Annealing 375 H&H to make 8mm mag

[sierraoneone]

I will be trying to form 8mm mag brass from 375 H&H. The information I have suggested annealing the neck area and using pliers (the rounded portion) midway on the case as a heat sink. Does anyone have a better suggestion or comments? I have never done this before.

Is it even necessary prior to running a 375 H&H case into a 8mm mag sizer die without the expander button. Any suggestions are welcome.

[elk hunter]

If you are using new, unfired brass I wouldn't think it necessary to anneal them, I would try carefully running them up into the seating die first as it has slightly larger neck dimensions than the sizing die and then full length size them using a thin film of sizing die wax in both cases.

If you do need to anneal them be very careful as it is easy to get them too soft and collapse the neck shoulder area.

When I anneal cases I hold them with my fingers and carefully heat them until they just start to show a slight color change and then quench. I don't heat them to anywhere near a red heat as some do as I believe that makes them too soft. By holding them with my fingers I'm certain that I won't get them too hot.

Good luck.

[2shot]

I have made 340 Weatherby out of WW 375 brass and never had to anneal them. Just ran them through the 340 die with the shoulder a bit long, loaded them with a starting load for the 340 and presto--340 cases at a fraction of the cost of Weatherby cases.

2shot

[oneokie]

Agree with 2shot.

[Wally]

I've made 8mm Rem out of .375 H & H as well as .300 Weatherby mag---found it best to anneal the case neck just a bit---5 seconds with a propane torch flame---hold in you hand and rotate---drop into a water bucket. I anneal before I reform them. I count to five slowly...then drop.

[uncowboy]

Two sugestions not covered,
First Roster lube makes case forming lube. I forget the # but one jar will last a lifetime, This stuff is amaxeing. You can make a 50 BMG into a 30/30 with this stuff. Second. when going smaller it is necessary to inside neck ream. Removing extra brass from the neck tension. If you have the set up for 375 Just resize 375 then inside neck ream THEN resize to 8MM. If not use the lube, Resize to 8mm Fire foarm then inside neck ream to 8MM then resize 8mm and load. Don't forget to inside neck ream. J.Michael

[sierraoneone]

thanks to all of you...appreciate the feedback...