7mm-08 Nosler Brass

[Clint M]

I have been patiently waiting for some 7mm-08 brass giving up when Midway had the sale on Nosler brass I ordered a 50 box. I was going to just pay the devil his due and purchase Norma, but having never purchased Norma (always went with Lapua) and some google searches the overall opinion was Norma makes 7mm-08 brass for Nosler.

I'm 99.9% sure this Nosler 7mm-08 brass is made by Federal, comparing Nosler to some Federal I have flash holes are a mirror image !! I would NEVER pay top dollar for sorted prepped Federal brass ever having known that. Just a quick inspection flash holes are off center in several cases I have inspected, the prep work Nosler has performed is fine everywhere except the flash holes they are not anywhere near round.. The nicest thing I have seen so far with this brass is the box it came in. I have never gave a bad brass review, I have never thought I didn't get my moneys worth when purchasing new brass with this being the exception.

This is for a Sako AII hunting rifle mind you I will probably not see any difference in this than say a Lapua case, but I paid top dollar and I want my moneys worth. I will try to get some pictures, weigh some cases, and check some necks... and update this thread.

I would have formed 308 brass, but I'm teaching my 14 year old son about hand loading I'm trying to set an example to him tho we don't have a 308 I don't want to add any variable to forming hand loads directly from a manual. Pretty much drilling the basics in.

Weighed the Nosler 7mm-08 brass random 169.2, 169.2, 169.3, 169.3, 169.4, 169.4, 169.5, 169.6, 169.8, 169.8, 169.9 grains. No problems in this area, Nosler states their brass is weight sorted.

 

[oneounceload]

The Norma brass I used to have for a 6.5X55 was definitely NOT Federal. Norma is good stuff

 

[LocoGringo]

I had a hard time following your thread, but are you saying you purchased Norma branded brass but think Nosler makes the brass and after comparing Nosler to Federal you now think that Federal made the "Norma" branded brass as Nosler...or something along those lines?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I will probably not see any difference in this than say a Lapua case, but I paid top dollar and I want my moneys worth.

If you can't tell any real world difference between what you have and Lapua, how are you not getting your money's worth?
What? Are you sitting on the bench or on the deer stand thinking, "Man my primer pockets aren't perfectly round. This entire range session/hunt is totally shot."

 

[Clint M]

I must have made a really terrible post. This is Nosler brass. Some research on the net I formed the opinion that Nosler purchased brass from Norma...in my Nosler brass purchased I think it's Federal brass not Norma.

It does not matter where I sit when I purchase advertised top quality brass I want my moneys worth. I don't think anyone would be happy purchasing Lapua brass at price and getting run of the mill winchester or remington quality.

I apologize if my post was hard to understand. My main goal is not to trash anyone, but to post information on the quality of brass I received. Others may have received a much better product when purchasing Nosler brass.

 

[LocoGringo]

Yeah, I can see it being disappointing, but why pay for benchrest brass when it's going in a hunting rifle...even if it's a REALLY nice hunting rifle? It just doesn't seem to fit form/function. I'd chalk it up to learned experience and not buy/pay for benchrest quality components that will make little difference (likely) in a hunting rifle. The idea of handloading ammo is to custom fit ammo to the rifle and save money (for me, at least). I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the upgraded brass for a hunting rig.

 

[herrwalther]

I always used Remington brass when I wasn't using PPU formed brass to the chamber. The flash holes weren't always uniform, and some looked like they were chewed in. But they worked pretty well when I still had the 7mm-08.

 

[Clint M]

7mm-08 brass is scarce at the moment in anything but Nosler or Norma brand even once fired is hard to come by. I will give some more details on brass tomorrow letting my old digital scale warm up.

 

[LocoGringo]

Clint, not to try and derail your thread, but how difficult is it to form 7mm-08 out of .308 brass? That is my exact plan for my son's custom rifle. I've got a BOATLOAD of WCC .308 brass that I plan on forming into 7mm-08, although I'm building quite a bit of Hornady 7mm-08 brass inventory currently.

 

[clutch]

I bought two 50 round boxes of Nosler 7-08 a month or two ago. I thought it looked pretty darn nice. Liked it so much I bought some Nosler .308 brass.

Weight variation with privi partisan ran 7-9 grains. Nosler 0.3g

I have a far number of guns in differing chamberings, I like my head stamps to match so I don't accidentally try to shoot the wrong ammo.

Not so worried with my .357 Heritt though.

 

[Clint M]

Clint, not to try and derail your thread, but how difficult is it to form 7mm-08 out of .308 brass? That is my exact plan for my son's custom rifle

LocoGringo,

If you have a factory chamber you should have no problems at all, just be aware that the neck gets thicker when sizing down. Some measurements on a 308 FC case after full length sized in 7mm-08 dies. Outside neck diamter above shoulder .3150", below case mouth .3140" case length 2.0270"

Forming 7mm-08 from 308 is simple I just use Royal case and die lube (similar to imperial case lube wax) and run thru full length sizing die overall case length will be slightly shorter than 7mm-08 but not enough to worry over. Set the die up to full length size you should have no problems but check one of your fired cases from your gun measure the outside neck diameter now check your cases formed from 308 case with loaded bullet. You can compare this to 7mm-08 cartridge specs by using google, also chamber the round in your rifle. I say all that to be extra safe. The only problem I can see if the neck being to thick causing bullet pinch.

You could full length size using 308 dies then in a 7mm-08 seating die, but I had no problems as stated just sizing 308 fired brass in 7mm-08 full length die. Make sure you put a small amount of lube inside case mouth.

 

[Clint M]

Some more info on 7mm-08 brass formed from 308 FC brass. 308 FC case sized in full length die 7mm barnes bullet seated outside neck diamter= .3155", a factory 7mm-08 FC case full length sized 7mm barnes bullet seated=.3100" a fired 7mm-08 fired case in my rifle outside neck diameter=.3175". The 308 cases full length sized in a 7mm-08 die chambers with no resistance. I hope the info given is easy to understand, above all just be careful with outside neck diameter.

I plan to research and purchase some well made 308 brass to keep on hand for forming 7mm-08 in case the need every arises that I need brass again.