new to reloading .308 brass question

[Voland]

well, after shopping around for .308 rounds for my new scout i decided to dive in to the reloading world...

I got a lee hand press, hand primer and dies... still need to get an accurate tool for powder measure, case sizing and trimming... now i've seen my buddy do his .223 and it seems simple enough... when i started really reading this section of the forum i realized that there is a lot more to it...

now to my question. my local range sells previously fired .308 brass. 1000 casings for something like $100. are these worth using or would i do better by ordering brand new brass? and if so, why?

I figure that if i properly clean the brass and size it well, i should not have any problems. i dont plan on doing maximum load any time soon but i do want a good safe and consistent round.

thanks all!
v.

 

[ants]

Be sure to inspect used brass, otherwise it is good to go for your purpose. Clean it, size it, trim it, chamfer the case mouth. Then reload that brass and shoot it. Those cheap Lee case trimmers work well enough. If the primers were previously crimped in their pockets, use a chamfering tool to remove the crimp.

Get a proper scale to weigh your charges. Beam scales are cheap and reliable.

 

[Voland]

Thanks! Thats kinda what I figured. I was thinking of getting something like the lee perfect powder measure. I have a beam scale but its a pain to use and weigh every charge... From the reviews I read it seems that the LPPM can sometimes throw light charges but I feel that it was probably user error.

Can any one speak to this? Should I just weigh every charge and not worry about the time?

Thanks!
V.

 

[bfoosh006]

Read these first two articles, worth the time...http://www.zediker.com/downloads/m14.html

 

[dagger dog]

Voland,

Lee makes some very usable reloading tools, the perfect powder measure is one that is usable, but it has its drawbacks in design.

If using ball powder like Win.748, for rifles or Bullseye type flake powder for pistol, it leaks powder from the cleareance between the body of the dispenser and the powder drum. If you tighten the tension via the screw, then the drum becomes so hard to turn that it's impossible to turn it , with out great force.

But since you are reloading for .308 Win, two of the top powders for that cartridge are RE 15 and Hodgdon Varget which are both extruded powders and they both meter GREAT through the Perfect measure. The Lee measure does not cut the granules like the metal drum types from , Big Green, Orange ,or the Horn.

I have both RCBS and Lee and use them depending on the cartridge,powder combo.

Another little tid bit, cough up another 15 bucks and by the Lee dipper kit. If you are loading your 308 for accuracy and not volume, you can use a combo of dippers to get nearest to your exact load weight, throwing it in your beam scale pan and trickle the last 5-6granules to bring it to spec. After you get the hang of it you can be reasonably fast at it and every charge becomes EXACT.

 

[iiranger]

Where???

Where does your local range get the .308 brass. If it is mil. surplus it was probably fired in a machine gun and takes alot more work. If it is commercial, that is a very good price these days.

I keep saying, you need a half dozen used reloading manuals from different publishers. "Fine your groove." One will read easier. All approach things just a bit different but the repetition will help you learn. Buy a new one of the brand you like best for current data. From there it is what do I try next. Always a new method. Do you need it? Good question. Happy New Year. Luck.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Note the difference in military 7.62x51 and commercial .308 brass

Military brass is normally quite a bit thicker than commercial .308 brass. This means that case capacity is measurable smaller, and the same powder charge will develop higher pressures in the GI brass.

That fact may or may not be hazardous, depending on the intensity of the load. It is a simple fact that the two will NOT shoot to the same point. Of course, there are smaller differences between capacity of the various commercial brands, too. For gilt-edge accuracy, precision loaders always sort brass by head stamp, and where possible, by lot number as well. At the very least, they sort various lots of brass by weight.

Good luck to you
Johnny

 

[rfwobbly]

Oh, yea!

Voland -
Welcome to reloading. Range brass is fine for plinking. You won't want all your ammo at mil-spec pressures anyway. Simply sort them by brand and pick out a name that's good that you have, say 300 of. Separate and use that brand for your top end stuff, then load the remainder as your plinking.

I have similar experience with Lee accessories. They are plastic and fill the low price market's needs very well. They are usable, but far from rugged or extremely precise. Since you are using a hand press, you might want to get an old used RCBS Uniflow, mount it on a stand like mine (pictured), and go that way.

You can find used Uniflows on Ebay all the time... such as THIS ONE.

Hope this helps!

 

[SuperFlyLoser]

Mil Surplus or Commercial .308 brass

Make sure you take a look at the brass that the range is selling you. I recently got taken (Scr@wed) buying about 100 rounds of once fired brass that turned out to be Mil Surplus South African ammo:banghead:. Well this ammo is Berdan primed and not Boxer primed and was not reloadable with the equipment that I currently use to reload. And until I did some research kept breaking my decapping pin and wonder WTH! A picture of the difference is HERE

So PLEASE be careful and remember to check things out before putting down your hard earned cash...

 

[Voland]

Thanks everyone for the info!

They have about 30 100 yard stalls at this place so people show up to sight in their rifles before hunting seasons. Most people shoot commercial stuff but I am sure that there are a few with mill surplus. I will sort the brass by type and see what I come up with.

I still have not exactly figured out how to size the cases so that will take some more reading but hopefully its not going to be too hard...

Thanks again for the tips!

V.

 

[Voland]

Yep, they know not to give me junk. I know these guys being at that range at least twice a month with my .22 so they will take good care of me.

I will go through the cases just in case still.

thanks!
V.

 

[Voland]

Ahh, just found this:

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/dieadjust/index.asp

Resizing makes a lot more sense now!

V.

 

[USSR]

Voland, I don't envy you, using a hand press to FL size .308 brass.

Don

 

[Doug b]

Voland using that hand press you'll want to at least brush the inside of the case neck to ease expansion,a nylon bore brush will work to remove the carbon residue.A better set up would be an inside neck lubricator(mica or graphite) I believe www.midwayusa.com still sells a good one at a reasonable price.I mention this for 2 reasons.1) pulling the expander ball through the neck is going to be the hardest part of your operation using that hand press.2) if you get to physical you'll stretch the case shoulder back out making the loaded round hard or impossible to chamber.Ask me how I know.

 

[Voland]

Yeah, I was just thinking about that... I might just pick up a single stage press for the rifle rounds and save the hand loader for the 9mm and the .45.

I just didnt want to go too fast but it looks like the single stage is just smarter... On the other hand, I can use the workout...



V.

 

[Doug b]

Also Redding makes a carbide expander ball replacement for there dies that also adapts to RCBS dies, won't work on any others. If that helps any.

 

[41 Mag]

Voland,

Might have missed it in a previous post, but two things which will make things a LOT easier on you and those once fired cases will be,

1) Imperial Case Sizing Wax - one can of this will last you hundreds of rounds easily, and will make sizing cases SO much easier.

2) A Small base .308 sizing die - There are several brands but this is almost a must for once fired cases. It will restore the cases to the original size making it much more friendly to load into your rifle.

I purchased 1K of once fired a couple of years ago, and most of it was LE ammo fired in training. However it would not size down enough with standard dies to allow reliable chambering in my rifle. After getting the SB die, and ripping the rim off several I went to the Imperial Sizing Wax and no issues with the rest of the cases.

Good luck with your new found hobby, it has been great fun for me through the years.

 

[Voland]

Just picked up a Lee Cast singe stage press... Played around with it for a bit and its sooooo much easier than the hand one... I can still use the hand press to deprime and so on on the couch but resizing will be done on the big one...

Now the question is will RCBS small base dies work in my new press...

Thanks!
V.

 

[41 Mag]

Most dies are set up with 7/8" x 14 threads as a standard and will generally fit most presses. I have the RCBS SB dies in 30-06 and use it to size MilSurp cases.

The thing about shooting the once fired is the chamber if the case was fired in was bigger than yours the case might size down to just about fit in your but will generally stop short before you get your bolt completely closed. In my case I had loaded a couple dozen rounds just to test. I was at my friends place and we had just gotten things set up and were going to start shooting when a small pack of hogs comes rolling out of a drainage close by. Well needless to say they immediately became the primiary targets. The third round I shoved into the chamber locked me up. It took a substantial smack on the bolt to get it out. In checking the rest of the cases I found a couple more which would have done the same.

The primiary use for these cases has been reduced loads for my grandson. He has only just recently turned 6 and has been shooting this particular rifle since just before his 5th BD. Since I did not want any issues with tight cases for him I decided to simply go the extra step and use the SB sizer.

If you get the Imperial Wax, the easiest way to apply it is to get enough on your hands to actually have the palms coated, then simply line up 5 or 6 cases and roll them between your hands. Set them in the loading tray and grab more. After sizing simply wipe them off well with a towel or tumble them for 15 - 20 minutes and they are ready to load. I generally clean cases twice anyway so it isn't a big deal. They get the first round in walnut to get the big stuff and then after sizing they go into the corn cob with Flitz added for a bright finish.

One last thing on once fired, especially if they are milsurp, be sure to keep your loads a grain or two below any listed max loads. They are thicker cases and do not have the same internal capacity as factory cases, which results in higher pressures. These generally, but not always, have the crimped primers and are best deprimed using one of the Lee Universal Decappers. These are handy dies in that they will do just about any case as all they are doing is knocking the primers out. You will however then need to swedge the pocket or trim off the remaining crimp to allow the seating of a new primer. If ever in doubt about the origin of the cases just ask your buds at the range or post a question, they are generally easily identified. For full power loads I generally stick with the name brand cases, but for reduced and mid-power stuff they all work well.

 

[Bowfishrp]

I agree with Imperial Wax...best lube I have used. If you are reloading 308 (223 too) and I highly recommend a Lyman Case Length Gauge. This thing is the size of your chamber and if the case goes into it, it will go into your rifle. I also have one in 223. Was having a problem with some reloaded rounds getting stuck and since I got the gauge it is no longer a problem. Some cases seem to be deformed or simply worn out and need to be tossed in the recycle bucket. Have not had near the problem with 308 but have run across a handful of cases that would have stuck in my rifle.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=271313

 

[neal7250]

I know a guy that uses that machine that you have, and he dips his powder. He is tighter than a ducks Azz. Been doing it for years, and always gets his deer. He probably uses the same cases that he's been shooting for years.
Tells me that them Dillons that I use are a waste of money.

 

[30Cal]

+1 on the Imperial Case Wax. I drag my finger across the case mouth to lube the inside of the neck. You can also use a pencil to lube the inside of the necks. If the case squeels coming out of the die, I can guarantee you're pulling the shoulder forward instead of setting it back.

You will need a gage to set the FL/SB die inspite of what the instructions say. I'd recommend the Hornady comparitor which will work w/ your 6" caliper.

I'm glad you got a real press.