Loading M1A ..critique process..LC brass/IMR4895/165gSMK

[10mmShooter]

Hey guys just submitted my order to Midway and Dillion to get setup for loading for my SA M1a, In the past I just loaded my pistol calibers.

Hopefully there are some .308 gas-gun pros that can offer critique of my process,

Components are LC 1x fired brass, IMR 4895 and Sierra 168 MK, CCI #34
goal is replicate Mil-spec M-852 Match rounds. I'll start at 40.5g..believe the mis-spec was 42.0g. OAL 2.80:Fire:

Heres what I have come up with::?::?::?::?::?::?::?:

1. Deprime the LC brass
2. Deburr flash hole(to prep for swage)
3. Run through Dillon swage
4 Run brass through my Redding SB body die(clean up body, likely lengthen brass)
5. Run brass through my Redding Comp neck sizer with .336 TiN collar
6 Trim the sized brass to 2.000 length (RCBS Trim Pro using 3-way cutter)
7 Final clean up deburr, and chamfer case mouth
8 Then prime, charge and seat new bullet.

I'm running everything through my Big Boss II, I'm leaving the D-650 for my pistol calibers, I think the single stage will give me a bit more precise contol over the process. Once I see how much effort is needed for re-sizing I may move back to the dillon.

I have Wilson head space guage and RCBS precison mic case gauge to make sure I can nail down the headspace for my specific MIA, since I can use one die to knock the shoulder back and one die for the neck, I should be able to build a cartrigde tailored to my rifles chamber.

[mike in co]

gonna get some flack here but here it goes.
if you want your brass to last....size for your rifle.....the m1a needs about 2-3 thou clearance. do not full length size to the base of the shell holder.
( yes do your process with the sb die the first time)

skipp the swager and use a reformed lyman vld inside need reamer( grind the tip tipp it removes enough material to reprime...you will be suprised how little is required)
i did my 118lr brass this way...

mike in co

[NickSS]

I loaded thousands of 308 rounds for my M1As when I was match shooting. I used Redding BR dies and a case length gage. Brass fired in my rifle was sized only enough to push the shoulder back about .001" any more than that at my case life was drastically reduced. I mostly used LC or WCC brass sorted by year and weight for short range and I used only Winchester commercial brass for long range shooting. I used several different powders over the years but the best powder I tried was AA 2520. 42 gr of it with a Sierra MK 168 gr bullet was extremely accurate at 600 yards and that is were the proof of the pudding is. I also used quite a bit of IMR 4895, 3031 and 4064. All shot well in fact the 308 is one cartridge that is very easy to find accurate loads for. Oh I mostly used either federal or Winchester primers standard large rifle primers. My M1A super match rifle when loaded with 42 gr of 2520 would hold the X ring at 600 yards all day long as long as the wind did not get to me and blow me out. This was with a 10 power scope from a bench rest when I developed the load.