PPU brass loaded to Hornady specs but with a larger rifle primer? Am I safe?

[Tinker-S]

Hello All,
I have recently taken to reload, just in case ammo gets to be hard to get, again.
I looked for any similar thread, but I cannot find anything that describes my predicament:
I am reloading some PPU brass I have collected, and I am following the parameters from the Hornady reloading manual, but with a difference: I am using large rifle primers, and I want to ask if anybody has any experience with this scenario. I do not want to be "that guy" who blew up his rifle and put somebody else in danger. I am using the following:
-PPU 120GR HPBT bullets, PPU 1 time fired brass trimmed to 1.510", 24.1 GR of H335, CCI LR Mil Spec Primer, COL 2.240"
-Hornady 123GR SST bullets, PPU 1 time fired brass, 25.3 GR of H335, CCI LR Mil Spec Primer, COL 2.245"

The rifle is a 20" Type 1, 1:8 twist. I loaded both rounds on the rifle, by hand, and they seem to chamber just fine, and both rounds would fit the magazine.
I will not have a chance to use the range until next year, so I figure I would load 5 rounds of each, and ask if anybody have already successfully gone down this road before.
Any and all feedback is appreciated, and I do not mind if somebody calls me a numbskull, as long as I also get some factual, useful information.
If I am missing any protocol, just let me know.

[StoneHendge]

I have shot close to 2000 rounds of Starline 7.62x39 brass converted into 243 LBC (basically 6 Grendel). I have used many different bullet weights and powders and the main take away is use a true starting book load or even a few tenths less. The large primer results in faster ignition, faster total burn and hence, earlier peak pressure. I have no idea where your loads are in comparison to book, but start low. Don't expect to get near max charge and don't expect to get near max charge SRP velocities. The earlier pressure peak means that you can't use as much powder. Also, if the CCI mil spec primers are anything like the CCI 41s, they are hot for LRPs. I for the most part use CCI200s and Fed 210s.

[Tinker-S]

StoneHenge,
Thank you for your reply.
I am at minimum load with the 120GR PPU bullets, and in the mid-load range for the Hornady 123SST. I am using Hornady load manual, and I do not expect to load to the max. I am basically looking for a safe load. In the future, I will load some Hornady brass with Mil Specs SRPs, since that is the only option available for now, and since I am using an AR style, that would be the safest primer to use to avoid any other issues I read online.

[grayfox]

You might also want to do some searches online here on the PPU brass. Some threads, as I recall, indicated problems with PPU brass being too soft and dangerous to use, believe there were some instructions to return it. That problem may have been resolved for later runs of the brass, but you'd want to be careful and maybe this all down to be safe.

[VASCAR2]

Here is a link to the 6.5 Grendel custom google search engine which works better than the forum search.

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=0163689474...cu1o&hl=en


I have reloaded the PPU large rifle primer brass from several different lots. The quality of the brass very significantly from lot to lot and I think contributed to the recall of the PPU 6.5 Grendel ammo. The main problem is the primer pockets getting loose. I would not use heavier charges with the brass until you see how the primer pockets fair after the first reload. I found Sellier & Bellot large rifle primers were a more snug fit than Winchester large rifle primers. I haven’t loaded the PPU cases enough times to experience split necks.

I bought several hundred rounds of PPU ammo from PSA for a very good price well before the recall. None of my ammo exhibited any flaws and I have reloaded this brass a couple times. This later brass is better quality than some brass from earlier lots sold under the Wolf Gold brand with 120 grain Soft Point or 120 grain MPT bullet.

I used some of PPU and Fire Formed X39 brass in situations where I might not be able to recover my brass.

[tdbru]

TS,
in the converted x39 cases I have loaded, I usually end up 1 to 2 grains less than the cases with SRP. Reasons given above of course. again I will repeat from above threads, start with the starting load, not the max load.
good luck,
-tdbru

[LRRPF52]

We did comparisons in case volume on the old PPU LRP brass vs Hornady and Lapua.

Off the top of my head, I don’t remember PPU being that much different, but you can compare yourself with your lots using water in fired cases before de-priming.

Biggest issue with the older LRP PPU brass was how soft it was, not really good for many loads in a gas gun.

I use them to make dummy cartridges, nothing else. I have piles of that stuff.

[Old Bob]

Recently purchased (last October) 80 rounds of PPU 6.5 Grendel ammo. Would the fired brass be worth reloading once or twice? I already have 20 dummies made from 7.62x39 brass & some of those red colored aluminum dummies.

[LRRPF52]

Recently purchased (last October) 80 rounds of PPU 6.5 Grendel ammo. Would the fired brass be worth reloading once or twice? I already have 20 dummies made from 7.62x39 brass & some of those red colored aluminum dummies.

You’ll have to see how the Small Rifle Primer new PPU brass does for you.

I’ve also noticed with Federal Grendel brass (SRP) that it doesn’t last many loads in a gas gun for me, but in a bolt gun, it didn’t seem to exhibit anywhere near the same wear and tear and even didn’t mind being loaded warmer.

My go-to brass is Lapua and Hornady. I don’t have any Starline so I can’t compare, but others already have here and have a lot of positive experienced to relate from what I recall.

Lapua is the king of the hill in the whole brass quality/longevity metric.

[Old Bob]

You’ll have to see how the Small Rifle Primer new PPU brass does for you.

I’ve also noticed with Federal Grendel brass (SRP) that it doesn’t last many loads in a gas gun for me, but in a bolt gun, it didn’t seem to exhibit anywhere near the same wear and tear and even didn’t mind being loaded warmer.

My go-to brass is Lapua and Hornady. I don’t have any Starline so I can’t compare, but others already have here and have a lot of positive experienced to relate from what I recall.

Lapua is the king of the hill in the whole brass quality/longevity metric.

I know about Federal brass. I've had primers fall out after seating them in Federal .223 Rem brass that had already been reloaded twice. This particular lot of brass was shot in my Savage 110 rifle & never loaded exceptionally hot. Now days I only reload Federal brass (in any caliber) once & then throw it in my recycle barrel. I suppose I'll reload the PPU once & call it good.

[Tinker-S]

Thank you all for your input.
The way I look at it, if this test batch goes without major failures, I will reload the rest of the brass I have on hand. I expect to reload this brass twice, and then keep some for dummy rounds.
By the way, when resizing, I noticed that at least 20 cases would not fit in the case gauge, not even after using a different set of dies, so, out of the 100 cases I had, I only have about half to reload. Some were damaged during ejection, and those are on the trash bin as well.
It would be a good investment to install an adjustable gas block to help out with the case damage, but I do not want to add money on an upper that I might end up selling.
I will not be able to test the loaded rounds till the second week of January, but I will post results as soon as I can use the facilities.

TS

[LRRPF52]

I know about Federal brass. I've had primers fall out after seating them in Federal .223 Rem brass that had already been reloaded twice. This particular lot of brass was shot in my Savage 110 rifle & never loaded exceptionally hot. Now days I only reload Federal brass (in any caliber) once & then throw it in my recycle barrel. I suppose I'll reload the PPU once & call it good.

With Federal Grendel brass, I lost primer pockets after the 2nd load in a gas gun.

In the Howa bolt gun, I could load it hotter and no loss of primer pockets after the 2nd load. I didn’t load it anymore after that, so I can’t say what it would do.

Lapua is a known quantity for longevity, so I’m happy with that.

Federal brass would be good for a match or hunt where you don’t care about retrieval, but where you want brass and not steel.

Same for PPU for plinking brass, as long as it isn’t the recalled stuff.

[LRRPF52]

Thank you all for your input.
The way I look at it, if this test batch goes without major failures, I will reload the rest of the brass I have on hand. I expect to reload this brass twice, and then keep some for dummy rounds.
By the way, when resizing, I noticed that at least 20 cases would not fit in the case gauge, not even after using a different set of dies, so, out of the 100 cases I had, I only have about half to reload. Some were damaged during ejection, and those are on the trash bin as well.
It would be a good investment to install an adjustable gas block to help out with the case damage, but I do not want to add money on an upper that I might end up selling.
I will not be able to test the loaded rounds till the second week of January, but I will post results as soon as I can use the facilities.

TS

There are several tweaks you can do to the rifle to help it baby your brass while increasing reliability.

Radiused ejector face is one. Polished bolt face is another.
De-edge the extractor lip corners and polish the extractor ramp without going crazy on it.
Clip coils on ejector spring.
Attach pile tape (Velcro fuzzy side) to the brass deflector.
De-edge, blend, and polish your feed ramps.
Tuned gas system

[Tinker-S]

LRRPF52,
Thank you for you recommendations.
I have attached a piece of tape to the brass deflector since it looks like some of the damage comes from when the brass is ejected and comes in contact with the deflector.
In the past, I did not care for the brass, because ammo was readily available, but now, I have to save it as much as possible. I reload for range time only, engaging targets as far as 1000 yards with multiple rifles. For any other event, or where there is a lot on the line, I have factory ammo.

TS

[Tinker-S]

I have found some x39 Norma brass that I fired several months ago, and plan to resize to 6.5 Grendel. If I understand it correctly, I have to FL it and then fire form it in my 6.5 Grendel, right?
I hope I do not get the case stuck in the die.
Anything I am missing?

[Old Bob]

Tinker-S... Yup! You'll have to fire form the x39 brass after resizing.

[Tinker-S]

Old Bob,
To fire form the x39 brass, do I go with the starting load or is there a formula to this?

[lazyengineer]

Personally, I fire-form my x39 brass by using my standard x39 brass based load I have seen no meaningful difference in performance or pressure sign just running it as-is, even if not fireformed yet. As reminder though x39 in general should be a weaker charge than 6.5Grendel loads (thicker wall construction so smaller volume in x39 casings, even after fireformed).

[Old Bob]

Old Bob,
To fire form the x39 brass, do I go with the starting load or is there a formula to this?

For fire forming x39 brass with 123gr FMJ's I got in bulk from Midway USA (made by Hornady, I think) I used TAC in half my brass & H335 in the other half. I used 25grns of both powders. Depending on which reloading book you look in, these are starting loads or just under starting loads.

[Tinker-S]

Range report:
I was finally able to go to the range and test the ammo I reloaded. Nothing out of the ordinary as far as I can see. I just reloaded 30 more rounds to go back to the range with same parameters. I did install an adjustable gas block on the rifle, and closed it all the way so the rifle acts as a bolt action. It worked as described by the manufacturer, and now, I have nice brass to reload without dings or other damages. Had to replace the charging handle with an ambidextrous one to be able to cycle the bolt with my left hand to stay on target. So far, engaged steel at 325 yards, and plan to take it to the 800+ yards, later on today.
Thank you all for your wise suggestions.