Hey folks,
Today I got a chance to do a ladder test on some new 5.56 rounds that I made while back. I used Sierra Green Tip Match Kings with brand new Starline brass and CCI small rifle primers. Powder was H335. I started at the minimum load and worked up to about a grain under the max. First off, the ammo shot awesome out of my SA Saint Victor... quarter sized groups at 50 yards with my Primary Arms 3x prism and the rifle resting on my rucksack (I did this test during a lull in the dove hunt action this afternoon). BUT... my primers are cratered and a little flat. Even with the minimum load. So does anyone know if Starline is a little thicker than, say, Lake City or similar? It does seem a bit robust... Maybe the internal volume is lower? Any ideas appreciated. Thanks
Crow
Re: Higher Pressure with Starline Brass?
2weigh the empties. that'll tell you how much brass is in that supposedly identical external volume.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?
Re: Higher Pressure with Starline Brass?
3Following.
I've used Starline for a while but I never pushed them far enough to get pressure signs. I'll be interested to see what others say. Full disclosure: I haven't loaded for the caliber under question, just various ~.30 cals.
CDFingers
I've used Starline for a while but I never pushed them far enough to get pressure signs. I'll be interested to see what others say. Full disclosure: I haven't loaded for the caliber under question, just various ~.30 cals.
CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack
Re: Higher Pressure with Starline Brass?
4Wouldn't surprise me. Different manufacturing tolerances and whatnot. I would do a water measurement between the two to get an accurate reading. I do this:
https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threa ... y.3896148/
https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threa ... y.3896148/
Re: Higher Pressure with Starline Brass?
5just so happens day before yesterday i had cause to weigh 3 cartridges, on the face of it, identical: primer, powder charge, bullet all same-same, only difference, brass. they varied as much as 14 grains.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?
Re: Higher Pressure with Starline Brass?
6I have used Starline cases for revolver loads, and I found them to be thicker at the mouth than the Rem-Win-Fed that I usually use.
Are you comparing the CCI primers to other loads with the same primers? If not, it could just be that the CCI primers look different than what you're used to.
Are you comparing the CCI primers to other loads with the same primers? If not, it could just be that the CCI primers look different than what you're used to.
Re: Higher Pressure with Starline Brass?
7hey thanks for all the responses! I have not done the water test, Shinzen, but that looks cool. I'll try it. I did weigh a few Starline v LC and found the Starline to be consistently .02 oz heavier than the LC. Rust, I have heard that CCI are a little more prone to cratering, especially when fired from an AR (which is the rifle I was using) but I shot some other reloads using CCI primers and LC brass that day that didn't crater, so I dunno. If primers are ever sold in this country again, I'll try different ones... The casings didn't have any other obvious pressure signs on them, so maybe overall pressure was fine and I just reached the CCI crater threshold.
I'm gonna load up the same components and reduce the powder charge to a grain below minimum and see what happens. I'm using the KaliKey bolt (yeah, yeah, yeah) so cycling isn't going to be a problem. Hopefully accuracy doesn't suffer from the reduced charge though... at the minimum charge these were the most accurate rounds I've ever made.
Crow
I'm gonna load up the same components and reduce the powder charge to a grain below minimum and see what happens. I'm using the KaliKey bolt (yeah, yeah, yeah) so cycling isn't going to be a problem. Hopefully accuracy doesn't suffer from the reduced charge though... at the minimum charge these were the most accurate rounds I've ever made.
Crow
Minute Of Average
Re: Higher Pressure with Starline Brass?
8so quaint. fractions of ounces. by my awkward calculation, that's 8.75 grains. 8.75 grains of brass, on the inside of the case. if someone cared enough to look up the density of brass, we would know how much the difference in volume is.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?