• You are using the old High Contrast theme. We have installed a new dark theme for you, called UI.X. This will work better with the new upgrade of our software. You can select it at the bottom of any page.

Are you "brand loyal"?

Are you "brand loyal"?

  • Yes. I have my favorites and try to stick with them

    Votes: 14 13.5%

  • No. I buy what's priced best regardless of brand or manufacturer

    Votes: 5 4.8%

  • Somewhat. I have favorites but not glued to them

    Votes: 88 84.6%

  • unsure/undecided

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    104
  • This poll will close: .
Quality, price, and availability, in that order for my purchasing. These days you might have to choose C or D choice because it's the only option in stock. Back to choice A when supplies are back to normalish. The bonus is occasionally you find that the new choice is a better alternative than your original. One has to keep their options open in these times.
 
To a point. Less so than in years passed. More 'prejudices against' than 'preferences for'. For years I turned up my nose at Lee. Now I have an LCT and love it. I think Hornady has done a lot of good for the industry but still have a grudge against their bullets and don't trust them to hold their wad. I prefer Speer's bonded offerings when available. I'll take Starline brass first time, every time. Used to stick to CCI primers but now don't care. Still use more cast bullets than anything but really don't care where they come from.
 
My presses and dies are Lee. They work well enough for my needs, so why pay more? My peripherals (cleaning, trickling, etc.) are whoever has the best dollar to value ratio at the time. I like Hornady rifle bullets, and Summers Enterprises lead pistol bullets. Powder is whatever works the best, primers are whatever is cheapest/available when I order.
 
For gear, I do have my preferences. For dies - prefer Hornady, RCBS, and Lee.
Other equipment whatever works, is available and a good value/price/deal.

For components -- whatever is available at a decent price point.
Primers -- price/availability.
Powder - haven't bought in a few years - availability main consideration.
Brass- if I can't pick up at the range, then for rifle - Privi if new, whatever else if bought in secondary market (forums, etc).
Bullets - for plinking whatever I can find at the best price point. Though getting more interested in some quality bullets for rifle precision work.
 
I voted somewhat loyal. I have several sets of Hornady and RCBS dies that I've purchased, and one set of Lee dies that were given to me. The Lee dies work ok, probably as good as my other dies, but I don't really like them, so probably wouldn't buy a set myself. I have a Hornady SS press and a Lee 3-hole Turret that used to be Dad's, and both work well and make good ammo. I do prefer the Hornady, but would be very happy if I could only have the Lee.

I don't really care about primers as long as they are the right size/type and go bang when struck. I do have my preference for powders, and look for those first when buying, but will buy different powders to try or if my favorites aren't available. I have my favorite bullets for some guns, and do my best to stick with them, other guns get what's available based on price and what I want to load next.

Other things like scales, powder measures, funnels, etc..., I try to buy quality first but price also comes into consideration.

chris
 
Bullets I am probably the least picky, for target I prefer Sierra, and for regular range time my cast are the best.
Brass for competition I use lapua. For rifle range time I like rp and in pistol I like federal.
Dies I buy rcbs. Gets the job done no complaints. I have others that were passed down.
Presses I don't have a favorite.... use whatever, currently using a Redding.
Powder.... I tend toward ramshot, with Silhouette in pistol and tac in rifle. I like imr but they have priced me out...
 
i have a DIllon press and a Lee press, and frankly, i prefer the Dillon

as for primers, i try to stick with the brands i have used, Federal, CCI, Winchester, Remington

if i buy new brass (and i have) i buy Star brass, unprimed

for projectiles, i buy either straight up lead from Missouri Bullet, or coated from Badman Bullets, or FMJ from Berry's

right now, i have TiteGroup powder that i like, and i have like 15 pounds of it, so i ain't gonna be buying anymore for a while.

all i load is pistol only
 
Most stuff works reasonably well, and I haven't found a whole lot of complete garbage. I don't think I've used any really bad single-stage presses, for instance.

Of course, there are a few bits that I consider so much better than everything else (Hornady's 148 swaged wadcutters, for example) that I won't buy anything else if I can help it, and a few bits (Federal primers!) which are a requirement in certain situations, because nothing else actually functions for the task. Otherwise, I generally am happy with what I can find - especially here in 2024.
 
Last edited:
The poll options don't fit my personal philosophy. I'm "performance loyal," I don't live based on brand names alone, but I only buy brands which have demonstrated and do demonstrate performance to meet the task I'm pursuing.

I have gear from Lee and Frankford, some from RCBS, Lyman, and Hornady, some from Sinclair and Dillon, some from Forster, Whidden, 21st Century, some from Wilson and SAC. I use Hornady brass for some applications, Lapua for some, Peterson and Alpha for others, some custom Quality Cartridge brass, and even use cheap Starline, PMC, R-P, and Federal brass for others still. For some applications, Berger bullets give me the best performance, for others, Cutting Edge Bullets or Sierra, for others, economic value outweighs ballistic performance and I use Hornady, Nosler, Barnes... I have a Dillon feeder pumping cases into a Lee APP, AMP Annealer, and Giraud trimmer for my higher volume work, and an RCBS trimmer with a Black & Decker power driver for my one off work. I have an RCBS Chargemaster, a Lyman Gen5, and a MacDonald AutoTrickler, plus drops from Hornady, RCBS, Lee, and Harrell, and hand tricklers from Lyman, Lee, and Hornady...

Most of my rifle ammo will touch 3 different brands of dies, most of my handgun ammo will touch 2 different brands of dies.

So it's not apt for me to say that I'm brand loyal for the sake of being brand loyal, and not apt to say I buy different brands just based on price.
 
Not really. I find good stuff in all brands. I have and use something from just about every brand. I use RCBS for some things, Hornady or Lee for others. Also have stuff from Frankfort Arsenal, Reading, Dillon, Herters, and Lyman stuff as well. 🙂
 
I typically have brands I prefer for each piece of equipment or components. That said, I own and use equipment and components from many manufacturers.

Those preferences have changed over time for various reasons, mostly related to availability, performance, durability, and CS.
 
Like others, it depends. Most of my dies and my presses are Hornady. And I like a lot of their bullets for my applications. But I’ve got others. Sometimes the determining factor is what I can actually get. I prefer temp stable powders,(I hunted at -12 all the way to 104 this last year) so the Hodgdon extreme line is where I hang out most of the time. Otherwise, I get what I can that works.
ETA: I have (or have used) Frankfort Arsenal, Hornady, RCBS, Redding, Wilson, 21century, ugly, Lee, and others. Some little companies, like Dramworx, KMB2, in-line fabrication etc that “improve” on the original are also worth mentioning imho.
 
Last edited:
I use what I feel will work best for me I have several Redding FL Bushing Sizer Dies and I love them but that doesn’t mean it’s the only brand I’ll use
 
I really can't be brand loyal all the time. Many of the old 1800's guns I reload and shoot are in obsolete cartridges, so I have to buy dies wherever I can get them.
I really do like RCBS products, but often if they do happen to sell a die set for one of my old rifles their price is pretty high. So I usually go to C&H4D for obsolete die sets as they're 1/3-1/2 the price, and their quality and customer service is also really great.
 
I am loyal to a brand as long as I get the quality I expect. I have no long term expectations other than I hope the company is around in five years. Ownership changes have ruined brands for me: the American factory closes down, production is moved over seas, the majority of parts are subcontracted out, the American factory is basically a warehouse where parts are shipped to, and then assembled as a final product. When the local Government subsidizes run out, the company will go bankrupt, the name will be sold again, and the whole "Tradition" advertising campaign will convince buyers that there is some legacy to the brand, when the only thing that has stayed is the name.

How can anyone be loyal to Remington? Remington is just a name stamped on a product. I have not contacted the latest version of Remington, but I am sure they have walked away from all the Remington Huntsville firearms. I am quite sure if I call the latest Remington, they won't have Remington Huntsville parts, won't work on the previous Remington's. All previous Remingtons. I have not contacted Colt, but does Colt work on pre CZ ownership Colts? I doubt it. Colt is just a name stamped on a product, only good for the time CZ still owns the company. What about Winchester New Haven products? Will the current Winchester touch the old ones? I know that bolt sleeves won't interchange between the FN and New Haven M70's. The bolts might, if metal is removed. There was interference trying to put a FN M70 bolt in a Winchester New Haven receiver.

At least Ruger has been good to me. Hope they last. Smith and Wesson does have product cut off's, firearms that they won't work on anymore. Nothing lasts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
  • Locked
For Those Who Are Brand Loyal...
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
MCgunner
M
T
  • Locked
Texas Wanna-be Reloader needs help
Replies
24
Views
789
cliffy
C
Zendude
  • Locked
Vista Outdoors reloading rebates
Replies
2
Views
391
Garandimal
Garandimal
K
  • Locked
RCBS Customer service feedback
Replies
22
Views
911
El Viejo
El Viejo
Palladan44
  • Locked
  • Poll
What powder manufacturer do you use MOST often?
2 3 4
Replies
96
Views
3K
twarr1
twarr1
Back
Top