Enfield-Rifles.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Reloading > Reloading .303 British
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Hornady  Cases after the fact...
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Hornady Cases after the fact...

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Goosic View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: September 12 2017
Location: Phoenix Arizona
Status: Offline
Points: 8792
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Hornady Cases after the fact...
    Posted: December 18 2018 at 8:43pm
I had somewhat of an issue  the other day with Hornady  once fired brass both in .303 and .308. In both instances I used the full size resizer dies. I trimmed the cases to the exact specifications, I deburred the case mouth and primer pockets, chamferring them as well. The first issue was repriming the cases. Out of 100 cases of the .308,54 of those had to be deprimed and deprimed twice. Re deburred and chamfered.  Almost identical results for the .303 brass. Finished the loading process and went to test fit the cases into the respective rifles that the once fired brass were fired from. The brass would not fit in the chambers of the rifles. I tried the .303 round in all the other Enfield rifles, big fat no-go. Tried the .308 rounds in my Tactical system, big fat no-go as well. I purposely took ten rounds of once fired brass  from a lot of Winchester,Remington, PPU,and Norma,both in .303 and .308. Did the whole full size resizing and reloading procedure.  Took the forty reloaded .303 rounds and successfully  chambered them in all the Enfields. Took the forty .308 rounds and successfully chambered  those into   the   NATO enfield and my Tactical system.  Every Hornady case had the start of an internal separation just above the base. I cut two of the cases in half initially  and then every tenth one after. Hornadys responded  by saying I over charged the  cases.  I countered that I use the minimum charges in all my reloads,never had an issue until I reloaded these Hornady cases.  Not our problem  they said,double and triple check the next time you reload they said. I responded by stating I will double and triple check that every round I shove up his @@5 goes fat end first. My suggestion  will be that,if you have any Hornady brass,smash that crap flat with a huge  hammer and shrug off the money spent on it...
Back to Top
Pukka Bundook View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 02 2015
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1369
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pukka Bundook Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2018 at 5:40am
not sure what your problem was, but if used over in the same rifle, it's best with the .303 to just neck size.
Sounds like the brass is hard and overworked taking it back down to original factory size.
Back to Top
Shamu View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar
Logo Designer / Donating Member

Joined: April 25 2007
Location: MD, USA.
Status: Offline
Points: 17603
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2018 at 7:25am
Sounds horrible.
Have you tried annealing a few then resizing just to see?
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
Back to Top
Goosic View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: September 12 2017
Location: Phoenix Arizona
Status: Offline
Points: 8792
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2018 at 12:32pm
Pukka.  This brass was brand new until last week when I ran them through my rifles. That being said, they have not been over worked. The full length resizing the first time around did not seem unreasonable. I have  forty more rounds of Hornady  I just shot today,(once fired now). I am going to full length resize these for a base test to see if I get the same issue. 
Back to Top
britrifles View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 03 2018
Location: Atlanta, GA
Status: Offline
Points: 6539
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2018 at 7:10pm
I wonder if the brass is undersize in length from rim to shoulder. Could be that there is too much case stretch on first firing.  If you have a case gage, you could compare the unfired and fired cases and see how much they are streatching.  I suspect if you drop an unfired cartridge into the gage, it will bottom on the case rim and not really tell you much.

I’ve not tried Hornady brass in .303 or .308, but have used it in .30-06 full length sizing for reloading for the M1 rifle.  Not had any issues. 

Back to Top
SW28fan View Drop Down
Special Member
Special Member
Avatar
Donating Member

Joined: July 02 2007
Location: Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 2951
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SW28fan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 20 2018 at 5:48am
I have not had much luck wit Hornady Brass either.  I got some 30-06  Brass and it did not fully obturate  (Talk about vertical stringing)   I also had to spend two hours cleaning the rifle afterwards.
Have a Nice Day
If already having a nice day please disregard
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.04
Copyright ©2001-2021 Web Wiz Ltd.