That's all very interesting!
Bought my first .204 in 2005, after waiting a year after the cartridge's introduction to see if it would stick around. Purchased the cheapest Savage sporter in a local store along with some 32- and 40-grain Hornady factory ammo. It shot very well, and the fired cases shot very well when handloaded. Apparently by that time they'd started using good brass.
Acquired a bunch more brass--Hornady, Remington and Winchester--over the next four years, through going on several "industry" prairie dog shoots where various companies provided ammo. I kept my fired brass (the companies have no use for it), plus some from other shooters who didn't own .204's themselves, and in 2008 I won a Remington 700 .204 in a drawing, along with several cases of ammo. I still have a little over a case left, and it's shot well in my last two .204 barrels, both Remington factories. Must have been lucky as all the brass I've acquired has been good, whether Hornady, Remington or Winchester.
