Hornaday brass

[ctenn]

Have been a member and a reader of this forum since 2/17. Have read many negatives about .204 Hornaday brass quality. I realize its not Norma brass but has anyone noticed any improvement in the Hornaday brass in the last while? I'm not an especially high volume shooter but I do strive for accurate loads. Thanks for any replies.
Carl

[Bill K]

Just remember some will complain about a new rope ( pun intended). It matters not what you or someone likes and has no issues with, someone will come back with how terrible it is. I have used Hornady brass in several weapons and it has worked just fine. Maybe some of the so called custom brass is better, but how much and how much more the cost, is up too the buying/user. I believe some just worry themselves into issues, instead of enjoying the shoot/hunt and pleasure our sport gives us. Only you can determine what you like and will use. Test some, compare and make you choice. Bill K

[Rick in Oregon]

The primary gripe about Hornady brass, specifically in 204R caliber was notoriously tight primer pockets that uniforming tools would not even fit into. Some complained about neck brittleness, but I can't comment on that, as I only used 40 cases in 204R long ago. My Sinclair or K&M unformer would not go into the pockets, so I tossed all 40 cases.

Now I pretty much only use either Nosler, Norma or my stash of older WW cases with zero problems.

[Varmint Shooter]

I agree with Bill K. Any thing a person asks about, someone always has a negative response. This applies to all
most everything in life. I am however, amazed that people can't make there own decisions about things. Always
looking for the magic answer from someone other than themselves. Make your own decisions, quite wondering
what other people think, if you don't used the preferred product of there choice. Bet you will be quite happy.
Robert

[TEXAS222]

ctenn,
I've had good luck with the newer Hornady brass that comes in the 50 or 100 red heavy boxes, not so with the Hornady brass that came in bags. There is really a difference in the newer brass although all I've used has been 4 different 22 caliber brass and I can't attest to how many reloads you'll get. I use it mostly for my testing loads & then switch to Lapua or Nosler & adjust my load. ]My loads while testing were just as accurate as with the Norma or Lapua, I just happened to have a lot of them on hand. I wouldn't hesitate to use the newer Hornady in all my loads.

*****To Bill K & Varmint Shooter,
I agree with ya'll 80%, you have to make your own mind up & use what works for you regardless of other peoples opinions.
But!!! That being said, that's what 204 RUGER forum is about. People learn a lot from asking questions, I know I have. Sometimes questions are asked for many reasons, one being to get a jump start in the right direction to avoid buying something that doesn't work or maybe to help with building a more accurate load etc. For example I've seen people who didn't know better asking about using pistol primers in a 204 or a powder that was incompatible.
IMO, that's what gun forms are for, sharing information & asking questions. I know myself, I would have made some huge mistakes about guns or reloading without asking questions. This is just my opinion on the subject.

Jim D---

[Bill K]

Fully agree Jim D, Each of us must make and learn for ourselves . And yes I have learned a lot by asking and reading questions/answers posted by others. A few good reloading manuals/books are also there for us to draw on and learn and play our sport safely. A person just has too weed out the one's that post things that just seem out of line, unsafe and off base. Each has a opinion and we either accept or disregard it. I try and hope I do not put down someone's opinion, but just, as I said, weed them out and move on, working with what does work for me and my rifle/s. Bill K

[ClaimJumper]

Right now .204 Ruger, Nosler bass is 43$ per 100pcs. Cheaper than Hornady and Norma

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/pr ... ctId/72472

[inKYfromSD]

I bought some of that bagged brass a while back. It's Nosler seconds. That's why it's bagged and not in Nosler boxes. Lengths and weights are all over the place. It's not the "sorted, trimmed, ready to load" high quality brass you get when you buy "firsts". I've been shooting it in my CZ. Not terrible, just more work up front. While I still prefer it over Hornady, it's not the fantastic deal that it appears to be.

[eloy]

I have not used hornadys in my 204ruger, but did notice many of my cases in my 308 Winchester have very lose primers and sometimes only on the second reload. I have been using norma in my 204 and Winchester in my 308 with success.