Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Anyone have issues with Hornady Brass fitting shell holders?

Hello to everyone,

I recently came into a quantity of once fired Hornady 7x57 Mauser brass, the case head recess isn't deep enough to fit into any of the RCBS, Lee, or lyman shell holders I have on hand. Has anyone else had this issue? if so did you find a specific shell holder that fit the case head?


Thanks in advance- Desertshooter

I buy Hornady brass because of the uniformity of it. No problems here

I have had more trouble with Winchester brass, but since I went to a Forster Co Ax press I haven't had a problem.

Never with Hornady, but recently with S&B 7x57 brass. I had to get a Lee #9 shell holder to accommodate it.

The only cartridge Lee actually lists that holder for is .41 Magnum. Go figure.

FC

only Hornady brass I had that problem was with 223 brass

No problem with the .275 headstamped cases. I haven't tried any that is stamped 7x57. It ought to be the same.

Only problem lately has been with some import 357 mag. brass.

Since only 7 or 8 were found they went into the scrap brass box.

this is the first time I've had problems- and I've bought a fair amount of Hornady brass, in rifle and pistol calibers-

I've got 275 Rigby brass before, and loaded it with no problems, I suspect this must have been a subcontract manufacturer for Hornady, and it's probably few years old, got it from a friend that saved his empties and sold his 7x57 a while back.

I'll try a #9 shellholder and see if it will work. sadly it is enough cases I hate to toss it all..... but reloading tends to bring out the hoarder in me

thanks guys- Desertshooter

Back when I bought my first 9.3x62, about 12 years ago, the only new brass I could find was Hornady. It was probably the worst lot of brass that I have ever acquired--very uneven, weights and neck thickness all over the map. The next lot that I tried several years later was 9.3x74R brass, and it was all as just as bad. I have avoided buying Hornady brass ever since.

However, I was given 400 pieces of once-fired .270 brass from factory ammo a couple of years ago and, other than being all over the map on case length, it was not that bad. I had to trim every single one of them to even get them within maximum allowable. They did clean up nicely, though, and the brass is easy to work.

Lately I've had lots of issues with Hornady brass, I'm assuming being out of spec in the case head area, not sure if the rim was too thick or too large diameter or what but it wouldn't fit shell holders (tried 3 different shell holders) or the bolt faces on my rifles (3 different rifles). This was new, unfired, current production Hornady brass in 6.5 creedmor (was the worst of the lot) as well as 7mm-08 and .358 win. Not impressed with Hornady brass lately. Also had factory Hornady (american whitetail) ammo that was blowing the primers right out of the brass and leaving the primer hole so sloppy the new primers wouldn't even contact the sides of the primer pockets (ie just slip right in and out) and I don't think they were excessively hot or overloads as the bolt wasn't sticky/stiff/locking up what so ever and the primers i found weren't flattened or cratered on the back end. It's fair to say I'm now avoiding anything Hornady like the plague.

Interesting timing on this. I bought some once fired Hornady 30-06 brass and am having the same issue with some of it. I'm also having issue with some pieces chambering after resizing. I do have a minimum spec chamber in my 30-06 but it does seem the case diameter at the web is 0.001-0.002 larger than my WW brass. This is the first issue I've had with Hornaday brass. I've been switching over to it in the past 2-3 years because it has been really uniform.

I found some lee 41 Magnum shellholders- (press and auto prime) they worked, did the trick- also did some checking in the rifle to make sure it chambered/ functioned okay as well.

I'll have to keep all of it separate while storing and shooting, but I sort by headstamp anyways.

the primer pockets all seemed uniform and fit primers well- thanks for all the info and advice, this forum is awesome!!

Thanks again- Desertshooter

I just went through a bunch of crappy Hornady brass in 264 Winchester Magnum. On a spur of the moment I bought some new Winchester brass I will be loading tomorrow. I’m going to buy some premium brass as soon as I find some.

Very happy with a current batch of Hornady 7mm Rem Mag brass. Zero flaws found so far.

I just got new brass for my 375 H&H Magnum. I am very pleased with it.