Necking .308 down to .243

[Guy La Pourqe]

Yes - but it involves more steps from what I have read. With 50 Alaskan, I am hearing that it is just a quick trip through the 45-75 die and a trim and then off to the range...

[rockrat]

IIRC, 243 brass max length is 2.035" and 308 is 2.015, so necking down, you will probably be around .020" short and I suspect too thick in the neck. I went to 260 rem and had about .002-.003 neck clearance, so going down farther might cause problems. I know its nice to not have to buy new brass, but the work required outweighs the cost savings.

[beagle]

One word of advice from experience. Do not attempt to make .22-250 cases from .30 National Match cases. .243s from .308s are not bad but the previous operation takes all day for 100 cases and took all the dies me and my buddy owned between us and two trimmer/neck reamers. This was when the .22-250 just came out or we wouldn't have done it. Buy the new brass nowadays./beagle

[1hole]

When I got my new Browning .22-250 I had no handy source of cases, not even any factory ammo. But, I did have a good number of surplus military .30-06 so I set about converting the -06 stuff to fit my new rifle. In the process I learned a lot about reforming, including the pros and cons of neck reaming vs. neck turning, how to properly anneal, etc.

Of course I made some mistakes and lost several cases in the early period, there was no internet or anyone else to help me along, but I learned and had fun in the learning. Plus, at the end, I had some high quality, custom fitted cases that really shot great .... so I still do it.

So, reform or a lot, or just buy? Guess it matters how the individual handloader sees the problems and solutions of anything he may do. ???

[gbrown]

I have 2 357 Herretts, both Contenders, 1 a 20 inch Bullberry rifle, and 1 a 14 inch Super 14 pistol. I've made all the brass for each, annealed and then fire formed. I have 500+ for each. It takes time, but a lot of times I have completed all my reloading tasks and there is nothing else to watch on television and I am caught up on my reading. So why not? Some like to watch the mind numbing sitcoms and such on television, I don't. So I take a 50 or a hundred 30-30 cases and using a trim die, knock off the top of a case and form it. Throw them in a can and wait for the next night when there is nothing interesting going on, anneal, re-form and check for length. Use an internal and external chamfer on them and back in the can until I'm ready to reload with a fire forming load. Keeps me busy and doing something when otherwise I would be sitting around bored. To me, its fun and interesting. Keeps me involved in reloading. I've never thought of making 243 out of 308. I do have a can of 308's, but don't own one. I do have a 243. Sounds like a new project.

[bignut]

I may have 20 or so vintage 348 casings