1st time reloading 7.62x51

[xcalibor67]

Have read some previous post on the topic, but still dont fully understand. Just got about 1k pieces of 7.62x51. Mostly RA 70, with some WRA 68, and TW 69.
I deprimed, swaged, and deburred all pieces before sizing. Using the only die i have, a Lyman FL 308, i notice you really have to put out to size the cases... Using the same case lube as always, Unique, which i like and never ever had a problem with. I did notice i had to set the die so it would bump(Cam Over) the shellholder to get the neck portion sized down to the shoulder, and even then doesnt quite size completely to the shoulder. Im sure it was all once fire military, as it was a pain to get all those primers out..Is it normal for military cases to be tough to resize the 1st time in regular 308 dies? Thanks.

 

[LeonCarr]

Yes, it is normal. Many once fired military .308 cases are fired in machine guns which have larger chambers for full auto reliability. Sometimes a Small Base Sizer Die is necessary the first time around, and a drop in type case gauge can help insure that you are sizing enough and bumping the shoulder back enough.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[jwrowland77]

...

 

[allaroundhunter]

It is tougher to resize .308 compared to smaller rifle cartridges, even after the first resizing. If you are shooting in a bolt rifle then after you run them through your gun once all you have to do is neck size.

And make sure you are loading conservatively to start. Those NATO cases have slightly less case capacity than .308 brass.

 

[xcalibor67]

Thanks for the fast replies. Recently picked up FR8, and wanted to load up some rounds..Thank you for pointing out about reducing powder charge in military brass. I will be using mild loads in the rifle anyway. Meh thinks 2morrow i might see how the unsized brass fits in the chamber. Would it be prudent to fire form and then neck size only? Without having a go, nogo gauge i may pull the extractor, put a thin coat of lipstick on a sized case and unsized case to see how each case fits. I prefer to "Feel" my cases seat when closing the bolt, extractor off of course.

 

[Bart B.]

Best accuracy for .308 Win ammo's always been done with full length sized cases. Just don't set the fired case shoulder back more than a couple thousandths. By "best accuracy," I mean sub 1/4 MOA at 100 yards, 1/3 MOA at 300, 1/2 MOA at 600 and 3/4 MOA at 1000 yards for 10 or more shots in a row fired once every minute or less.

The ages-old myth that neck only sized cases fit the chamber better is easily disproved by checking out what external forces push the case shoudler into the chamber shoulder perfectly centering it there before the round's fired. Doesn't matter how much clearance there is around the case body to the chamber wall up front where it's important. The back end of the chambered case is pushed against the chamber at its pressure ring by the extractor anyway, but it's very repeatable from shot to shot so it's a non-issue.

Benchresters learned this a few years ago and most of them now full length size their fired cases. While their smallest groups are still the same size, their larger ones are a lot smaller now. Aggregate group averages are now smaller; they miss their point of aim a lot less full length sizing cases. But they only reduce body diameters and set back shoulders only a thousandth or so. That's all that's needed. Even two thousandths inch less would be hard to tell if accuracy was any worse than only one thousandth less.

Any time the bolt binds a bit snugging up a chambered round, it won't close to the exact same place for every shot; expecially with a bolt face that's not squared up with the chamber axis. That impedes best accuracy. Benchresters neck only sizing and with bolt faces squared up noticed their groups opening up 1/10th MOA when their bolt closed a bit snug/tight on chambered rounds, so they full length sized their cases to let the bolt close easily and back to the same exact place for each shot.