Necking down .308 brass

[Rustybroadhead]

I will admit... my google foo is piss poor and I am sure this has been covered before. if someone could point me to a link to some info on how difficult it is to neck down .308 brass I would be much appreciative. This past weekend, I came into a ton of .308 brass. I would guess somewhere around 2500-3000 pieces. I have just begun to sort and de-prime and was thinking about what to do with it all. I have a .308 bolt gun I will use some of it in but I have an empty chassis currently and was considering another caliber for it. 7mm-08 is an easy step, and I know that. How hard would it be or is it even practical to size it down to .260 or even .243? How many steps and how much "lost" brass am I going to end up with? Thanks in advance!

 

[swamp donkey]

Easy. Just run it through your full length sizing die. If your going down 'one size' ie, to 7-08, then it should be fine to use, if going 'two sizes' ie, 260,then you may have to neck turn, same applies to 243, depending upon how tight the chamber is.
You might find the necks too short to start with, but the should stretch out in the first few firings.


Regards

Pete

 

[Rustybroadhead]

No other issues than possibly neck turning.... SWEET!

Thanks for the info, I am pretty new to reloading so I need all the help I can get.

 

[Rustybroadhead]

I am guessing the best/most efficient way to do this is with a bushing die? Just keep changing the bushings out until the neck is the desired diameter.

 

[dauntedfuture]

7-08 is easy. You can probably go from .308 to 6.5-08, AKA .260 rem in one pass with proper lube. .243 is doable I think but you would need an intermediate step die like a 7 or 6.5-08 FL size die. You will almost assuredly have to neck turn the .243 brass and possibly the 6.5 brass depending on what brass you start with. I would not bother with any LC brass conversion but its up to you.

 

[Rustybroadhead]

7-08 is easy. You can probably go from .308 to 6.5-08, AKA .260 rem in one pass with proper lube. .243 is doable I think but you would need an intermediate step die like a 7 or 6.5-08 FL size die. You will almost assuredly have to neck turn the .243 brass and possibly the 6.5 brass depending on what brass you start with. I would not bother with any LC brass conversion but its up to you.

I am assuming that LC brass is too soft. That really sucks because I bet I am about 6:1 LC to everything else I ended up with. I got quite a few that have BHA match headstamps. I am not familiar with them??????

 

[dauntedfuture]

LC brass is tough and thick. FC Brass is very soft and thick. More then likely you will have to neck turn even .308 to 7-08 after you trim it down. I don't know, but I suspect that BHA brass is not made by them, its just their head stamp, and that its WINCHESTER but i'm not sure, so you might be ok with that depending on your chamber.

 

[kansas]

I'd suggest annealing it before sizing it down. You'll have enough to learn the process without spending a ton of money on wasted brass and it will, if done correctly, certainly save on the amount of effort it will take to size this brass down.

 

[MarinePMI]

A bump die will also work as a form die. That's what has worked for me, going from .308 to 6.5CM in one step. You'll need to trim and neck turn.

 

[Rustybroadhead]

A bump die will also work as a form die. That's what has worked for me, going from .308 to 6.5CM in one step. You'll need to trim and neck turn.

So you don't even full length size the cases, just the neck? I really don't know what I was thinking but I never thought about the creedmoor... I have been wanting to do a 6CM... It will be a bit of work but this new brass may be just the excuse that I need.

Thanks guys

 

[MarinePMI]

Nope. With once fired LC brass and a 6.5CM bump die, the brass gets formed in the single pass. Then it is trimmed and neck turned.

Is it more work than buying it? Sure. But the quality is pretty high this way and the neck can be turned to fit the chamber.

 

[bax]

How are you guys doing your neck turning - what equipment?

I used to turn 6PPC and 300 Win mag and it was a royal PITA to do 100. I always did two passes and sometimes three. The OP has 3,000 pieces. That is 30 times more of a PITA. I'm thinking I would rather use the free brass as trading stock for what I want.

On the other hand, maybe engineering has improved on the neck turning device that I used. What say you?

 

[MarinePMI]

I'm using a Sinclair N1000 (I think that's the model number) that I have had for...ever. (90's timeframe).

Instead of hand turning, I use a lee case holder in a cordless drill and neck turn under power. Biggest problem is having to stop to let the mandrel cool down (it generates heat fast).

It's not too bad going 100-200 pieces at a time...

For 3,000 pieces at a sitting, I might look for a proper powered solution, or make something on my lathe to handle the job.

 

[Thebelly]

Anneal, Good lube, resize, neck turn.

Be aware that .308 and .260 have different case lengths.

 

[Rustybroadhead]

Thanks Thebelly. I was actually looking at cartridge diagrams a little while ago and noticed that. I was actually looking at the 6.5cm diagram but it had my wheels turning... maybe I should just by a .308 semi auto of some variety and save the headaches. It is not like there has been a shortage of brass or anything... LOL

Thanks