Interesting experience with Frontier Brass

[gamestalker]

I threw some loads together today for one of the 7 mags and used some Frontier brass my son found cheap. I did a box of Win. brass and one with Frontier, both using starting charges. The Win were running nicely and all pressure signs were nominal, even a bit anemic. But all of the Frontier produced high pressures, stiff bolt lift, complete primer flow to the edges of the pocket, and I had some extractor pin transfer into the case heads also.

I was pretty sure of the cause, and confirmed it when I got home. The Frontier was extremely heavier than the Win. brass, and I also confirmed internal capacity was significantly less than Win as well. All brass was trimmed to exact same spec.. RP and Federal were also much lighter, and had greater internal dimensions also.

GS

 

[blarby]

I've ran into some old frontier brass in .30-30, as well as in .308 with the same "condition".

 

[Don McDowell]

Hornady hasn't used the Frontier line for 20 years or more, so that brass is old to begin with. Then you add in the internal capacity and yes the pressure will change dramatically.
That's why the warning goes way back in age, that when you change any component in a load you should start at the bottom and work up again.

 

[gamestalker]

Don, I did use starting charges, but I was unaware of the pressure warning with Frontier brass.

I used it some 25 or 30 years ago, and I don't see any notes in my logs that indicate I experienced any issues then, but according to those notes it was .270 win, might have been different? At any rate, nothing went into the danger zone, just much high pressure than I like, and I now know to drop below start charges with that brass.

GS