Here is my take on it. I use Lapua, ADG, Alpha and RWS wherever possible.
My quick example of cost savings is I bought 100 pieces of RWS 300 Win Mag brass that I used to reform into 7mm Mashburn Super in 2016, I have only done 50 of them, as I figured I would do the other 50 when I started wearing them out. As of right now, I have at least 12 firings on those original's and I am about to load them all again. I have had exactly one case that developed a split neck probably from not annealing it or it got skipped, but they were FF'ed back in the day with 4350 and a 140 grain bullet and have withstood ALOT of firings with RL33, Retumbo and now N570 with 175's between 3050 and 3100 over and over. Pockets are still tight as new and they just keep working. After the first firing I have to cut the donut out of the neck which is a pain in the butt, so the less I have to do of that, the better.
When I started with the Mashburn I was lucky to get 5 solid firings before pockets would open. To me, I saved money by not having to monkey around with the lesser expensive stuff up front cause I'd have likely be on my 3rd batch of Hornady or Nosler.
Not saying Hornady and Nosler are bad, cause they aren't, at all, they just don't last like Lapua or RWS or ADG does so it is a time and cost savings when and where the better brass is available. I still use WW, some RP, Hornady, etc. Works fine as well, just usually requires a bit more prep.
Great post and experience. Top tier to me is Lapua, as that is the most expensive brass I buy. I've checked that out every time I buy it and it always looks great. Just like if I had prepped it myself. Flash holes are drilled and very uniform and smooth, unlike other commercial brass you get. WW is about the worst I've seen. A lot of guys love PPU, but my swedish mauser doesn't like it. I've had cases split after 4 firings and never had an issue like that with any other brass I've used in that particular rifle. I generally just use Lapua in it to save the trouble. Although R-P has worked very well too. Lapua is also great in that it's always nicely annealed. It's always trimmed perfectly as well. I've measured and checked and it's always spot on, something you don't always find with WW brass. R-P has been good, just not as refined when you get it. Another good brand of brass I've found is Sig Sauer. I use that in my 308's and 22-250's. It holds up well and is pretty uniform when you get it. I've also use a bunch of Hornady brass and it's not bad, not nearly as good as Starline though, when comparing tit for tat with what I load for my Creedmoors. The starline seems to last longer and is more uniform out of the box. What I do find is the case capacity is almost exactly the same, so I use both brands with the same loading and get the same accuracy/precision. This makes it very convenient, but I just come to expect the Hornady will give up before the Starline does. For the most part, the beauty in upper tier brass is the quality out of the box and the longevity you get with it. In the end, it will save you money over other brands because it lasts longer. The catch is finding other brands that last almost as long, for a lot less money and then properly prepping your brass. After firing a lower tier brass in your chamber, it is then up to you to check it for uniformity and prep it correctly. Trim it to exact lengths, chamfer case necks, deburr the flash hole, uniform the primer pocket etc. etc. If the R-P, Hornady, WW, Norma or other commercial brass you load doesn't check out, toss it and find a brand that works for you...
