Originally Posted By: B23Hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's one and the same, the only difference is the box says Federal AE on it, and that is coming straight from Federal themselves.
They are most definitely not the same. When I first started shooting 17 hornet I bought several different types of hornady ammo... the cases bulged at the web on all of it. Very hot, as per usual for hornady. The federal however does not, across 4 different lot numbers purchased months apart. It all shoots better, and it all produces excellent velocity without blowing out the cases. The brass simply feels a better quality.
So if hornady is manufacturing it, and they may be, as you say, you wouldn't know it based on how it behaves and the perceived quality of the brass. So perhaps once upon a time hornady made it... but doesn't now? Even if hornady is making it, but using a specific federal spec, then that's enough for me. I assure you the hornady stuff I've used is quite different from this federal I've been shooting. This stuff does not behave like any of the hornady ammo at all.
I also find it strange that if it's a hornady rebrand, why not stick with their 25rnd boxes with plastic tray? Do they deliver loaded ammo in bulk and then federal boxes it in their 50rnd foam tray boxes?
Federal case on the left, hornady on the right. You can clearly see the case disruption on the hornady case. Not a single federal case from any of my lot numbers purchased at any time looks like that. There are other small differences between them which would indicate either entirely different equipment, or completely different company. Either way, the federal branded ammo is simply better.
I just noticed also, that the box on federal's website is not folded like the boxes that I've been getting, for what that's worth. So perhaps they changed something.