Is the Saiga .308 easy on brass?
- Thread starter jlbraun
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My Saiga is better then my Cetme. Still not the best though.
I don't reload 308 right now but will when my stash dries up.
The days of $149 shipped cases of Port are long gone. How
I wish I bought more then I did.
MRI
I don't reload 308 right now but will when my stash dries up.
The days of $149 shipped cases of Port are long gone. How
I wish I bought more then I did.
MRI
Not exactly easy on brass. There are threads here and at saiga-12 describing ways to prevent brass mangling, if you search around a bit.
Most leave a crimp in the side, like mine:
Usually, if the brass is marred, it's by the charging handle or the receiver cover.
Usually, if the brass is marred, it's by the charging handle or the receiver cover.
I reload 308 for my G3 all the time. Reloads are all i shoot in it. And the kicker is.....Most of the brass that ive reloaded 4-6 times for my G3 is the indian OFV 74, that shot great the first time i shot it i might add. Yes, it mangles the brass, the necks and mouth get really smashed sometimes, but a neck expanding by running them into a 7.7jap neck die then the 308 full size at least twice with a lot of case sizing lube. No cases have ever failed on me.
The only cases that i will not reload are ones that get kind of "crimped" about roughly at the halfway point, as no ammount of working with the dies and nothing short of fire forming with corn meal will blow that out, as i dont have anything without a fluted chamber the only fire forming i do is with fully loaded rounds. so i toss the ones that crimp in half really bad. I do not know what makes a small ammount of the brass crimp that badly and some not even contact whatever it is that seems to hit the others and screw them up. I dont own a saigia 308, but i have been reloading screwey 308 brass for a long time. As i said i do not have anything but fluted chambers in this caliber so i dont have any other basis.
The only cases that i will not reload are ones that get kind of "crimped" about roughly at the halfway point, as no ammount of working with the dies and nothing short of fire forming with corn meal will blow that out, as i dont have anything without a fluted chamber the only fire forming i do is with fully loaded rounds. so i toss the ones that crimp in half really bad. I do not know what makes a small ammount of the brass crimp that badly and some not even contact whatever it is that seems to hit the others and screw them up. I dont own a saigia 308, but i have been reloading screwey 308 brass for a long time. As i said i do not have anything but fluted chambers in this caliber so i dont have any other basis.
Take a good look at the ejecting brass in Busy Squirrel's photo.
That is EXACTLY what brass looks like coming out of my Saiga 308 as well.
I don't reload yet, but it doesn't seem to be enough damage to prevent reloading it.
-- John
That is EXACTLY what brass looks like coming out of my Saiga 308 as well.
I don't reload yet, but it doesn't seem to be enough damage to prevent reloading it.
-- John
Yeah, worked fine in the stock mags. Havn't tried it in the FBMG mags.
It seemed like the action cycle took a little longer with the different friction from the steel cases, but who knows.
It seemed like the action cycle took a little longer with the different friction from the steel cases, but who knows.
hhmm, got ya. figured id ask, cause if they are harsh on brass anyway, might as well keep it as cheap as possible by lookin at the steel cased options.
Well, if you're gonna reuse them in the same gun, I don't see any problems. I've fired some cartridges with gouges that looked downright gnarly and never had a problem yet. That gun'll eat anything.
I've used reminton brass, and wolf steel cased in my saigas and both come out pretty jacked up. Then again... mine is .223. As posted above, it leaves larges dents in the side regardless of the case's alloy.
A dent or crease will iron out upon firing due to the 50,000 PSI chamber pressures. A cut or nick indicates scrap brass. If you don't know which it is, run your thumbnail over it and see if it snags on anything. If it doesn't you are good to go. If it catches on a raised piece of sharper metal, that case goes in the recycle bin.
Yeah, mine digests Silver Bear 145 grain FMJ nicely. First few hundred rounds, had a couple of FTE's, but it's been very reliable since the break in period. Barnaul 168 grain SP's work well too.
some are, some aren't. just install a bullet guide, a do it yourself kit , for about 15 bucks, and prolem solved.
+1 Busy Squirrel
Prvi Partizan comes out looking exactly like his photo from my .308 Saiga.
Safe Shooting,
CZ52'
Prvi Partizan comes out looking exactly like his photo from my .308 Saiga.
Safe Shooting,
CZ52'
want a .308 ebr thats easy on the fired brass????
wait till the new kel-tec rfb's(Rifle Forward ejecting Bullpup)hit the shelves and buy one of those in the meanwhile enjoy your current rifle and stock up on the 20rd metric fal mags the rfb uses and go to kel-tec site to keep updated.
this gun gently pushes fired brass out of a tube above the barrel and drops it at your feet,i dont know how it gets more gentle on brass than that,,,
i eagerly await my rfb while"getting by"on my sks and ak.
wait till the new kel-tec rfb's(Rifle Forward ejecting Bullpup)hit the shelves and buy one of those in the meanwhile enjoy your current rifle and stock up on the 20rd metric fal mags the rfb uses and go to kel-tec site to keep updated.
this gun gently pushes fired brass out of a tube above the barrel and drops it at your feet,i dont know how it gets more gentle on brass than that,,,
i eagerly await my rfb while"getting by"on my sks and ak.
"I just want to say that is an awesome photo, and a really beautiful rifle."
yep, i concur. but is that a saiga, or a vepr ?
yep, i concur. but is that a saiga, or a vepr ?
See the pic in this thread:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=233995
Yes, I understand now that the gouges occur during ejection. I haven't reloaded any .308 yet, but I wouldn't bat an eye at reloading these. I've certainly reloaded worster in .223.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=233995
Yes, I understand now that the gouges occur during ejection. I haven't reloaded any .308 yet, but I wouldn't bat an eye at reloading these. I've certainly reloaded worster in .223.
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