Thread: Lapua 6.5 PRC Brass - Split Necks

I have done the usual google searching and understand all the usual suspects for the cause of split necks however my issue doesnt seem to be consistent so with so many experienced reloaders on this forum i thought id ask the question and see if anyones experienced a similar situation.

Tikka 6.5 PRC, brand new rifle about 4 months ago. Lapua Brass. Hornady Dies.

Gun shoots great, load isnt hot (143eldx with 2217 @ 2950fps, 24" barrel.

My issue is, im up to the 3rd loading on this batch of brass now and 1 in every 5-6 pieces of brass now has a split neck. But the strange thing is, Its one extreme or the other. The ones that arent split are like brand new still, neck looks great/normal. The ones that are split are really bad & have multiple vertical splits that you can see daylight through.

My process is always the same with every loading. Brass gets ultrasonic cleaned, dried then tumbled in a walnut media tumbler. Deprimed using a depriming die in my press, then annealed in AMP annealing machine. I anneal every loading just because i can. Lubed & full length sized with a 2 thou shoulder bump, primer pocket cleaned OAL measured trimmed if need be, chamfered, final clean, lube neck load powder charge & seat projectile.

My last PRC i loaded for i also used lapua brass, no problems. Load for a bunch of other rifles using lapua brass also, and not had any issues with some of the brass being on its 8th-9th loading with pretty warm loads.

Has anyone experienced this before? Has there possibly been an issue with the brass from lapua recently?