.308 win case trimming help *Fixed*

[Darklyte27]

So im trimming my .308 brass, and i measure it with some digital calipers and some are reading 2.0040, 2.0065 etc

My lee and Lyman book says 2.015, and the lyman says "trip-to length 2.005, is that the minimum length it can be? or max?

Also i put an empty case in my bolt action just to try and it was tight locking the bolt down, does that mean the case is too long?
am I doing something wrong?


I figured out my problem, user error, long story but i fixed my error.

I also learned something too. My press arm was going all the way up touching the base of the die but the way I had it mounted was just slightly pushing back on the arm reducing the push of the brass up into the die.
another 1/2 turn also helped

Thanks again all

[USN CHIEF]

You failed. Send me all your .308 brass now.

LOL.

How the flack did it come out to that lenght? WTF were you doing?. I first ****ed up when I initially started reloading and I went ahead and fired them rounds and they worked. Did you fully resize the brass?

[Darklyte27]

yes, full resizing die. These are all once fired brass.

[USN CHIEF]

yes, full resizing die. These are all once fired brass.

Were these fired from your bolt action rifle or brass that you got from some where else?

Measure a factory round that fits perfectly on your bolt gun and then measure your fully sized once fired brass to see where the problem is.

[Darklyte27]

These were fired from my savage bolt action.
Im going to measure a unfired rd now and compare..

A new rd says 2.0070 case length

Im wondering could it be because the brass is now fit formed to my chamber specs? thats why its a tighter fit?

[Jon Se]

Also i put an empty case in my bolt action just to try and it was tight locking the bolt down, does that mean the case is too long?
am I doing something wrong?

I'm curious about the answer to this also, I have some Nosler Custom .308 brass that has been fired 4-5 times in my rifle that causes the bolt to lock down tightly. My Lapua brass, bought at the same time and also fired 4-5 times, doesn't have this issue (Both types had the same load). The case length is the same.

I have a feeling that it might have something to do with the shoulder of the case... but if that was so, shouldn't the Lapua also have this issue since it expands when fired?

Sorry to thread jack, but I have a feeling that I have the same issue as you do.

[Fjold]

Darklyte,
The "Trim-to" length is the recommended minimum but it's not critical. You can trim the case as short as you want to as bottle neck cases headspace on the shoulder (I know Magnums headspace on the rim, but we're talking 308s here)

Jon Se,
The Nosler brass is probably a little softer than the Lapua brass which is letting it grow faster. Check the OAL and adjust your sizing die down a quarter turn at a time until the cases fit easier.

[JTROKS]

The Nosler brass is probably a little softer than the Lapua brass which is letting it grow faster. Check the OAL and adjust your sizing die down a quarter turn at a time until the cases fit easier.

What Fjold said. What brand of sizing dies do you have? I've had problems with a set of Hornady in 223 Rem many years ago. The chamber in my TC Contender was a bit small so nomatter how much I set the dies to fully resize I still get a tight fit. Small base dies cured my problem. I'm about to reload for an auto AR in 308, I hope my standard RCBS dies will work.

[mecam]

Get a case length gage.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=271313

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[Darklyte27]

Right now im using the Lee challenger press with the Pace setter set of dies, its the full length sizing die.
I am going to make sure all the adjustments are good and go from there.

Its prob not the length because I trimmed some brass even shorter around 1.999 and it still would fit tight, so my guess is its the shoulder because I can slide the whole brass into the chamber, but maybe just at the rear of the brass is not getting sized down enough.

[Sunwolf]

Dillon doesn`t roll as much.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/25547/catid/3/Dillon_Rifle_Case_Gages

[Jicko]

So im trimming my .308 brass, and i measure it with some digital calipers and some are reading 2.0040, 2.0065 etc

My lee and Lyman book says 2.015, and the lyman says "trip-to length 2.005, is that the minimum length it can be? or max?

As long as your are not longer than 2.015, you don't really NEED to trim.... and some chamber, even if you are over 2.015, it will still fit....

Some people trim anyways to try to get to as uniform as possible for your brass lenght.... You can trim all your brass to somewhere 2.000-2.005

Also i put an empty case in my bolt action just to try and it was tight locking the bolt down, does that mean the case is too long?
am I doing something wrong?

MOST likely, it is the shoulder rather than the length... (your brass are probably fired from a semi-auto, a machine gun or someone else bolt which have a much larger chamber than yours)

The reason why it is "tight".... you probably hasn't FL size properly.... you need to "tighten" your FL sizing die.... ie. with the ramp UP, screw your FL sizer down until it touches the shell-holder, then lower your ramp, screw your sizer at least 1/4 or 1/2 turn.... so when you run your ramp up, it would max out on your die.

Now, try again and put that newly sized case into your gun again.

BTW, what dies are you using? Get some QUALITY dies..... personally I like Redding's..... MUCH better than dies like Lee's

[Ahhnother8]

Although you should trim when the brass gets to 2.015, a case at 2.030 would likely still fit just fine. That's just the way chambers are cut. Trim to 2.000 - 2.005, it really does NOT matter, as long as they are all the same.

Take a Sharpie pen and color a piece of brass. Really just need to color the shoulder, the bottom third of the case, and the case head. Use a piece of brass that you know is tight when closing the bolt. Open and close the bolt several times, which should smear some of the ink. This should show you where things are tight.

[Chaingun]

.308 OAL is 2.015. Remcommended trim to lenght is 2.005. You can trim longer like 2.01.

Case Gage checks headspace which is critical, it also checks OAL.

But, I have found case gage OAL is different than a Dial Caliper OAL due to the high/low variations from the case gage. Measure your gage, it's longer than OAL.

Always check OAL with a caliper, and cut to size.

[Darklyte27]

thanks for all the responses guys, i will recheck the die later today.

I was looking at the Lee website and found this FAQ, hopefully its just my part that I messed up and can just readjust the die. As for case length whats the minimum shortest length you can have? I have a case at 1.998 or so is that going to be a problem?


Can't close bolt on rifle

First make sure the the sizing die is adjusted so that the shell holder contacts the base of the die when the ram is at the top of its stroke when resizing a case. This ensures that the sizing die is bumping the shoulder back as well as reducing the diameter of the case. If the shell holder does not contact the base of the die, the diameter of the case is squeezed down, making the case (and distance to the shoulder) longer.

If this does not solve the problem, return the sizing die with a couple of fired cases, and we can modify the die to suit. Our address is:

Lee Precision Inc,
4275 Hwy. U
Hartford, WI 53027.