I have some 200 fired and reloaded cases from firing my m14 that I no longer have. And a brand new savage10ba that I will be loading for. I wonder, if it will make a difference starting out from never fired brass? Old brass needs some work, pretty beat up and needs trimming/shoulders bumping etc. I wonder if I will be able to make a uniform batch of at least 100 cases or should I just start from scratch. Savage 10ba is a precision rifle, not sure if resized brass from another gun is up to the job. What you people think?
should I buy virgin brass for brand new gun
- Thread starter 22lr
- Start date
Well the first annoying problem you will encounter (at least with my experience of doing exactly what you are suggesting) is that for best accuracy they should be fire-formed to your new rifle chamber and then neck-sized. Others will disagree with me here, but it depends on the chamber of the rifle. Most rifles with benefit from this.
Therefore, with either lot of cases, you should reload 100 junk rounds with inexpensive bullets & powder and shoot them. (Might as well break in the barrel with this process if you believe in doing that - I'm highly skeptical)
Then you can start making more accurate rounds.
Therefore, with either lot of cases, you should reload 100 junk rounds with inexpensive bullets & powder and shoot them. (Might as well break in the barrel with this process if you believe in doing that - I'm highly skeptical)
Then you can start making more accurate rounds.
Canadian_Zuk
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Pickering, Ontario
^thats kinda what I do. When I buy a new rifle I don't already load for, I buy 120 rounds of cheap Winchester (I don't like Winchester ammo, but I do like the brass) with the same lot number (6 boxes). I use these to break in the barrel. I'm a little skeptical too, but don't see the harm if its a brand new rifle. The one thing I do see an improvement on is ease of cleaning. When I clean every few shots for the first 100 rounds its gets quicker and easier to get clean patches half way through. By the time I shoot all 120 rounds it only takes 1 or 2 patches.
Then all this fresh fire formed brass gets trimmed to length, neck sized, primer pockets uniformed and sorted by weight. I cull the heaviest and lightest, keeping 100 or more and start load development.
Then all this fresh fire formed brass gets trimmed to length, neck sized, primer pockets uniformed and sorted by weight. I cull the heaviest and lightest, keeping 100 or more and start load development.
How do you size your primer pockets? I've been told before to use a drill but I am a bit skeptical on that. Lol
I just ran into the same issue today with .308 brass fired in an M1A and wouldn't chamber in my 700 VLS after FL sizing. The shoulder wasn't pushed back far enough to chamber in the much tighter varmint rifle. I may take a couple thousandths off the base of one of my FL dies and see if it bumps the shoulder back far enough.
You should start with a few hundred new cases (all the same lot #) or a few hundred once fired from the same lot#. This will take a lot of variables out of the ammo, and the brass will all expire at the same time.
If you only need a few hundred, I can probably sell you virgin cases or once fired from the police unit, all same lot #. (I know, because I made the ammo for them.)
If you only need a few hundred, I can probably sell you virgin cases or once fired from the police unit, all same lot #. (I know, because I made the ammo for them.)
Supposedly, yes. But half of my brass does not fit, just like mentioned already, sized full lengh and trimmed. Those that fit are prety tight, not good for hunting. This chamber is on smaller limit of tolerances I think. I also think thatnorincoM14 chambers are big mommas. And brass definitely spings back a little after being through sizing die.
I "inherited" two sets of Lee .308 dies but where missing the shell holders. I also have RCBS and Hornady .308 dies I bought myself. So I have two essentially spare .308 FL dies I don't mind messing up but no spare shell holders.
- Location
- West Quebec
tagged for interest
"...should I..." That'd be up to your budget. There's no reason to buy new brass just because you have a new rifle.
"...Others will disagree with me here..." Absolutely. The best accuracy has nothing whatever to do with fire forming or neck sizing only. The latter has nothing whatever to do with accuracy at all. And it won't make a lick of diference to any rifle.
"...did not chamber..." Wasn't sized properly.
"...may take a couple thousandths off the base of..." Turn it down a tick.
"...Others will disagree with me here..." Absolutely. The best accuracy has nothing whatever to do with fire forming or neck sizing only. The latter has nothing whatever to do with accuracy at all. And it won't make a lick of diference to any rifle.
"...did not chamber..." Wasn't sized properly.
"...may take a couple thousandths off the base of..." Turn it down a tick.
Yes it was. I love how you can tell the dimensions of my brass from 500km away.
Good luck trying. I already have the die turned in so far I practically have to sit on the ram arm to get it to bottom out. Bolt still wont close on 2/3 of the cases. Tried RP, FC, Winchester, WW, Hornady, and IVI brass.
I had trouble with 30-30 stuff not chambering easily in my 94. Smoked the case and found it was indeed the neck that was binding. A clerk at WS told me Lee dies were basically all Small Base dies. I was skeptical but tried it and it worked. But if you're already using Lee dies....
I bought an RCBS small base set for reloading for the M-305, but I didn't have any other dies for .308 to begin with.
I bought an RCBS small base set for reloading for the M-305, but I didn't have any other dies for .308 to begin with.
I've tried RCBS and Hornady. I have the Lee .308 dies sitting on a shelf and haven't tried them yet. I was about to today when a friend called and needed my help with something. Now that I'm back home I will go try it now.
*EDIT*
Sun-of-a-gun.
Took some of the brass that wouldn't fit, checked again and it sure doesn't fit even with a squeaky clean chamber. Sized it again with Hornady dies making sure the lever cams over hard at the end of the stroke. Cleaned off lube (Imperial Sizing wax) and the bolt still wouldn't close. Tried one of the Lee dies set to the same lever force requirement, cleaned lube off the same piece of brass and now the bolt closes with no resistance on it.
I guess Lee dies really do size smaller.
The brass that doesn't fit in the Rem 700 fits just fine in my 308 Mauser. I guess Remington cuts their varmint rifle chambers tighter? Who knows. Lee dies to the rescue!
*EDIT*
Sun-of-a-gun.
Took some of the brass that wouldn't fit, checked again and it sure doesn't fit even with a squeaky clean chamber. Sized it again with Hornady dies making sure the lever cams over hard at the end of the stroke. Cleaned off lube (Imperial Sizing wax) and the bolt still wouldn't close. Tried one of the Lee dies set to the same lever force requirement, cleaned lube off the same piece of brass and now the bolt closes with no resistance on it.
I guess Lee dies really do size smaller.
The brass that doesn't fit in the Rem 700 fits just fine in my 308 Mauser. I guess Remington cuts their varmint rifle chambers tighter? Who knows. Lee dies to the rescue!
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Canadian_Zuk
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Pickering, Ontario
If you take a bit off the shell holder you'll size closer to the case head and push the should back a bit more. Just like the lee small base die sets do.
