I just opened a way back machine in the form of some 7-08 brass that goes back to I’d guess 2002. It was a pleasure to work with. No dents , primer holes and pockets centered and round , clean without tarnish anywhere. Necks were good enough that I didn’t feel the need to turn them for a hunting rifle. Then I picked up some new Winchester 308 brass and the difference is night and day. I was so disgusted I put the 308 away and called it quits for the day. Just a rant about how far Winchester has fallen.
Remember when Winchester made decent brass ?
- Thread starter Shrek
- Start date
It's been a long, long time, so long I can't remember and I've reloading for close to 50 years.
I gave up on Win brass about 5 years ago - 5 to 10% defects per bag of 100 and when I say defects, I mean unloadable cases. Remington and Hornaday works for me now but who knows in the future - nothing is constant anymore!
I gave up on Win brass about 5 years ago - 5 to 10% defects per bag of 100 and when I say defects, I mean unloadable cases. Remington and Hornaday works for me now but who knows in the future - nothing is constant anymore!
Like a previous post, I've had a lot of Winchester 9MM brass that also wouldn't fit the shell holder. I've also had Winchester .45 ACP with the flash hole so large that there was barely enough material to seat the primers on. These were head stamped Winchester, WIN and WCC. I recently had some Federal .45 ACP brass that was almost as bad also.
MikeT49
Gold $$ Contributor
As has been stated Winchester (WW) brass used to be good. IIRC a lot of the reloading recipes in print back when used WW brass. I used WW. Then about six years ago WW brass went to chit. I started getting 20%-25% or more rejection rate and has been stated not just bad but totally unusable. I quit using WW brass.
Fast forward to this Spring. My new 243 barrel chamber is very tight, somewhat limiting my brass choices. I gambled and got 100 pcs of WW on sale from Midway. I was pleasantly surprised as get this: Not a single rejection, 100% usable as is. I go Hmmmm, WTF? So, I ordered another 100 pieces, this time from PV. One case was .010 short, otherwise, again 100% usable. I'm scratching my head. Maybe they quit hiring blind people for doing their visual QC inspections?
Fast forward to this Spring. My new 243 barrel chamber is very tight, somewhat limiting my brass choices. I gambled and got 100 pcs of WW on sale from Midway. I was pleasantly surprised as get this: Not a single rejection, 100% usable as is. I go Hmmmm, WTF? So, I ordered another 100 pieces, this time from PV. One case was .010 short, otherwise, again 100% usable. I'm scratching my head. Maybe they quit hiring blind people for doing their visual QC inspections?
Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
I remember back when the only brass I would spend more money on over Winchester was Lapua.
Winchester used to be every bit as good as Norma brass. I've always felt Norma brass is, and always has been, way overpriced.
Winchester used to be every bit as good as Norma brass. I've always felt Norma brass is, and always has been, way overpriced.
I recently got back into reloading and my first trial for my 22-250 was with Win brass. It was so bad I just threw in the towel until i could get me some Lapua. Dang, who would want that kind of junk even on or around their bench.
My last 600 pieces of Winchester brass across three different calibers have given me exactly 2 unusable cases. One due to a split shoulder and one due to a badly dented neck that I could not straighten to my satisfaction. Dented necks are common but a quick trip over the expander mandrel makes short work of these. I turn necks and do not anneal and I have found that my WW brass holds more consistent neck tension and shoulder bump figures, through more firing cycles than my Lapua Palma brass. Case head toughness, on the other hand, goes hands down to the Lapua cases, although the WW cases give me very good service with the pockets getting lose only if I am chasing after a velocity that is a bit optimistic.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
I never have issues with it. Got some 270 for my brother and his buddy- all 100pcs were good to go. I buy at least one bag of 6mm winchester brass every year and it still works the same as it did back in 1995 when i started buying it. Loaded up 200 7mm rem mag brass for a bud about a month ago and no bad pieces. Im not saying its ever been match quality because ive never looked at it in that way, but it works just fine in the hunting rifles i throw it in
Consider yourself lucky!
I still have a bunch of 300wm win brass from around 2002-2004 that I still use today, than I have 243 win brass from a year or 2 ago that i formed into slr that you cant pay me to use in my rifle
Liven The Dream
Gold $$ Contributor
Well still have some .308 that I just won a Bronze and a Krieger Barrel Certificate in a Palma Reginal Match .
I had a FFL for years sold a lot of Bulk Cases of Winchester .223 and .308 .
Old Winchester White Box Primers where tops.
Times Change ?
Getting out of the Game just may be some Brass Adds SOON ???
Don
I had a FFL for years sold a lot of Bulk Cases of Winchester .223 and .308 .
Old Winchester White Box Primers where tops.
Times Change ?
Getting out of the Game just may be some Brass Adds SOON ???
Don
Murray Brook
Silver $$ Contributor
I guess it's an hit or miss type of thing with Winchester. I purchased 100 Win brass for my 7mm/08 and all were good. I then purchased 50 for my 25/06 and had to cull 9 because, as one poster mentioned, they were unloadable., split neck/shoulder, primer pocket defects etc.
Last bag of .308 brass I bought I took back.... It looked like it had been rolling around then shoveled of a concrete floor and that was the best part of it... Replaced it with a bag of Sig brass , same price and not a single piece was bad , beautiful brass... I will admit I haven't used it yet so we will find out if it's as good as it looks...
I got up this morning and went back into the loading room to load that Winchester 308 brass. I was thinking it can’t be all that bad...no , it really is terrible brass and I tossed it. I can get one more loading out of some of my current shot brass. It’s old Winchester and I have no idea how many times I have loaded it but I’ll anneal the necks one more time and shoot the ones that will still hold a primer.
It used to be good value for the money then maybe 4-5 years ago I got a couple bags with oversize primers pockets and base to datum shorter than sammi. At the range I'll pick up cases on the floor to look at, sure enough a lot of the Winchester cases are missing primers and the web stretched crooked. Thats tells me all their brass really isn't meant to be reloaded and the non reloaders don't know as long as it goes bang for them. Its only us reloaders which is a very small percent of the shooting/ammunition business that knows what they are putting out to the customer. Even if every reloader quits buying their brass they won't even see it on their sales chart. Spend your money with american companies that appreciate our business and strive to give us a quality product.
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