Learning a New Round-308 Win Resizing Problems

[bpacman]

Hey Gang,

I mentioned earlier this year that I was starting to work on reloading 308 Win. I spent most of March and part of April processing 500 LC 08 brass obtained from an online seller. After Cleaning, resizing, trimming, de-crimping, I checked the casings with a Wilson case gauge (See Below).



I have loaded thousands of 223 rounds, I thought this was close enough to start loading. I created a box of 155gr BTHP using Varget (45.5gr) and a OAL of 2.775. When I got to the range to break in a new Sig 716 DMR, I was glad I brought two boxes of commercial ammo because my reloads would not go into battery..at all. No forward assist would help.

I had a couple hundred unfired LC 12 Brass and here is what they look like in the case gauge:



Not wanting to waste the month and a half spent processing the LC 08 brass, I did some research and discovered that normal FL sizing dies may not return a Military 7.62/308 casing to SAMMI minimum because the thicker brass and the more roomy chamber from a military machine gun makes it very hard to resized this brass.

During a trip to Gunstop I picked up a Redding Small Base die and tried that. No improvement on the case gauge and the casings would not chamber in the gun.

Today I received a Redding 308 Body Die from MidSouth Shooter's Supply. This was the die that made it work. I always suspected it was the shoulders and not the base that was the cause of the problem and the Body Die bumped the shoulders back enough to get them in spec. It was also nice that I didn't have to pull the bullets from the loaded stuff to resize them with the Body Die.

Anyway, this stuff is always a learning experience for me and wanted to post up the solution that I stumbled on.

Happy shooting!

Bp

[BigDog58]

BP, I've found that annealing Mil-Brass also helps cure the "spring back" and allows the shoulder to stay where it's resized too. Most of my experience is related to 50 BMG, but when I was helping qualcorp prep and load 308 for his gun, we found the same issue. They too, were 7.62x51 mil brass. Annealing, cured it and after fired in his gun (fire formed) we never had the issue again.

Just to note, I anneal my 50 brass after every firing.

[bpacman]

Thanks Jim,

Did you anneal the brass before resizing or after? I always thought annealing would harden the brass even more.

Bp

[BigDog58]

I always anneal before resizing. Annealing, brings the brass back to a softer condition. Brass hardens by "work", such as expending and contraction during firing, and through the resizing process. It will also lengthen the life of the brass, by helping stop neck splitting. I have a great deal of work and time in my 50 brass and want it to last as long as possible. I turn my necks, open the flash hole and uniform the primer pockets, on all my match brass.

Feel free to give me a call and if you like, you can stop by and I'll show you how I anneal my brass. I was taught by OldmanFCSA and so far, it seems to be working well. You do have to be careful, and not allow the heat to travel down to the bottom of the case (web area). You do not want this area to anneal, as it can cause case failures. It is quite easy, just a little time consuming.

[crbutler]

I would be VERY cautious (read don't) resizing a loaded round.

[bpacman]

I would be VERY cautious (read don't) resizing a loaded round.

Since the Body Die is not acting on the neck of the loaded round, I really don't see a safety issue with it. Baring some type of primer actuating debris on the shell plate, it should be safe, in my opinion.

Bp

[crbutler]

You are in effect placing that round in an unproofed chamber.

If you read the info that comes with the die, they tell you not to do it.

Yes, the most likely issue is debris hitting the primer, but squeezing the primer pellet can also set it off. Whether or not the is neck tension is the least of the issue, this is just not a good idea. You may get away with it, but it is not best practices, especially just to save yourself some time. I have had factory primed brass that I was neck sizing have a primer go off, without powder and bullet, it just scared the stuffing out of me and had my ears ring. With a full case, it would have been very ugly. That was the result of a defect in the primer pocket and pressure set the primer off.

You are an adult, but don't tell folks this is even a reasonable idea.

[steve4102]

Do they fit into your chamber, and extract with ease?

I always check for fit in the rifle as I do not fire my rounds out of a minimum spec case gauge. YMMV