308 Reformed from ?? for a THICK Neck

[Johnch]

OK I have been shooting a Savage Heavy Barreled rifle for a while with cast loads , One of the older ones when they chambered the 308 in the long action

It shoots better than I can ....so LOL , I am having fun

But I would like to reform some brass to 308
But I would like it to have a real thick brass in the neck ....a loss of case volume is OK for my needs

As I want to inside ream the necks and leave a "step" in the neck to stop the bullet from going in past the "step"

As I found this rifle seems to like the cast bullet seated into the rifling and no crimp

I tried 30/06 Mil brass , but that brass didn't have neck thickness to leave enough of a step after inside neck reaming

Any clue to what case to try ?

Thanks
John

[Hickory]

About the only to achieve this without a step in the neck would be to acquire some new 358 Winchester brass. But, new brass in this caliber might be very hard to find.

[Good Cheer]

Johnch,
Man I'm glad you brought this up. I'm fixing to try paper patching some 7-08's and what you're proposing to do there just might be the cats meow for my purposes.

About having a step there, do you think you'd need much at all to make it work?

[Good Cheer]

Are you going to expand using something like a Lyman M die only going part way in?

[Negster]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?309538-Making-308-win-from-never-fired-308-blanks
I'm getting around .022 neck thickness without reaming. I'm outside neck turning to get my desired od

[Johnch]

Thanks for that link
I have a few of those blanks ...but only 30 -40
Far to few for my shooting

I will have to scout for some more

But I still wish I could find a standard factory case to use
As I just like "New" brass for some reason
Might be all in my head
But I had some short case life a while back with LC brass reformed into 358 Winchester

Oh well , time to start looking

John

[Johnch]

Are you going to expand using something like a Lyman M die only going part way in?

I am planning on trying to not size at all
Just punch out the primer , tumble , put in a primer and load as fired

I am "HOPING" to inside neck turn
So that the .311 bullets fit in snug and don't fall out
But not be loose ......I will need to test a lot
More fun at the range LOL

John

[EDG]

I doubt that you will find brass thick enough if several headstamps of USGI do not give you extra thick walls.
I use 30-06 USGI brass to make 7.65 Mauser and it works fine in Mauser rifles without turning the necks.

You might consider rechambering your rifle. Have the barrel set back enough to get rid of all of the original neck and have it rechambered with benchrest reamer for a tight neck chamber. The new neck will require neck turning of even standard brass. If that does not make for a tight enough neck you might have to have a custom reamer made.

[runfiverun]

tape is about .0025 thick.
just sayin...

[Huvius]

I wonder if neck sizing way down and then placing a thin brass collar at the base of the neck (fit to the chamber) and then fire forming will give you the step inside the neck you are looking for.
I imagine that neck sizing and using a collar made from the neck of a 308 case would do the trick.

Added some pictures to show what I mean.

sized down in a 243Win die

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg312/Huvius/30-06%20neck%20trial.jpg (http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Huvius/media/30-06%20neck%20trial.jpg.html)

Collar made out of a 5.7X28 case is placed onto the neck and the mouth expanded back out with a .280 pin. I need another step in expanding to get closer to 30cal but after annealing, this may be enough to fire form with a hard wax plug.
I have no idea of what loads would be safe in a case such as this but I do think that this will help to seat the boolit into the lands while also preventing it being pushed into the case.

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg312/Huvius/30-06%20neck%20trial2.jpg (http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Huvius/media/30-06%20neck%20trial2.jpg.html)

[CHeatermk3]

I don't think you'll get where you want to go without re-cutting the chamber. What you're looking for is a "snug neck" chamber, like if you cut the neck portion using a 30-40 reamer.

you could maybe get there by neck-sizing lightly using a collet(Lee) or Bushing die and then an M-die; if you shoot them enough times the "step" your wanting will develop on it's own ("The dreaded doughnut") from brass flowing even without F/L sizing.

[rr2241tx]

Might be easier to use the brass you have and cast a stop ring bullet. Think 8.15x46R.

[gpidaho]

I think CHeatermk3 called it, first neck size with a bushing die and then partially expand the neck with a M-die. Gp

[funnyjim014]

What about using a slightly rounded small punch to put dimples in the neck. Put a dowel in case to prevent crushing it

[CHeatermk3]

The dimples would certainly be gone after firing.

[Johnch]

OK I have 500+ of the blanks
I even have the lathe set up

If I can't get enough of a step in the neck in the 2 or 3 test cases
I will have the barrel rechamered with a tight throat and then IMO there will be enough case neck to do what I want

But I have a 150 mile each way trip to a Doctor in the morning
That trip wipes me out for 2 or 3 days as I get to enjoy several hours of tests while I am there

Thanks
John

[CHeatermk3]

I'm having a barrel re-chambered from 30BR to 308W--my 'smith is gonna give me a "snug neck" chamber by using a 6 Jaguar reamer for the body and then re-reaming the neck portion using a 30-40 Krag reamer. This will give me a chamber with enough clearance to fire factory ammunition and not need to size empties excessively.

I'm no gunsmith so my nomenclature may not be correct but that's my understanding of what he told me he was gonna do.

Good luck tomorrow and afterwards, too.

EDIT:..It's a Panther not Jaguar reamer for the body.

[popper]

IMHO a crimp groove and turned necks for consistency would be the best solution. I have some 9mm brass with the step - it is huge - like 2x wall thickness. I can jam the lands in my 30/30 with no pushback & boolit doesn't have a crimp groove. Manufacturers use a rolling tool to create the step in the neck I think R5R is alluding to a PP breach seating solution.

[Humpy]

I shelf seat with what I call a Humpy Button. I take a piece of .311 diameter oil hardening drill rod, cut to off about 1" long, chuck in lathe and turn one end down to .309 about half the length of the neck and clamp the other end in a RCBS collet puller with 30 cal collet.

I size neck with no expander, then run the Humpy button in till it is near bottom of neck. That leaves a shelf and I can hand seat bullets with fingers. You can change the location of the shelf easily if you want to load long.

[CHeatermk3]

What size boolit do you seat into the .309" ID neck? does it spring back to .308?

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

30-06 brass is pretty cheap. That would be my plan. Buy about 100 30-06 LAPUA cases and neck them down for target work, then just use the military for plinking.