Has anyone ever had success with Starline brass for 309 JDJ?

[am44mag]

Here is some Remington brass that's in stock. It's about $0.77 per piece.

https://www.precisionreloading.com/c...!l=RM&i=R23269

[Tatume]

If I do end up with cases with lube dimples, will they shoot out ok?

They will iron out on the first firing, but will soon split at that location.

[megasupermagnum]

Boy, forming brass is a heck of an undertaking. The few hundred fps loss of 30-30 is starting to look pretty good. Fingers crossed the 358 dies help. Thanks.

[megasupermagnum]

Ok, we might have something. I got the 358 Winchester dies today. Oddly the brass splits even worse with the 358 sizing die. I took the Tempilaq, put a dab inside the neck, and found about 9 seconds to be ideal under a light torch flame while spinning in the drill. I even grabbed the bottom of the case, and it was not at all hot, barely warm. I only did 5 as a test. After that I slowly worked them into the 358 Winchester sizing die as leadman describes. In and out 10 or so times, I even rotated the case for good measure. I got all 5 sized nice. Then I ran them slowly again into the 308 Winchester die. All 5 came out perfect finally. No wrinkles, no splits, no lube dents. I'll do another 25 tomorrow, anneal again, then try shooting them, followed by a final annealing.

Thanks a lot everyone.

[redneck1]

Glad to hear of your success
Doesn't seem so bad now that you've got things under control does it .
Carry on and have fun .

[megasupermagnum]

Glad to hear of your success
Doesn't seem so bad now that you've got things under control does it .
Carry on and have fun .

Well... the case forming isn't as daunting now that everything is set up. I successfully fired a dozen cases today, and they fire formed nicely. The load was 38.5 grains RX15 and a 180 grain bullet (Saeco 315 clone). It shot good too.

The contender though... not as much. I had just finally got it back from TC, as the barrel did not fit. All seemed well. As I was shooting 1 out of 3 I couldn't pull the trigger back enough. Not a huge deal, but I didn't have an allen wrench small enough. I fought through it, and managed to shoot 7 rounds into 2" at 100 yards. Once I got home, I went to adjust the trigger over travel. Well after adjusting it I went to pull the hammer back, and snap. The hammer spur broke clean off.

This was my very first contender, and it's probably going to be my last. I'm at my wits end. Just an over engineered piece of junk.


Anyway, sorry about the frustration. Thank you for helping me through my first wildcat cartridge. This was my very first time seriously forming cases, and my first time annealing brass. That part went well.

[rrob692326]

My contender has seen beau coup use since 81' and there were a few barrels I sent back because of improper chambering that left a bulge in the firedcase heads which T/C replaced for free tout suite. I have formed 444 marlin Remington brass (only stuff I use for the JDJ wildcats) straight from the box to .411,.375, .358 and .309 JDJ without a hitch using imperial sizing die wax and have never lost a single case in 37 years. Can't say anything about star-line brass as have not used anything but Remington brass. What kind of dies are you using might be your problem? I currently shoot 18 different barrels in my contender from 22 LR to my pipsqueak 500 grain cast boolits in my 45/70 SSK shilen barrels and have not had a hiccup in the last 24 years with over 100,000 plus rounds personally shot. Send the gun back to T/C if they are still as service minded as it was when I last dealt with them in the late eighties they will fix the problem no sweat.

[Hickok]

This is puzzling. I have an 8MM JDJ, which is the same as the .309 JDJ but with a .323 bullet vs. .308.

I have RCBS 8MM JDJ dies, and all I do is run a .444 Marlin case through the sizing die, and it works perfectly, although all I have used is Remington brass. I then fire-form the brass.

[ebb]

Shooter AZ is Dillon lube lanolin and alcohol? I used it when a first started reloading 20 years ago and liked it. But I think I read some where that it is alcohol and yellow 77 wire pulling lube. Any how I made some using the wire pulling lube and alcohol and I worked really well, the only difference I could see from Dillon was the wire lube didn't stay dissolved in the alcohol and I had to shake it when ever I used it. it was a really cheap lube to make, a gallon bucket of the wire lube is cheap from the depot. Seven to one as I recall.

[rrob692326]

I use the rcbs sticky case lube and load the .309 ,358, 375, and .411 in addition to the 444 have had no problems forming , but you must anneal the necks after or you will get splits.

[rrob692326]

If you are heating your brass to bright red you are getting it too hot and might very well be the reason your now butter soft cases are crumpling. Never had any problems with Rem 444 brass, and I I lost
only one case due to my recklessness in over 500 formed 309 cases. try 9 seconds in the propane torch flame and quench.