SmallCaliberCentral

Upon checking twice fired brass prior to case prep I came across a couple with very fine cracks up at the case mouth that go all the way through the brass. The cracks are so fine unless you hold the case up to a light you can't see them. I'm using Hornady brass from factory loaded ammo. Is this common or just crappy brass? None of my loads ever showed flattened primers and I don't load over max so I don't think I'm getting over pressurization. Any thoughts?

Split necks on twice fired cases seems a little to fast. Could be some of the brass just had harder metal and therefor split faster than others in the lot. Quality control issue. If it is only on a couple, just throw away and go with the rest. If way to many do so, the I would ask the company/maker if they would replace the lot. Then go from there, either another brand of brass and a polite, but direct, letter to the maker. Bill K

I had "poor" luck reloading Hornady brass and finally gave up on it. What kind of dies are you using?

When I got my first 204 back in '06 (Sako M75 Varmint), I had 200 rounds of factory Hornady ammo to burn up. Upon "trying" to prep and reload it, I found primer pockets so tight my uniformer would not even enter and split necks from improper annealing on the first firing. After dinking about for a couple of hours with the stuff, it promptly went into my scrap brass container.

Since then I've standardized on WW brass for my high-volume rat rifles, and Nosler /Norma brass for my Cooper 204. I also have a couple hundred R-P 204 cases that gave no problems either. I'll never use Hornady brass again for ANY caliber I load for......ever.

I think it's only a matter of time until Lapua starts making 204 Ruger brass.....I hear they're also seriously considering making 221FB brass now that Nosler/Norma is importing it. Guess we'll see, eh?

Keith, I'm using a RCBS full length die backed off one full turn to just size the neck. You and Rick are not the only people who don't think much of Hornady brass on this forum. I think I'll give them one more run through and then get Winchester or Remington brass.
I do not want a Hornady round blowing up in my gun again. (It was a Horandy factory round. Their conclusion was bad brass. They said they got a batch that was too soft. I trashed all the rounds from that batch I had. Looks like I should I dumped them all.)

Gee, mixed results.

Friend of mine reloaded a 100 batch of WW Cases for the first time and had 20% of them split the necks using a Redding Neck Die.....once fired cases.

I have Federal, Hornady & Nosler Cases, 100 lots and have not had a problem with any of them. Most consistant groups I get are out of the Nosler. The Federal are the one's I don't like being the most inconsistant in weight and internal volume so they are the "night time spotlighting, don't care if I lose one" catagory.

All have been prepared as I do with my Benchrest 22/6mmBR & 6.5x47 Lapua Cases....ie FLS, Length Trimmed, Expanded, Neck Turned 80% for concentricity (very mild skim), then Neck Sized using Wilson Inline Bushing Die without a problem for their second reload. Subsequent loading is just normal prep then Neck Sized. All now been reloaded three times.

I too would like to see Lapua make cases for this magic calibre.

Had some Hornady factory ammo that wasn't up to snuff, too. Only it wasn't the brass. It was the primers. Had punch through on 3 rounds. No harm done. Sent 'em back to Hornady. They said it was a bad lot of primers and sent me a new box of shells.

Mixed results, yup. Unless you're willing to pay premium price for brass where every case is hand inspected and tested, it's going to happen. In my lots of Win brass I've seen necks showing folds and thin spots. It's still my brass of choice, but I do inspect each case from a new bunch.

I just picked up a bag of Win brass at my local gun shop on my lunch hour for $5 cheaper than Midway is selling it for. I hope it holds up better than the Hornady.

Hornady brass: oh, my head... crazy weight variance, super tight primer pockets, awful wall thckness variation... this was from their ammo. Perhaps their boxed brass is better... or maybe I got a bunch made on the day that "everything went wrong" in QC? Anyway, I'm a Nosler fan now. If I had time to prep, I'd do WW or Rem. Not having a lot of home time to fiddle (probably because I waste it, lol) I'd rather just buy top notch stuff: Nolser.

Toki', was that Beikirch's (sp)? I finally got over there to pick up bullets and powder, and rings. Saved $70 over the local Bass Pro, and that was on a total of only about $200 as I recall. What a great place.

On the flip side I am loading for a 6.5 Creedmoor which is a Hornady cartridge and Hornady is the only current manufacturer of brass for it. I've have 300 rounds of brass for it and it is fantastic quality. Virtually no prep work required and very uniform.

Bow shot, it was Beikirch's all right. Best prices anywhere and if they don't have it you probably don't need it.

Aye, Tokimini, I love that place!

Trent, funny you mention that about your Creedmor brass. I've been hard on Hornady about their .204 brass, but alway try to mention that maybe something just went bad along the way their 204 loaded ammo brass, but the perhaps the boxed brass is fine? Everything I have came from their retail ammo (Varmint Extreme I think) and that seems to be the source of the brass when folks mention their trouble...

Did your get your Creedmor brass from the box (ie, not from shooting retail ammo)?

Yeah, it is all from the same lot of boxed brass. I have to say, it looks MUCH nicer than all my Winchester brass that I have for other calibers.

Time will tell on it's performance, but all the current reports from other Creedmoor shooters is that it is good brass and they are getting good life out of it.

I'll bet the advertised qualilty really is there for their boxed brass, but they just let the inferior stuff go into the loaded ammo.. perhaps thinking that it would not likely get re-loaded. Just a guess..

I have a friend who got split necks on the first reload with both Hornady and Win. Brass. Not sure why. I think he used rcbs dies.