Brass

[pffft]

Brass availability can be gaged by its popularity, having about 5 categories, each representing a successively higher price range.

1. Military/Police Surplus.
Usually around 10 cents per case (or less) for new production brass, the 223 is the most abundant rifle case, and so is the least expensive. 22 Hornet brass is in the same price range, but the smallish size of the case is probably a contributing factor.
They sit in the same price range as the common handgun brass for 9mm, 38 Special, and 357 Mag.
These calibers (except for 22 Hornet) are so widely used, the fully loaded ammo can be found at less expense than purchasing the individual components. So the brass is commonly available after being fired once for an even cheaper price, from 1-5 cents apiece. That's cheap by today's standards, and they may need to have the bases swagged in order to remove the military crimp.

2, Common Sporting Calibers.
This category includes all the common hunting calibers that are chambered in the majority of factory rifles, such as 22-250, 30-30, 243, 270, 308, and 30-06. Usually found between 10-20 cents per case.

3. Less Popular Hunting Calibers, Wildcats, and Some Target Calibers
Strangely enough, even though the only difference between a 308 and a 7-08 case is the neck diameter, the 7-08 fits into this category. But it sits with some other well-known calibers: 204, 222, 222 Magnum, 25-06, the wildcats based on Mauser cases, the new RUMs, SAUMs, WSMs, and WSSMs, the Remington Bench Rest calibers, many of the Ackley Improved cases, and the standard magnum chamberings including the 300 Weatherby. Price is typically within the range of 20-35 cents per case.
They are also found in various grades of quality that only a regular shooter would appreciate paying a higher price for.

4. Independent Factory Endorsed Wildcats
Typically the PPCs, and any specialty caliber that companies like Kimber, EAB, Bulberry, H&S Precision, Weatherby, and many others would be pushing as a regular chambered caliber for their own products. The price often exceeds $2 per shell in price.

5. The Obsolete and Rarely Used Calibers.
Fortunately the brass companies keep some of these alive. I think the highest price I have seen was around $10 per case, but understandably, some brass can demand a considerably higher price.

[skb2706]

I agree with your dissertation on brass and pricing but to me its relative primarily to how long it last me....or how many times I can use a particular piece before its no longer servicable. I load some 'odd ball' stuff of which either brass is uncommon or has to be made up from something else to fit my gun. The initial cost is one thing but if i can make the brass work for many loadings (I have some the has been used 20 times) then the original cost realy doesn't mean much.
Take for example .221 Rem brass...it can only be purchased from Remington...either indirectly or directly it cost about $21/100 give or take, If it last me 20 loadings the cost per shot is just over $.01 to use it. Even 10 loadings per case still makes the initial cost pretty low.
If I were to take say 400 rds out and shoot for a day the cost break down goes sort of like this
case =     .02
powder = .05
bullet =    .12
primer =  .02

Total cost per shot $.21 x 400 = $84

I save $4 or $.01 per shot over the cost of .223 brass for 20 boxes of hand loaded ammo.

[pffft]

That's the way I figure it also, stocking up on more bullets than cases. Bringing up some of my component stocks to normal is what brought me to do this very un-scientific guide.
So for anyone who might be considering hand loading, doing so allows more shots per buck since you don't have to pay all the labor costs for someone else to assemble bullets that are better tuned to your gun.
Buying components in bulk is a little easier than buying fully loaded ammo in bulk, for most chamberings.
Most once-fired cases will need to have the bases swagged before they can be used, for anyone who didn't know that.
And I made a couple of corrections to my original post.
One thing the factories can do if they want to make some of their new chamberings popular is to reduce the price on the brass for them. It's the difference of paying less than $10 per box for ammo as compared to paying over $30 for factory ammo.
Reloading at least makes it a little easier, but in checking the price on cases for the new 7mm SAUM, cost approaches 50 cents per case. Compare to the 7 Mag which cost about 25 cents apiece.

[cal sibley]

I no longer use US made brass unless it's absolutely necessary.  I used to have faith in Remington, but they've also hit the skids.  I've been complaining for several years about the problems with our punching out the primer pockets instead of drilling them out (eliminates internal  brass projections in the primer pockets.  The primer pockets are also off center as judging by my inability to reach through the case and locate the primer hole to ream them out.  Many of the new cases are out of round, and the necks less than totally round.  Finally Hornady and Nosler have picked up on this and maufacture brass now that is much more uniform dimensionally and in weight.  Actually they're doing the same thing Lapua and Norma have been doing for years.  Weigh and measure some Lapua cases and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how uniform they are.  Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[pffft]

No doubt, there are probably several good reason for buying more expensive brass.
But I haven't seen any punch-outs dangling precariously for several years.
Recently restocking brass in several calibers, I did some individual case weighing that ordinarily I would have no reason for doing.
Comparing new Remington 223 cases with some new Winchester 5.56x45 military cases, out of the ten samples from each batch that I checked, there was not over .3 grains difference between the weight of any case of the same brand. The Winchester military cases typically weighed 2 grains more than the Remington SAAMI brass.
Under such circumstances you describe (likely for bench-rest, etc.), then the cases could be separated according to identical weights.
Probably not professional enough.

[superhornet]

CAL----I guess if all you shoot is bench or target the cheap US brass is probably a problem.  But----never had a white tail in 50 years ever ask me was that primer hole .0002  off center.   White tails do not understand physics.   I find it hard to believe that because, RWS, Lap, Norma are more expensive that they are that much better than Win, Rem, Hornady or Fed.   Of course this is just my humble opinion.  How does the old Dominion brass stack up