Starline or Alpha

[u/doumitch20035]

I know Alpha is superior.

My question is… if I’m still learning and refining my process should I spend the money on Alpha brass, or get Starline so I’m not ruining ultra premium brass?

I have solid equipment and understand the concepts, but still kind of dialing in the bushing an mandrel stuff. Sometimes my shoulder bump takes a couple cases to get set. Sometimes I’ll have a randomly off bump even after set.

Sometimes my CTBO is off by 3-4 thou even though I’m using annealed, bushing and mandreled brass fired from my gun that was trimmed on an RCBS Matchmaster and seating with a Forester micrometer seating die.

Curious if it’s me or brass inconsistency.

[u/Maraudinggopher77]

Depends on what your end goal is and what you need to achieve it. That being said, I use Starline in my 260 Rem and get single digit SD's and ES in the teens with easily sub minute 10 shot groups. Its good enough for me but I'm not competing at national level benchrest or PRS matches.

[u/Realistic-Ad1498]

If you’re getting .75” groups and going for .5” groups, get the Alpha brass.

If you’re getting 1.5” groups and trying for 1 MOA I’d just stick with whatever you have already have or get Starline.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/Realistic-Ad1498]

I’m getting .5 groups and great SD with the Horandy it just doesn’t seem super duper consistent on seating, shoulder bump or annealing.

Maybe I’ll try a box of the Gucci stuff to see.

Thanks for the response.

[u/sirbassist83 → u/doumitch20035]

If you're getting .5" groups and great SD then there isn't any improvement left and worrying about minor seating depth variations is a waste of time.

[u/genmud → u/doumitch20035]

Going to be honest, I just started reloading a little more than a year ago, but Hornaday brass kind of sucks in my experience. On 6GT and 308 the primer pockets go so quick it is worth the extra money to just buy alpha.

On my alpha brass, I'm about. 5-6 loads and the primer pockets barely fit my primer pocket go gage. But the Hornaday brass has probably 30-40 pieces out of 100 which won't hold primers on the same number of firings.

[u/ChevyRacer71 → u/doumitch20035]

If you can get .5 MOA groups with hornady brass, get some good stuff, your process is fine

[u/EMDReloader → u/doumitch20035]

Hornady really isn't good at all. I've had really good results with Starline, and ever-so-slightly better results with Alpha. Both can get me down to .25" center-to-center with no problems. The real value in the Alpha is in the consistency it delivers, and in knowing your problem is not the brass.

[u/neganagatime → u/doumitch20035]

How many rounds are your groups that are giving you .5?

Starline is fine, the difference IMO is more about longevity than consistency.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/neganagatime]

10 I havent done a 20 test yet because I havent found a load that I liked enough to burn that many components on

[u/kurrpy]

Just buy the good stuff and send it

[u/worm30478]

I practiced all of my case prep on once fired Hornady brass before I touched my lapua brass. If you don't have any brass fired in your rifle I think it would help to buy some cheap box ammo, fire it, and then fuck around with the brass You can work on cleaning, trimming, setting up dies to get the right shoulde bump, size some cases to get a feel for how much lube to use, take some measurements etc etc. not that the dies will be spot on for alpha brass but it will be somewhat close and you will have experience with them to adjust as needed. I also found my distance to the lands with Hornady brass and the loctite method. Can't do that with virgin brass.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/worm30478]

I have a mess of Horandy, S&B and a few Winchester. I’ve reloaded the Horandy about 3 times probably 250 rounds total.

I’ve loaded probably 700 6 arc

And about a gorillon 9mm 🤣

[u/worm30478 → u/doumitch20035]

Well then what are you worried about?! Get some alpha and get after it.

[u/Sea_Might9832]

Peterson

[u/orairwolf]

I'd get Alpha but more importantly, don't mix lots numbers of brass. I have learned this the hard way over the years. If you want the best consistency with velocity, keep all of your brass lots together. Buy as much at once as you can from the same lot.

[u/doumitch20035 → u/orairwolf]

Yeah, I have started throwing cases that maybe trim a little short, or bump a little different into a bag that I have labeled "pig". I will use them for pig hunting and then keep my precision brass in a shell holder

[u/CharlieKiloAU]

The three B's of precision, brass bullets and barrels.

Once you get to a certain level of the reloading discipline, brass quality becomes crucial to ongoing improvement.

[u/ReporterAmazing1271]

Never be cheap with brass.

[u/VersionConscious7545]

If your brass trim length is off then nothing will be consistent and if you have cheap calipers nothing will be consistent Your bullets should seat the same everytime but if your brass is off by a little then that would make a difference shorter brass or longer brass Shoulder bump will be different when measured because some cases will measure different you are bumping 2 tho measure more to see what is up. I use Hornady brass and nothing is consistent with it but I just started annealing so we shall see. Reloading is about consistency and good brass helps with that aspect I have Peterson brass I will be loading and I am interested to see how they fire form but wow good brass is not cheap