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Thread: .308 jacket update

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
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    Reedy Flat, Victoria, Australia
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    37

    .308 jacket update

    I haven't posted for a while as I'm still waiting patiently for my .264"swaging dies. In the meantime, I've been working on a batch .308 jackets. I decided to add a few calibers to my tooling as I have a bit more time for shooting and thought .308 and 6mm would be the go. I am about to heat treat parts for the .308 pinch die so I can make a range from 1" to 1.25' jackets. I've started on the dies for blanking 0.75" discs and a form die to go from .305" down to .240". The pics show a small .305" jacket (formed off a .75" disc) and two jackets formed off the 1.0" disc. By varying the punch diameters , I can draw various lengths to suit. So far I'm really happy with the quality and look forward to starting on the 6mm jackets. I'll aim for .825" and 1.2" jacket lengths for a flat base and a VLD.

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Oct 2011
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    Texas
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    For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Ecclesiastes 1:18
    He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool become servant to the wise of heart. Proverbs 11:29
    ...Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40


    Carpe SCOTCH!

  3. #3
    Boolit Man
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    I like this

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    What material and thickness are the .75 discs made from?

  5. #5
    Boolit Bub
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    Jun 2021
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    Reedy Flat, Victoria, Australia
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    Hi ebb, I'm using C12200 copper 0.70mm (.275") thick, fully annealed for both the 1" and .75" discs.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    Oct 2010
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    South Prairie, WA 98385
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    Greetings,

    Would that be 0.70mm (0.0276")?

    0.276 would be a pretty hefty draw.

    Your blanking/drawing efforts are most impressive.

    Cheers,

    Dave

  7. #7
    Boolit Bub
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    Jun 2021
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    Reedy Flat, Victoria, Australia
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    Hi fc60...yep, I left out a zero! Thanks for that. I'm continually jumping from metric to imperial. It always catches me out.

  8. #8
    Boolit Bub
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    Reedy Flat, Victoria, Australia
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    Attached are pics of the 0.75 blank disc next to the 1". The cup is 0.40" diameter and then second draw is .305". I included a reduced length .261 jacket but I plan to go straight to 6mm (.240" jacket). Also attached is the CAD model of the 0.75" cup die in section. Once heat treated and lapped, I'll run a small batch.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
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    Tennessee
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    Congrats on your success and thanks for posting, including some pictures.

  10. #10
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
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    Reedy Flat, Victoria, Australia
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    Thanks plus1hcp, I'll have a few more pics soon when I trim up some new .308 jackets

  11. #11
    Boolit Bub
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    Dec 2013
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    Auckland, NZ
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    awesome work andrew! i am impressed!

  12. #12
    Boolit Bub
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    oh... BTW, do you think I can go from a 0.75" disk to 9mm jackets in 2 draws? I mean, 0.75" - 0.5" draw - 0.353" draw?
    regards

  13. #13
    Boolit Bub
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    Hi Marcos, good to hear from you. Yes 2 draws off a .75 disc is no problems. If you are trying to get a .353 jacket in one draw (cup only) you could try 5/8" or 16mm disc. This would give you a short jacket length though. Let me know how thing are progressing. Happy to compare notes. cheers Andrew

  14. #14
    Boolit Bub
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    Dec 2013
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    Auckland, NZ
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    thanks andrew! my goal is to make 8.95mm to 8.97mm in diameter and 15mm long jackets. i was able to use 9mm brass to make good jackets drawing them down in one go with a carbide insert to these diameters. thank God I moved out of NZ and i had to stop my bullet making process for some time, but will resume it soon. also I saw you have a new leftist PM, isnt' it? just hope you won't have to move as well.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
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    Loxahatchee Florida
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    When i saw you were from Melbourne I thought i would ask to come up and watch. But then i saw it was not Melbourne, Florida. I decided it might be to far to come.

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
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    Reedy Flat, Victoria, Australia
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    Marcos, glad to hear you have a plentiful supply of 9mm brass. If you use copper strip be prepared for a bit of a price shock. And yes, we got a new PM. A bit more to the center than Adern in NZ. For me its business as usual. In fact, I am moving but only out of Melbourne. I have a property up in the eastern Victorian high country. I'm just finishing off a house and should move up there later this year. Its only 13 acres but its remote enough where I can set up a shooting range. I've got a 200 yard range pegged out so when I finally start swaging some bullets I won't have to walk far to test them!

  17. #17
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Location
    Reedy Flat, Victoria, Australia
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    Finally got my pinch die and punch back from heat treatment. Spent Sunday afternoon lapping the die to size. Also ordered some shim washers to allow for setting the height of the die for different length jackets. I did a small run from scratch to check everything. From blank to final jacket. The punch I use for trimming needs to be a thou bigger in diameter. It was leaving a tiny ring of copper after the jacket separates. Also I'm now using a new lubricant for all of the forming operations. Its a 4:1 mix of acetone and castor oil. I place the blanks/jackets in a strainer and then into a jar of the lube. After removing and giving them a good shake, the acetone evaporates leaving a super thin coating of castor oil on the jacket. This has really been a big improvement.

    Pics of blanking and cup forming.

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    Pics of cup to first draw (0.40") and then first draw to final .305" jacket

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    Pics of trimming the jackets and final size

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  18. #18
    Boolit Bub
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    Final checks of the .308 jackets include concentricity and length. I am still using my original concentricity gauge which gives me a pretty good idea if the jackets are to my tolerances (less than 0.0005"). I think in the coming months I may be able to get this down but I need to invest in more accurate jigs and indicators.
    So far I am extremely happy with the quality of .308 and 6.5mm jackets. Looking forward to start on the 6mm dies soon

    Next year I'd like to start moving the dies off the arbor press and into pneumatic presses for blanking and drawing. This means I can potentially look at low volume manufacturing and whether there is a viable low volume market out there. I think there is room for a match quality jacket in 500 lots at a reasonable price.

    Link to video of jacket testing

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zest4f-oyw

  19. #19
    Boolit Man SSG_Reloader's Avatar
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    I love it! Beautiful work.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:6)
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    Awesome!

    Been using 223 brass to swage .308/150gr to feed the M1 Garand.
    Trim case to 1.10" length, draw 4 times to reach 0.305, seat 80 gr core, form point.
    "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." -John Adams 2nd POTUS

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check