[Peakbagger46]

I've been loading handgun rounds for about 6 months now and just moved over to rifle, loading my first .308 rounds a couple of days ago.

I have the following questions/concerns being new to the rifle stuff:

-how long should I shoot the brass before getting rid of it?

-do I need to trim the brass, or should it be OK if shot in the same rifle?

-is the X-die worth looking at?

Any other advise or tips would be greatly appreciated. Oh yeah, and I am very excited to go out and try my new rounds!

[ny32182]

You definitely will need to trim periodically. Check the brass length after sizing; if it is over max you need to trim. Shooting with brass that is too long can lead to pressure spikes... you don't want that.

I've shot some 5.56 brass until some in the lot started getting small splits in the case mouths. Then I stop using that batch. You do have to track number of firings with rifle brass. I usually load it about six times. You will hear wildly varying claims about how many times you can load it, and your sizing habits will play into it as well.

You also want to watch for a ring just forward of the case head; if you see that developing it is time to stop using that brass.

[counterclockwise]

.
I am not a high volume reloader running a progressive system. But, from my perspective:

-how long should I shoot the brass before getting rid of it?

-do I need to trim the brass, or should it be OK if shot in the same rifle?

-is the X-die worth looking at?



Some folks have over 13 firings with their .308 cases. Alot depends on how much you work the brass from sizing to firing, back to sizing. For use in one bolt rifle only, neck sizing only can be beneficial in preserving brass life. Another answer would be to continue to use the brass until signs of distress like incipient case head separation or splits are found. For autoloader use, I recommend FL sizing.

Yes, trim the brass, if it exceeds the max. allowable by specification. If you are going to do a roll crimp on the press, by all means, trim all to identical length.

I have the X's but defeated the function because I did not like to start with a short trim as required by RCBS. Taking the time to trim or examine if trim is necessary, is not bothersome to me, because I like to fondle the brass one by one and give it a good visual to look for distress mentioned above.

[Bart B.]

If you use a Redding "S" or RCBS Gold Medal Match Full Bushing die with a bushing about 2/1000ths smaller than loaded round neck diameter, you can get several dozen loads per case. Both Redding and RCBS bushings fit each other's dies.

There are caveats, however.

Your rifle's chamber needs to be at or close to SAAMI specs. If it's bigger in body diameters, then your full length sizing die needs its body lapped out a bit so fired case body diameters get sized down no more than 3/1000ths of an inch.

Deprime your fired cases in a different die, then clean them (vibrator or tumbler) before you size them.

Use a Redding shell holder of the height that when it touches your die at the top of the sizing stroke, the fired case headspace gets set back no more than 2/1000ths of an inch. You'll need a .308 Win. case headspace gage to measure this, such as an RCBS Precision Mic.

[Walkalong]

Agreed.

How much you work your brass determines exactly how long it will last. :)

[tango2echo]

Using Lee FL .308 sizing dies I get about 8-10 reloads out of new Winchester brass with mild to medium loads. Hotter loads make it about 5-7. I check and trim brass as needed every time I load. (usually needed about every third reload)

t2e

[Peakbagger46]

I went out the other day and tried a couple of different loads I put together, one a Hornady GMX 168g and the other being a Sierra Game King 165g. Shooting off a backpack in the back of my truck, I managed groups between 1" and 1.5", so I am well on my way already! The gun is a tackdriver, so I'm sure I can do better with a good rest.

I'll have to get a case trimmer...

[jibjab]

I load for a bolt action .308 win. I trim any brass over 2.01"
I segregate this brass by brand and the number of times I reloaded it, I inspect the brass carefully before I load it.
Most of my .308 loads are in the middle of the load range and I will get around a dozen or more loadings from Winchester, Lapua and Nosler brass. From my reduced loads that are neck size only....well I'm still counting :)

[Beelzy]

Hot loadings work the brass more the the reloading process, IMO.

If you load carefully, and learn to anneal your cases, you can make the cases last for
quite a few loadings.