How many times can you reload comm. .308?

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Ignition Override

New member
My only previous reloads were 'British' .303.
The only .308 dies are full-size, and all cases have been marked for five reloads.

All seven cases still pass the internal paper clip test, and have No cracks, No bulges, nor tiny carbon specks anywhere. They are shiny just above the head, but have always been so. The only bullets so far are 170 gr. Match BT, but plan to order some 147 or 150 grain.

Would just neck-sizing (Only) .308 cases offer a longer life, as most of us do with .303?
Hoping that using just 41 grains of IMR 4064 will help the odds.
To be very clear, economics is the only goal with this Spanish FR8, as with my Enfields.
 
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PA-Joe

New member
Yes, Neck Sizing helps extend case life. So does annealing them every 10 reloads.

You should be able to get 10-15 reloads using the FL dies, just don't bump the shoulders back too much.
 
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alloy

New member
Since you ask about commercial cases, I reloaded 20 Federal .308 cases once 13 times before a case seperation. Now I reload them about 8 times as long as they pass the paperclip test. That was full length sizing.

Lake City cases not so much. more like a separation at 7 or 8.
Winchester brass seems much thinner, never tried to find out it's durability.

This was for an autoloader, you might do better. It's harsh on the case head.
I would figure it out yourself with the brass you are using but 5 seems a bit low for a bolt rifle shooting below max loads.
 
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BruceM

New member
Besides the above, things that effect the case life are the chamber of your rifle, how many times you trimmed the case and whether your load is near maximum or not. It's pretty hard to give a definitive answer to a question such as this because of all the variables. Also, sometimes the primer pockets will get sloppy before a neck splits or the case head separates.

;)

Bruce
 
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alloy

New member
This case is about to separate.
Inside, above the base or web, is a divot all the way around, where that line is visible around the outside.

Bend a small L into a paperclip and run it into the case and you'll feel that divot.

I use a sturdy pick, out of my toolbox, that's a bit stiffer, but a paperclip works. When you check your cases and feel that line developing.....
 

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Maxem0815

Moderator
Theoretically you can load the brass more than 15 times if you trim and anneal the brass after every 4th shot. I have brass going on 20 times without problems in a bolt action, neck sizing only, and 10 to 15 times in semi-auto using mid range loads around 2500fps and 150 match bullets. Pressure and work hardening are the biggest factors in case life, if you use low pressure rounds and anneal the case from time to time they last longer. The low pressure prevents the brass from "flowing" when it expands and neck sizing means less work hardening and less "flowing" the biggest thing is to check the thickness of the brass at the case head and web to make sure it is not thinning beyond specifications. Most individuals will not go to the trouble to do the necessary work to keep the brass workable or inspect the thickness of the side wall.

Mace
Happiness is a belt fed gun and lots of ammo.
 
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Ignition Override

New member
Ok, so all else being equal, using just a neck-sizer for commercial Win. .308 might allow it to go another four or five times, in many situations with minimum powder loads?

The reason I've not bought NATO 7.62 ammo is because when I used some old military .303 in an Enfield, the deprimer spike broke, although using very little or no lube might have caused it.

It also might be wise to buy a shell extractor.
 
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Tim R

New member
How many times? Depends on your load. Load light a long time load near or at max not very long. If using in a 308 M-1 or M-1A rifle I would limit it to a max of 4 reloads before tossing the brass. A $.05 piece of brass is not worth the fun times with brass seperation in a gas gun. Besides these rifles are very hard on the brass.
 
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mehavey

New member
in a 308 M-1 or M-1A rifle I would limit it to a max of 4 reloads before tossing the brass.
Click to expand...
+1 above.

In a bolt gun/reasonable loads/neck-sized only/bumped-anealed occasionally... 12-15X
 
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Rifleman1776

New member
I use a full length die for my 30-06 and long ago stopped counting the reloads. I won't say brass life is unlimited but there really is no reason to fret over it. I will say, I am nearly obsessive about inspecting my brass before and during all stages of reloading. I have annealed but don't have a 'count' method of determing when. I find used military brass (thicker) tends to be more tolerant of reloading but even commercial is very good.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
John Feamster also pegged 4× as the limit for the M14, and said he didn't want to be shooting to the right of someone who was on a larger reload count.

For the bolt gun, it's not uncommon to hear of benchrest shooters getting 50 reloads from their cases. They use neck sizing and shoulder bumping plus use a nice heavy-for-caliber gun that doesn't stretch much in firing. I have a friend with one case that has had 156 loads through it that way, though that's kind of a freak case.

Annealing will extend not only neck life but let the shoulder withstand moving back more. I've seen up to 20 loads without substantial splits, but I think PA-Joe's advice to anneal every 10 is about right, provided you anneal correctly. If you overheat (let it get visibly red; even in a dark room) then you will have to anneal every three or four rounds because overheating weakens the brass so it then withstands only as few as three reloads before it's ready to split again.

A couple of things not mentioned: If you neck size in the conventional manner, brass gradually migrates forward from the neck forming an internal ring at the neck and shoulder called "the dreaded donut" by BR shooters. If your bullets seat deeply enough, this ring clamps the bullet and raises pressure. So, periodically you need to use an inside neck reamer on a lathe-type case trimmer to cut it away. The alternative is to use the Lee Collet Die for neck sizing. Its mandrel forces the metal that would form the donut to stay under the shoulder and off the bullet. That die also makes the straightest necks and is inexpensive, so it's highly recommended. The only drawback is a bit of a learning curve on getting setup and handle pressure right on your press.

The neck sized cases gradually get tighter in the chamber with successive firings. Eventually you need to set the shoulders back a little or they don't want to chamber easily. However, you don't want to mess with the nice neck sizing job when you do that. A Redding body die or anybody's bushing FL die with no bushing or with an oversize bushing in place and no expander then needs to be used to push the shoulder back in a separate operation to bring the case back to fit. Many BR guys now do this every load cycle, pushing the shoulder back just 0.001" each time and claim that actually improves accuracy further by letting the case self-align just a little at each firing. I would guess that slightly shortens case life by losing that 0.001" every time, buts it's less than losing .005"-0.010" every time as FL sizing can do with some chambers.
 
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Tuzo

New member
Annealing question

I anneal cases after either full length or neck sizing. Never thought whether this is the proper order. As I read the posts the I realized that annealling after sizing may alter neck dimensions. What is the correct order: anneal then size or size then anneal?
 
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Unclenick

Staff
If you think about it, you're always annealing between one step and the other, just depending on whether you count from your last reload or your next. Commercially, cases are annealed after forming. That's like annealing after sizing. However, if the cases have been work-hardened to the point they are springing back after resizing and are no-longer gripping the bullet firmly, you want to anneal first so they'll size smaller.
 
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Tuzo

New member
Thanks Uncle

Knew there would be a reasonable and knowledgeable answer to my question. Thanks.
 
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