I've actually had trouble recently with both Lapua and Norma brass, both in the form of overly deep primer pockets, deep enough that the primer set in with the impact of the firing pin, and failed to go off. Calibers were 9.3x62 (lapua) and 338-06 (norma via weatherby).

I'm no BR shooter, but I have produced many eye-popping groups with "crappy" old Rem, Fed, and Win brass. I've got some Rem 7mm BR brass from the 80s that I have reloaded at least 40 times, and it is still going strong.

IMHO, usually (but not always) the extra bit of quality that premium brass offers will rarely be worth the extra expense in a sporting rifle. Just my observation...

Both brands of brass are expensive. I have settled on using domestic brass whenever I can, buying in bulk from Midway, Graf and Wideners. Only use Norma or Lapua when I am loading a cartridge with no alternative source - 6.5x54mm, 9.3x62mm, 9.3x57mm, 7x64mm. Have experienced head aches with Norma .243 cases stretching badly.

beemanbeme,

I'm curious what type of failures you had with the Norma brass that cause you to throw that many away?

I too have had some problems with Norma brass. Especially neck splits at the first firing with new Norma brass. Now I anneal all my new Norma brass prior to the first firing. Seems to have solved the neck splitting, but sure was a pain to do. (this was happening on brass for a 9.3x62, 7x64 and 308 Norma Magnum with very different lots of brass)

I'm just about to undertake a couple of projects with Lapua brass and I'm starting to replace my Norma brass with RWS when I can find it. Norma is now my last resort for my European cartridges.

i use lapua brass in my 06 and i have to this day not got less than 50 ...yes 50 reloads from a case and i load these pretty stiff...a touch over 2800 with 180 gn proj ...i have never used better brass
daniel