Favorite and least favorite brand of rifle brass?

[His lordship.]

I have used different rifle brass brands over the years and was loading some new loads today.  I found that the Korean military surplus in 30-06 was soft, and have noticed the PMC brand to be on the stiff side.  I bought a bunch of Winchester brand last Fall as my local supplier recommended them for the cast bullets I was using.  

In centerfire rifles, anybody have some favorites, or brands that they would not buy again?

Thanks.

[woodseye]

In the money no object class Norma and Lapua both are good and I favor Norma for ease of obtaining.

In the normal price range Winchester has worked the very best for me and been the closest in weight variation and best for lasting thru multiple reloadings.


The brand I like the least has been Remington and I prefer not to use it if at all possible, more weight variation, necks split quicker, poorer quality with more rejects per bag, and softer brass.

[longwinters]

I have used Winchester pretty much exclusively this last year and have no complaints.  It has held up very well.

long

[New Hampshire]

Fav: Winchester, Inexpensive and lasts just as long.

Worst:  A-merc.  Seen some bad mojo with tose ones.
Brian M.

[Dand]

None of my comments a regarding ultra high tech accuracy loading - more for good hunting and recreational accuracy and case life. Funny how each shooter has their favorite brand. In my 300 win I like Remington as the brass I've used held up longer and new the case weights were more uniform than the Winchester I tried. Also I felt like the primer pockets stayed tighter longer in Rem.  In 30-06; Remington for sure - but that may be my gun too. Win 30-06 brass started case mouth splitting sooner and case life wasn't as good using the same loads in each brand.  I have had excellent case life, and accuracy in Win, Rem and Fed in my 223 for a Ruger 1. In 38/357 and 9mm I like to stay with one brand and especially Fed brass seems notably thicker and requires readjustment of crimp dies - otherwise the 3 big names seem fine.  In the 41 mag I generally like Rem but Win is ok  and they both will last forever with moderate loads - just remember some 41 loads that are hot but ok in Rem brass may be way too hot in some Win brass. Ken Waters warned about this 41 mag problem and I observed it in a friend's reloads. He had case separations with Win brass because he was using a load developed for Rem brass.

[Iowegan]

I picked up a pile of once fired Frontier 223 brass at the range. I see why the shooters left them. The primer holes are so small that the primer punch gets stuck and pulls the pin out. Too much work to get them to standard size. Trash can.

[Duffy]

Favorite's - WW and Norma
Least favorite- Remington, and that goes for their bullets and primers too!

Ryan

[The Shrink]

Winchester brass is slightly thinner and harder than the rest that I've used.  That's an advantage when using relatively standard chambers and cast bullets, cause of the slightly greater powder capacity and room for the cast bullet.  It's a disadvantage if the brass has to move much, the hardness will show there and a thicker, softer brass will last longer while the Winchester will split.  

Wayne

[unspellable]

In 445 Super Mag I first bought PMC and they all stuck in the chamber badly even with a moderate load.  Switched to Starline and have been happy since.

In 357 Mag I fnd that nickle plated stuff will develop neck splits sooner than plain brass.

[hans g./UpS]

Remington 44/40-quality control was BAD.Sweated a hot August day, trying to size the stuff[factory,new !] to fit a Ruger Vacquero.Never did get it to fit.

[JBMauser]

No favorite to shoot, I will load and shoot just about anything that comes my way EXCEPT FOR- This is my Worst contrabution to rifle brass.  Sellier and Belloit (S&B) the primer pockets are to shallow for US primers.  After working my but off to ream them out for proper fit.  WAM, a head seperation after a few loads.  Checked all of the brass with the old paper clip and they all were starting to ring badly ahead of the web.  Other brass same gun same numbers of cycles had no problems.  Remington and RP were good.  Nix on S&B.  JB

[Graybeard]

I pretty much just won't use PMC. Too many bad experiences. I've not used a lot of Norma but what I have sure is fine. Guess if money was no object to me I might use it where available. As to the others I really have no strong preferences and use them all. I guess from a uniformity stand point I'd place Hornady in first with Federal in second place and can't really see any difference between the RP and WW brass I've used. For straight wall cases I usually go to Starline.

GB

[His lordship.]

I feel lucky that in the early days all I used was NORMA brand due to the fact that I only handloaded Jap. 6.5 and Jap 7.7, and that was the only choice we had back in the 1980s. :-)

I have used Remington brass for my .243 without any problem, yet I do hear of lots of compaints from people concerning all of their ammo in general, Remington is not my first choice when buying ammo.

I will stick with the Winchester for now concerning the 30-06, as I usually toss brass after 5 loadings I hope I won't have any case splitting with them.  I don't keep brass after 5-6 loadings as they get bent and distorted after awhile, also they might need to have the case length trimmed and when I look at those poor bent specimens, I figure, why mess with them anymore?!

The input on S & B as well as PMC was  enlightening, I won't be picking up the brass on those brands! :shock:

[1911WB]

I used to use mostly WW, but after a number of incidents of splitting of a large lot of older WW (new brass, just not current manufacture), I started using more Rem. brass, which I find easier to work with.

[Glanceblamm]

Use to own a Rem 788. Excellent shooter but was bad about stretching  the cases. Norma & Rem held up much better for me. Stayed with the Norma.

[5Redman8]

Norma, nothing like it.  I would have to by 300-400 Rem and sort out maybe 80 within tolerable variances.  With Norma, I can sort 80 prime pieces from 100.  The price is a washout but Norma takes less work.

Kyle

[Stan M.]

It is funny what people like or don't like or have had bad experiences with. Like Ford and Chevy I guess. I have always used Rem. and WW as well as some Federal and have never had a problem. In due time I might see which brand lasts longer.
 I have had a problem with brass in my 6PPC using Sako and Norma brass. The Sako could have been some human error. (pushed shoulder too far back after first firing)
No errors on my part with the Norma. I stated using a neck sizing die and a Stoney Point guage. The cases would start splitting above the web on the third firing just as the Sako did. I switched to .220 Russian Lapua brass, (had to form and trim neck to fit) and they have made it to five firings so far.
 High dollar brass Lapua, regular stuff Rem and WW work fine.