308 win/ 243 win /7mm-08 (parent cases)?

[NETO1978]

Can I reload 243 win and 7mm-08 of a 308 win case?
tks.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I got a bag of new Winchester brass for my .243 one time, sized, trimmed, deburred all the cases and then saw that two of them were headstamped 7mm-08. Measured everything I could on that case to find a difference vs. the .243 headstamped cases and I could not. I loaded it and shot it and survived, but this was not a load approaching the max load and afterwards scrapped the brass so I wouldn't later mix it up as "how did I get 7mm-08 ammo?"

But

Problems you can run into when sizing cases from a .308 to a .243 could be longer necks, thicker necks where you may have to turn the outside diameter and possibly overworking the brass pretty hard that first time you squeeze it down. There is enough supply of .243 brass that I wouldn't go to the trouble of sizing .308 brass or 7 mm-08 brass down to a .243.

 

[counterclockwise]

That is what I currently use for my 7mm-08 brass. The neck down process thickens the brass at the neck and shoulder so some reaming and peeling is required, before running it through the std. RCBS 7mm-08 sizer.

Based on my experience, I would not try to neck .308 to .243. Just too much work.