As far as brass life goes with the Hornady....I'd take what you hear with a grain of salt. A lot of people are overloading the brass (higher than normal pressures) and that's what's killing the brass. it's not necessarily a brass quality issue. I hear the same complaint about Norma and I haven't seen any issues with Norma either.
When someone says well I don't get a heavy bolt lift or the double click or the primers are not flat etc...that doesn't mean that a shooter is not running the ammo beyond the max. working pressure.
I can give plenty of examples of Lapua brass being wrecked in just one firing. I myself on my 284win F class loads with Lapua brass the primer pockets where loose after 3 firings. Loose enough that I wouldn't use them again. Could I still use them? Sure but you could definitely tell a difference on how the primers seat in the case.
Mark here shoots BR. His 6PPC and Lapua brass on the low end only 3 loadings and on the upper end about 12 loads out of a piece of brass. For him it depends on conditions and how he loads at the match.
I've got three loadings on my 300PRC brass and have not thrown out a case yet for any reason.
Also guys measure case weight and complain about this or that brass maker. What most don't realize is that a .001" difference on the extractor cut of the case will easily effect the weight but I feel we should be more concerned about case volume and not necessarily case weight but the weight is easier to measure so that's what most go off of.
Bookmarks