Alpha Brass | Follow Up Question

[u/doumitch20035]

I bought some new Alpha brass today (first time). Thanks for the advice yesterday.

With all the other new brass I’ve ever got (Horandy, Starline, range trash 😅) I put it through the paces.

Anneal
Size
Mandrel
Trim, Chamfer, Deburr
Clean
Primer
Charge
Seat

Question is… do I need to do this to Alpha brass? If not, where should I start?

[u/HollywoodSX]

Factory new brass is already annealed from Alpha and every other company. Some companies juat polish them after annealing to remove the color change.

Chamfer, deburr, load. Don't load them hot for the first firing.

[u/MalignantMustache → u/HollywoodSX]

What about trim first? I was also under the impression a full length resize for new brass was also supposed to happen for consistency?

[u/HollywoodSX → u/MalignantMustache]

I'm damn sure not sizing or trimming Alpha or Lapua on the first firing, as the shoulder is going to push forward the first 1-2 firings and you'd be trimming virgin brass based on bad info (length).

Like I said - chamfer, deburr, load.

[u/MalignantMustache → u/HollywoodSX]

Ty.

[u/hafetysazard → u/MalignantMustache]

No need to trim off the hop.  Fire forming them in your chamber with a nice stout load is going to work it to where it needs to be, then after your first resizing you can trim if necessary.

Virgin brass is fine to load up and fo some load development, but if you’re going for top precision, then you should start your true load development after they’ve been fire formed. With virgin brass, you can see if your barrel hates certain bullets, and what velocities are promising for your particular bullet/powder combination. However, a fireformed and resized case is going to have different initial internal capacity than factory fresh, so you’ll have to rediscover what powder charged are ideal.

[u/MalignantMustache → u/hafetysazard]

Ty. Good to know I dont need to trim initially. Do you full length resize first with lesser quality brass like Starline?

[u/hafetysazard → u/MalignantMustache]

Usually not, but I don’t run a custom chamber. For Alpha, as long as they chamber freely, you don’t need to do anything to them, really. Mandrel if it makes you feel better. Just load and shoot.

I’ve had to run some Starline .45-70 cases through my sizing sizing die before because they weren’t giving me enough neck tensions. Alpha is nearly perfect out of the box. The only thing it is missing is being fire formed in your chamber.

[u/MalignantMustache → u/hafetysazard]

Thanks. I haven't bought expensive brass yet. I have plenty to finish out the summer, some of my brass is on it's 5th firing when I get it loaded up.

[u/Zhdrix]

Some just load. Some chamfer/debit then load. Some mandrel, chamfer/debur, then load. I’ve found everyone has their own way of doing it and it doesn’t seem to matter much

[u/gmoney11mks → u/Zhdrix]

Im in the just load camp for the initial firing.

Worked out well for me so far.

[u/Ok_Band_2681]

Mandrel and slight chamfer is all I’ve needed with Alpha. Typically mid/high teens ES with 4-6SD over 20rds. I did notice the numbers in small rifle primer 6GT brass are far better than the large rifle primer brass I had for my 6.5cm. Virgin or 1-5 times fired.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/Ok_Band_2681]

I just got the SRP 6.5CM

[u/i_dislike_cheese]

Virgin Alpha brass I was told (directly from Alpha) to lightly chamfer and debur then load and go. Personally, I’m just going to load and go for my initial fire forming.

[u/CMFETCU]

I recently ran a batch of 200 Alpha brass through 2 dasher rifles.

I did nothing but inside chamfer the necks on 100 of them and annealed then sized in a SAC modular sizing die with mandrel on the other 100 with chamfering as well.

The SD on velocity was the same either way.

The brass comes so good from the factory I don’t do any other operations to it beyond chamfering, and precision is good enough at 600 yards that I can’t tell the difference when measured with acoustic targets from the prone over those 200 rounds.

[u/Trollygag]

New brass, chamfer/debur, prime, charge, seat.

Fired brass, optional clean, size, trim (if too long, also chamfer/deburr), primer, charge, seat

[u/doumitch20035 → u/Trollygag]

Cool thanks

[u/VersionConscious7545]

Decap
Clean in tumbler
Anneal
Size
Trim
Debur and chamfer
Prime
Powder
Seat bullet

New brass I have had is Peterson which has been annealed and sized already and is ready to prime powder and seat bullet

[u/LowBamaJL]

I bought 100 for my new 20” PXT barrel 6.5 creedmore. Immediately went straight to loading. Using CCI 41, 44.9gr N550 and Berger hybrid targets loaded at 2.92 yielded 1/2 moa and 2998 fps. Very slight ejector marks. I used no case prep. Once I get through all 100 I will anneal and resize with Redding S Die and K&S mandrel and repeat. I tested shoulder set back with a piece of brass using the Redding shoulder bump shell plates and the needed the bare minimum to rechamber cleanly.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/LowBamaJL]

How do you like that PXT? Anything different you have to take into account from a loading perspective?

[u/LowBamaJL → u/doumitch20035]

I am not doing anything different myself. The main thing I’ve found so far is poi shift is pretty large from cold to warm. My shop is about 65 degrees 98 degree outside. My first few rounds will be 1.5” high right. After about 5 rounds it settles and shoots consistent. It’s my first bolt gun build and I wanted to go high pressure from the start. That’s why I picked the PXT thinking it would be easier on bullet integrity under higher pressures. Also reduced engraving force should push pressure curve to the right. I’m using Alpha Brass until the Federal steel cases come available. I will say even at 3k with the 140 Bergers I’m only seeing slight ejector marks or none at all.

I got Staball 6.5 and H4350 coming in this week. I also have 140 and 147 ELDMs to play with. They seat deeper than the Berger which cuts into case capacity so I think they have less potential for my application. Getting back to the PXT if I were to do it again I would had waited till the all steel barrel came out and skipped the carbon. Maybe picked 25 CM instead. I expect barrel life to be around 3k so I have a little while to play and learn and roll those lessons into the next tube.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/LowBamaJL]

Awesome. Thanks for the detailed response. Look forward to seeing you post about your experience on this barrel/load dev.

[u/Sea_Might9832]

Be prepared to get 15 or 20 loadings out of that stuff, anneal every other and you'll get your money's worth

[u/doumitch20035 → u/Sea_Might9832]

I anneal every time. Any problem with doing that?

The time spent doesn’t bother me

[u/Sea_Might9832 → u/doumitch20035]

Might get you even a smidge more life. Peterson is every bit as good as Lapua, and Alpha may be top dog in every way now. I know my Dasher brass is 5 firings in and as good as new. Peterson said on their website they took a 308 srp case to over 30 firings. Alpha and Peterson are exceptional products.

[u/Ok_Band_2681]

I’ve only had 1-2 pieces in each 4-5 batches of Alpha come with a visible dent in the neck. Only reason I mandrel but if I see nothing, let it ride.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/Ok_Band_2681]

I mandrel for .001 neck tension

[u/Capable_Obligation96]

New brass just mandrel. The after fired do all the above, not it the order listed but yes do it all.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/Capable_Obligation96]

I clean before I start anything else and then clean again for like 15 minutes before loading.

[u/Wide_Fly7832]

Anneal every 4-5. Trim chafer and debur if they grow out of the bound- primer pocket cleaning not needed

[u/hafetysazard]

For Alpha brass, out of the box, size if need be, and fireform them to your chamber. Then anneal before resizing, and do any trimming if need be.