by crbutler on Sun Sep 29, 2024 8:46 pm
Ok.
It may well be the brass, but if you have been using an over max load you are probably running over 65kPSI.
The Lyman manual I have does have PSI printed in it, and top loads are generally right at 60,000 PSI. Notably, it does not have RL 17 data. The 200 ELD bullet data I saw was in hornady’s manual, and their loads are a bit hotter than Nosler or Speer’s- the two others I checked.
Shooting repeated max loads is very hard on the brass, and I would think (if you are hand priming) you would notice loose primer pockets.
I’ve had Lapua brass develop loose pockets with 2 firings of max loads of high intensity rounds, and agree it’s very good stuff- you may just be asking too much of your brass to take that kind of pressure repeatedly.
My issues with hornady brass have been more issues with nonspec dimensions- rims being too thick, etc.
The changes in neck tension to me are different than loose primer pockets.
I’m not claiming your load is unsafe, but rather you are probably hitting a multitude of issues leading to the problem. For sure, the load is unsafe in that combination of components. 6 primer separations in a row shows that for sure.