting my confidence back with the Omark shooting good groups with my lightweight hand loads (104.1 at 700m today) - only 5 points behind the F-Open winner for the day and 8 points behind the A class F Standard winner - so I am happy once more.

Cheers

David

[Brad Y]

The thing about the palma cases is you either need to open the flash holes to 63 thou so a regular depriming pin can go through it or change the depriming pin (or even grind it down) so it will go through. Try and use them through regular dies and you will get stuck.

Primer wise your running alot of powder in that case so I would be sticking with primers that have the thicker cups- CCI450 seem to perform the best. I havent tried it but wouldnt risk a small federal primer as they are fairly thin- especially in a factory bolt that hasnt had the firing pin bushed.

[Razer]

I am given to understand that enlarging the flash hole defeats the purpose of using the small primer.
If you have dies with removable decapping pins, then replace the large pin with the small pin.
A Lee Universal decapping tool will also do the job (there are other brands)but it means two bites at the cherry to decap and re-size.

I use a Lee collet neck sizing die so decap and neck-size in the one go.
Take out the mandrel, insert it into the chuck of a cordless drill. Clamp an oil stone in the vice and move the large decapping pin back and forth along the lubricated stone with the drill running.
Have a Palma case handy and just keep checking until the pin neatly fits the small primer flash hole. Easy if you do the checking from primer pocket end.

As I prefer to keep my LR die intact for the odd tight LR primer, I bought a new die and ground down its pin, so now have one that will specifically neck size Palma brass.

I use CCI 450 primers with no change to the rifles firing pin, and have had no problems using 46.2 grs 2208 with 155gr projectiles. Indentation is the same as that I get on a LR primer.(note;I do not jam but jump seat xxthous.)
The main problem that I have encountered is that although the new brass primes to perfection, the second and subsequent primers are very tight to seat. It appears that the pocket has closed slightly, which is better than them getting bigger like some other calibres mentioned on the forum

[SuperV]

Hi guys. I will be selling 3000 once fired lapua Palma brass at the act queens. $65 per 100

[Brad Y]

Honestly going from 58 to 63 thou isn't going to do much IMO and by doing it you are making yourself sure in your own mind that each flash hole has no burrs and is uniform to the rest of the batch of cases.

[Barry Davies]

It's an 18% increase in the load exerted on the primer.
Pressure is the same but load increases because of the larger hole.

[higginsdj]

Don't have a stone so used some 240 grade wet and dry (and oil) to 'grind' away the small amount needed along the length of the stem. Seems to work ok now.

Anything else I should be aware of?

(I had thought my pistol deprimers might work but no, they have the same size pin as the other deprimers even though they are used for small pistol primers)

Cheers

David

[Brad Y]

Barry- thats interesting to know, but even still with a bushed firing pin on a remington factory bolt, CCI 450's, BR4's or even Rem 7.5's there is no issue with cratering or piercing primers with loads up to 46.2gr

Even though lapua brass is good, I have still found burrs on the flash holes. Thats why I uniform them. Kevin Thomas from Lapua USA said they dont need it, but I had a batch that definitely had a burr.

While I polished my decapping pin down before using them, I still think there is merit in checking and prepping the cases prior to shooting.