.308 Trim before or after sizing?

kwak

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 13, 2010
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MI
Need advice again from the forum experts.

Do you advise triming before or after sizing?

Trim length is 2.005. Does it matter if this number is +/- 1/1000?

Thanks
 
Re: .308 Trim before or after sizing?

the only real way to know is to know your chambers case lenght.then you can say weahter or not it needs trimming.I trim my brass to 2.010 and after resizeing when needed.

you can get the gauge or make one to check you chambers length.to make one you just cut off a pice of the neck with a dremel then seat a bullet upside down with about a 1/4" sticking out the same case the little pice came from.of course you have to resize the case you are useing to make the gauge with.neck sizeing works best for me.then you put the little pice onto the upside down bullet with the squared ( trimed end ) end up.now just chamber it really slow then measure the case from the head to the top of the ring.measure it 3-4 times to get a good measurement.

then you can just trim .010 off shorter from the measurement you get from the gauge you made or bought.this will help out alot.keeps from erodeding the throat out as fast.and that helps out accuracy.
 
Re: .308 Trim before or after sizing?

You dont have to trim your brass to the min length, I take the shortest of the lot and trim them all to that length, all my 308 brass is trimmed to 2.012.
 
Re: .308 Trim before or after sizing?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Huckelberry75</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Find your chamber length, for best results. The "book TTL" is just an average. You would be better served to know your gun's chamber length. You can make one like noted above, or just order one from Sinclair Intl for a few bucks. Super easy. </div></div>

+1
 
Book Trim-To-Lenght is an arbitrary 10 thou less than SAAMI max. It's certainly not critical for accuracy or safety that cases be precisely the same but no one cares what the fired case length is.
 
Good question Kwak, despite what others may think. I just measured my GAP-10 (308) chamber lenght using the Sinclair tool and it came out to be 2.045". I was wondering if this sounds about right? Thanks to all those "experts" will to help out a new reloader.
 
"(308) chamber lenght using the Sinclair tool and it came out to be 2.045". I was wondering if this sounds about right? "

Just say it's not abnormal.