308 / 243 resize
- Thread starter badnova
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Orcon
Member
Tell him to get a 308 and shoot reduced recoil loads?
Caliper_Mi
Member
When sizing 308 brass down to 260, I have to turn necks. That is for a Shilen barrel though. Factory barrels may be more generous, but going down another 0.5mm isn't going to help.
KansasSasquatch
Member
Unless your cousin is getting rid of his .308, tell him to save his .308 and just buy a couple boxes of factory ammo for his grandson. Then he won't have to worry about reaming necks. PRVI ammo is CHEAP compared to most domestic brands. Their brass is great for the price, and the ammo shoots better than some of the cheaper domestic brands. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/66...-243-winchester-90-grain-soft-point-box-of-20
gamestalker
member
IMO, you would be playing the lottery to neck down that much without reaming the necks, I certainly wouldn't do it. And considering the vast sources and availability of .243 win brass, why even bother trying to neck down .308, unless brass simply wasn't available, which is not the case.
Buy some .243 brass or factory ammo, start off on the right foot so the grand son's experience doesn't start out with a catastrophic event.
GS
Buy some .243 brass or factory ammo, start off on the right foot so the grand son's experience doesn't start out with a catastrophic event.
GS
judgedelta
Member
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Brass is cheap. Unless you have some rare caliber, for which brass is not readily available, it's not worth the time, effort and outlay for equipment to reform. Especially to reform used brass. Just my $0.02...
Kp321
Member
As already said, it depends on the chamber and the 308 brass. Military brass will have the best chance of needing turned or reamed, commercial may not need it. Don't know till you try. To test, load a moderate load in the necked down brass and fire it. First test ,does it chamber easily? If so, does a new bullet slide easily into the fired brass? If the answer is no to either of these, the brass needs reaming. Note that this test needs to be repeated for each lot of brass.
To me, using the brass on hand to make what you need rather than buying new is half the fun of reloading. Remember, most calibers started as reformed something else.
To me, using the brass on hand to make what you need rather than buying new is half the fun of reloading. Remember, most calibers started as reformed something else.
Sunray
Member
As mentioned, turning .308 cases into .243 really isn't worth the time and effort.
The kid will very likely have no problems shooting .308 anyway. His size makes no difference.
The kid will very likely have no problems shooting .308 anyway. His size makes no difference.
Lafitte
Member
I have necked .308 down to .243 without turning the necks, it can be done. Unless he just really wants a .243 I would suggest trying some .308 loaded with 110 -125 gr. bullets.
Lafitte
Lafitte
308-243
You can do the math, but the brass has to go somewhere. My analysis says that if you do not ream there is minimum clearance. I have resized them, reamed them and had no problem. Several years ago I had a guy show up at our club to sight in his new rifle. He had paid over a grand for it. He should have paid a little more and bought ammo too. He had some handloads from a "budy". Don't know what he use to hunt with that year, but after hammering the bolt open and hammering the case out we sent him home with the address of a good gunsmith to to check the rifle out. 308 Mil reduced to .243.
You can do the math, but the brass has to go somewhere. My analysis says that if you do not ream there is minimum clearance. I have resized them, reamed them and had no problem. Several years ago I had a guy show up at our club to sight in his new rifle. He had paid over a grand for it. He should have paid a little more and bought ammo too. He had some handloads from a "budy". Don't know what he use to hunt with that year, but after hammering the bolt open and hammering the case out we sent him home with the address of a good gunsmith to to check the rifle out. 308 Mil reduced to .243.
gamestalker
member
Exactly my point Jerry, the brass has to go some where. That's a lot of necking down, and those necks are most certainly going to be thicker.
One way to assess how much clearance will be lost, neck down a piece of Winchester or Remington .308 brass, seat a .243" projectile in it, then measure the neck just above the the shoulder, and right below the mouth. Then resize a piece of .243 win. brass, seat a bullet, and measure in the same fashion. The difference in outside diameter you'll see should be provide some valuable insight.
GS
One way to assess how much clearance will be lost, neck down a piece of Winchester or Remington .308 brass, seat a .243" projectile in it, then measure the neck just above the the shoulder, and right below the mouth. Then resize a piece of .243 win. brass, seat a bullet, and measure in the same fashion. The difference in outside diameter you'll see should be provide some valuable insight.
GS
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