.308 expected brass life

[crest117]

I have been reloading .308 with reduced loads ( 150 grain bullets between 2100 and 2400 FPS) and necksizing only. Any idea how many times I can reload my brass at these levels without running into problems? How will I know when I should no longer reload a case?

 

[Duvel]

I assume bolt gun since you're neck sizing only.

If you started with quality, new brass, then likely you'll work harden the mouths & loose tension before you get a failure. If one does fail, it'll probably be a split.

I've got 10+ loads on my LC & Lapua, everything's still groovy.

 

[jwrowland77]

I've got 10+ loads in Winchester and Lapua brass.

Just really all depends on loads and how you resize.

 

[jmr40]

At those speeds it'll take a while. Be careful, there are dangers of loading too light. I'm not up to date on the details, but there are very few options to safely load that slow.

 

[crest117]

I've been loading with H4895 and Hodgdon says it is perfectly safe to load down to these levels with that powder.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

You will probably get dozens of reloads from those cases under the conditions you are describing. There is no way to know for sure but I think the primer pockets will probably be the failure point.

 

[macgrumpy]

I've been loading with H4895 and Hodgdon says it is perfectly safe to load down to these levels with that powder.

Where does Hodgdon say that it's safe to load to a 150gr bullet to a muzzle velocity of 2100 fps in a .308?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Where does Hodgdon say that it's safe to load to a 150gr bullet to a muzzle velocity of 2100 fps in a .308?

In their H4895 reduced rifle load data. Look under the "Data" tab on the main page of the Hodgdon site.

 

[macgrumpy]

In their H4895 reduced rifle load data. Look under the "Data" tab on the main page of the Hodgdon site.

Thanks.

 

[Bart B.]

Some people get 50 to 100 reloads per .308 Win case full length sizing them then reloading with maximum loads. You should also do that with neck only sizing, if the charge weights produce enough pressure. You may need to full length size the case every 4 to 6 reloads if the peak pressure is up in a good range. I got 46 loads on one case and never annealed its neck full length sizing it but setting its shoulder back only .002" each time. Each was chronographed and muzzle velocity still had the same average and about 25 fps spread across all firings. Then I ran out of test powder.

My rule of thumb for reduced loads in rimless bottleneck cases is no more than 10% less than max for charge weights. Based in my own tests and measurements with .308 Win cases, I find it very interesting and important to know about. I think Hodgdon's 40% reduction with 4895 is way too much. They don't mention case headspace nor head clearance issues at all.

More reduction doesn't expand the case to fill the chamber. .308 Win case shoulders are set back .001" or more when the firing pin strikes their primer. If the load doesn't expand the case enough to fill the chamber, the next time it's neck only sized, reloaded then fired, its shoulder gets set back another .001" or more. I've measured as much as .004" shoulder setback comparing case headspace before and after firing a primed case without powder nor bullet. Reduced loads with not enough powder ended up with their primers backed out several thousandths past the case head because there wasn't enough peak pressure to push the back half of the case rearward until the case head stopped against the bolt face.

Pretty soon, the primers won't fire because there's too much head clearance and the firing pin won't dent the primer enough.

If that case is way too short in headspace is reloaded with a max powder charge, head separation starts or happens. A good indicator of too much load reduction is the primer's pushed out past flush with the case head.

Use a gauge to measure fired case headspace. If a given case keeps getting less, then use more powder and never use that case for a full charge at maximum pressure.

 

[spitballer]

You will probably get dozens of reloads from those cases under the conditions you are describing...

I would not have believed this when I first started reloading, but it's true. Especially if you have an undersized neck. I have already put close to twenty loads in one set of .223 cases that I have, and other than a little carbon build-up around the flash hole they are still quite serviceable. Over time the rims may enlarge a bit, making them tricky to use with a hand primer. And you'll definitely need to trim them, so plan on nipping them sooner rather than later. I'm not too familiar with full-length sizing, but I know that work hardening becomes a real problem with a standard size chamber neck after a number of reloads.

 

[Nature Boy]

I'm assuming the answer to .308 case longevity would be different based on what rifle was shooting them - bolt action vs semi-auto?

Also, did they originate as once fired through your rifle or once fired through a 240B machine gun? I have 500 of the latter that I have yet to process. I'm curious how they will hold up.

 

[macgrumpy]

.308/7.62x51mm machine gun brass is inconsistent in it's hardness and size. It's not unusual to find that this brass requires resizing multiple times due to it's hardness and metal spring-back, neck cracks and premature head separations are not unusual. Depending on what press you are using, some people first resize with a 30-06 die or a .308 resizing die that has had the neck sizing button removed, it takes longer to size but you wont have to use as much force. Watch your case headspace dimension, if you like to adjust your sizing die to provide minimal setback of the case's shoulder then there is a chance that your brass will spring-back to a longer headspace dimension than you expect. I recommend using a case gauge as a quick and easy way to verify the case's headspace and trim-to-length (TTL).

 

[crest117]

Just to clarify things, when I first decided to try reloading .308 at reduced levels, I read Hodgdon's data and then called them. The support person I spoke with assured me that it was perfectly safe to reduce loads with H4895 as much as 40% but he added a warning not to try doing so with other powders. Those who shoot cast bullets routinely load down to even lower levels with many different powders and don't seem to have problems. I myself always err on the safe side so I will heed Hodgdon's advice.

 

[Newtosavage]

Crest, I got the same grief when I mentioned loading my .308 to those levels too. Don't sweat it. It's perfectly safe (as you and I know) based on Hodgdon's own bulletin on 4895 powder. And a .308 shooting a 150-grain bullet at 2200-2300 fps is not only a pleasure to shoot all day long, it is often incredibly accurate.

As to your original question, I have neck-sized only, my .308 cases using a Lee Loader for months now, going through 100's of rounds using the same 50 cases. I have seen absolutely no signs yet that there is a problem anywhere, and I always inspect every case before loading it. So, in a way, I can't really answer your question because I've not seen a problem yet.

Just be sure you are trimming your brass every 3rd or 4th time, and you should be good to go.

 

[crest117]

Newtosavage, it sounds like you are doing the same thing as I am. I am using a Lee Loader also, but I use my drill press as an arbor press because the idea of pounding in a primer with a hammer worried me. The drill press as an arbor allows me to seat the primer and the bullet with no worries. I find that loading to reduced levels saves money and wear and tear on the shoulder but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing something dangerous. I have found that some reduced loads can give excellent accuracy. Also, I would like to thank the members of this forum, the amount of knowledge that can be accessed is amazing.

 

[Robert101]

I've done exactly the same thing with H4895. Even in my LR308, I simply neck sized to fit the chamber, and continued to reduce the load to check for proper gun function. So far I have brass that has been fired 10 times and shows no adverse signs - some primer pockets are starting to have reduced tension. I do anneal the mouth about every 4th loading.

 

[Newtosavage]

Crest, do yourself a favor and buy a Lee hand primer. Don't forget to get the correct shell holder for the hand primer (not the same as the shell holder for a press). I can hand prime a shell every second or two. After buying the Lee Loader and learning to use it, the hand primer was the obvious next purchase. So simple and quick and SAFE.

I do like your creativity with the drill press though. If I had one, I would have probably done the same thing. Nice move.

 

[Ret.CWO]

7 to 10 for me. 147Gr. 43 Gr. IMR4895 LC Brass