THE HANDLOADING BENCH
308 Winchester Rides Again Part 2 By Laurie Holland
while the company simultaneously carried out its own performance evaluations. With both parties very happy with the results, Lapua Nammo Oy launched its new SRP case branded and headstamped with the ‘Palma’ name with the US NRA’s approval in early 2010, supplies reaching our UK importers, Hannams Reloading Limited, that autumn.
Remington 308 UBBR (Unformed Basic Bench Rest) case which also employed the small primer/small dia. flash-hole combination.
It was alleged all sorts of problems would be generated including variable performance, sensitivity to temperature variations, even hang-fires. A common refrain was: ‘Been there, done that, gave it up as a bad idea!’ The critics were, probably still are, generally of the view that the small rifle primer (SRP) is only marginally adequate for this size of cartridge and weight of powder charges, that marginal status tipping over the line into inadequacy under certain conditions to give unpredictable and unsatisfactory performance.
Canny long-range .308W users look for ‘mild’ LR primers that perform consistently. Some batches of the Russian Tula manufactured PMC / Wolf brand LRPs are highly prized.
Controversial
Not everybody welcomed this variant with open arms. A number of shooters questioned whether it was ‘legal’ under the Palma, Fullbore/Target Rifle and F/TR governing body’s (ICFRA) rules. Here is the relevant section:
T2.19.1. Cartridge Dimensions: With the exception of overall loaded length, cartridges must comply with the SAAMI or CIP cartridge specifications for .308 Winchester or .223 Remington respectively.
The US SAAMI standards body, which has technical responsibility for this cartridge, advised that the primer type is not prescribed in its specifications and large or small is immaterial to conformity decisions. Other equally serious but even more numerous criticisms came from shooters who had knowledge, either personally or second-hand, of the old
On this issue of 308 UBBR brass versus the Lapua Palma Match version, one must consider that while the ‘UBBR’ was manufactured with 308 Win external dimensions, it was in some respects a different animal. It was drawn with exceptionally thin walls as its purpose wasn’t to be shot as .308W but to be a ‘basic case’
for reforming into the smaller BR Remington design and various wildcats. The ultra-light construction gave it significantly greater internal capacity than standard 308W brass and ideally required a tighter than ‘minimum-SAAMI’ chamber as well as the use of a custom or neck-bushing sizer die. The UBBR cases date from a quarter century ago too, as does much of the critics’ experience with them and propellant/ primer technology has certainly not stood still over that period.
Here’s what the project’s instigator, Tom Whitaker had to say in 2010 in response to sustained criticism on the US Rifle Teams’ Long-Range Shooting Forum:
”After 25+ years of using the Remington BR cases in 308 and 6.5 calibers I have some experience using the small primer case. We should all agree there are many factors that contribute to loading accurate ammunition. It is a well known fact that primers are one of the most
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