.308 Win reloading and brass questions

I've been doing some research on reloading for .308 Win but looking for some more advice. I inherited some W-W Super (Winchester) and LC brass as pictured below. I plan to body size and separately neck size. Looking to load either 169gr or 175gr SMKs for a 24in barreled 1-10 twist R700. I understand the differences between commercial .308 brass and military 7.62 brass including the case volume differences. I plan to shoot out to about 900 yards, not for competition.

For those of you who load .308 for bolt rifles, is it worth the hassle of using the brass I have? 400 pieces of the W-W Super and 200 LC Match 63. Seems most of the information I find online is to use match grade brass like Lapua and to avoid the types of brass I have.


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If you want the best results possible, Lapua, Norma, Nosler, and a few others are better and going to save you preparation time. But if you’re willing to put in the work, the Winchester brass is fine. You’ll want to cull any that don’t have centered primer pockets or that weigh on the extreme +/- from the mean.

You’ll want to trim to square the mouths, uniform the primer pockets, and debur the flash holes.

I don’t think there is much advantage to body size and neck size in different steps. In fact, the more times you handle the brass and run them though the press, the more opportunity you have for making a banana. I just full-length size mine unless I’m running them through in bulk for the purpose of making a progressive press run smoothly.




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Winchester makes good brass. It's not as uniform as Lapua or Norma, but it costs a fraction as much as them. Do you expect to be able to source more LC Match 63 brass for when your current inventory wears out? If not, then it's not worth working up a load that won't be able to be used long term.

If you'll have a long term supply of LC and plan to make up two different loads, then use Winchester for the long range load and LC for the other. I've got lots of LC on-match 7.62 brass, but I only use it in my semi-autos or for plinking/fouling ammo.

If you will be using the brass in one rifle, then there's no need to full length size the body....just size the necks.

Grizz, how many firings are you getting neck-only sizing before you have to full-length size?

What advantages have you empirically found to neck-only sizing?


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As long as the brass is only used in one rifle (and it's not going to be used in a situation when it absolutely positively has to work or you're dead), there's no need to ever full length resize. The brass only expands as large as the chamber allows it to, and the chamber size doesn't change.

I have not done a side by side accuracy comparison between full length and neck sizing, with all other factors remaining the same. With the brass fire formed to the chamber, the ideal fit is achieved. I don't know how much this helps, but it sure doesn't hurt.....and doesn't require any additional steps or labor to achieve.

The less brass is worked, the longer it will last.

I've seen no reason to do a scientific experiment to determine how many additional firings or what % reduction in MOA is achieved by neck sizing.

A lot of accomplished shooters actually have done the testing and it seems FL sizing, with a minimal shoulder set-back provides maximum brass life and reliable feeding.

Depending on load and cartridge, I seem to have run into problems between four and six firings with neck-only sizing. I have never found any advantage to neck-only sizing other than it being smoother in a progressive press.


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Neck sizing doesn't eliminate the stretching of the brass during the firing process, it just reduces it. After it's been fired multiple times, the brass will lose some of it's flexibility, and won't return to the pre-fired size. The number of times it can be fired will depend on the pressure of load and the quality of the brass. As it's fired additional times, it will eventually not spring back enough to be easily chambered. At this point, the shoulder must be bumped back. By that time, the brass has been fired enough times that many shooters, including myself, will consider it used up and will replace it.

Full length sizing with minimal shoulder bump-back is a solid option. I full length size for my 22-250, .270 Win, and 7mm Rem Mag hunting rifles and get fabulous results with the first two. I've had no desire to change my process.

Neck sizing does not reduce the stretching of brass during the firing process. That is scientifically impossible. Physics still apply whether you’ve FL sized brass or neck sized it. What you are doing is banking on the shoulder to remain static, but then inducing increased expansion and setback where the neck sizing die stops.

There are some squared away people that have put the research in and settled this issue. I mean I don’t care if you like neck-sizing but I’m not sure anecdotal evidence should be the grounds for recommending it to a new reloaded.

It also seems you’re discarding brass more quickly due to your process, while believing it somehow increases life of your brass. I’m somewhat perplexed.

My competition rifle is chambered in .260 Remington. I’ve been shooting this round for years, long before Lapua brass was available. I was stuck with Remington brass, which has a bad reputation for poor service life.

My process, one which the efficacy has been confirmed by guys much smarter than you or me, is to FL size with 0.002” of shoulder set-back, anneal and trim every third firing. I get around 16 firings from my Remington brass with this method.

If I were neck-only sizing, my process would change every four firings to require a different die. I’d also, depending on neck-sizing technique, develop a donut that would further complicate the process.


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https://youtu.be/lLG2kSrD40g

This man has a legendary resume. Here is his rant on the topic.


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I'm not fan of the WIN brass in .308 or .223. .308 has the thin necks which don't work good for my set up. I body die and neck size like you're talking about doing. Lapua brass is slightly better, and worth it if you're not shooting 50 rounds every week or two. I found that our hot bolt gun load loosens up the primer pocket in as little as 3-5 firings.

FC brass and LC Long Range brass are both pretty decent. I'd load either of them without hesitation. They both have the thicker necks that work good in my collet neck die.

MEN brass is what I run in my 308 bolt gun right now because Pappabear shoots a lot of that ball ammo, and has a big pile of it. Sturdier that Lapua, and almost as good. With the volume we shoot, longevity is a high priority on the brass we run. Pouring a lot of prep into a brass that gives out on you too quickly is discouraging.

My opinion is to pick one kind of brass and stick with it because unlike .223, .308 brass varies greatly on internal case capacity.

Good luck.