Today we are comparing my three 300 Blackout resizing dies. UPDATED 09/27/2018 - All links have been removed to comply with CZcams content policies. www.patreon.com/reloading
Hold it right there Mister! Video One was NOT dry or boring!! What are you saying?! It was excellent and a great comparison of the brass and dies. Gave me a lot to think about! I totally enjoyed it! Keep up the great work!
You are the ONLY guy that I've seen who has addressed shell plate inconsistencies. I ran across that issue with .223 head spacing problem that a riflesmith at an arms company did not consider. He just told me I needed a small base die; that didn't work. I traced it to the shell plate holder, both RCBS and Lee would not work. my solution was to mill a couple of thousandths off the Lee holder, problem solved. Showed me the importance of a case gauge and thinking outside the little box I was stuck in. Kudos, my friend, for bringing that up. Had someone mentioned that to me it would have prevented a lot of frustration. Interesting point is that the Dillon had no issues as the die seats more deeply into the progressive press shell plate. Thanks for that reveal as a lot of new hand loaders will find that little bit of info very enlightening.
I had to do a similar experiment with my RCBS and Lee dies for 357 sig. Neck tension and headspace are big topics for that round. I found that the RCBS had trouble in both areas(RCBS shell holder was used). I had to remove the expander ball from RCBS to get enough tension on the bullet to keep it from setting back after 1! chambering. To make a long story short the Lee die solved both problems and even runs in my dillon, double plus, no more single stage pistol loading. The moral is, you almost always have to purchase multiple MFG's dies of the same caliber to test in your guns, just like bullets and powder and primers and such, its another component of the system that can be changed and tested against the others for results. Thanks always for the content, very thorough and informative. Certainly saves the rest of us some mistakes.
I've simplified my brass, but it's not the most economical. I buy LC brass exclusively for .223. when I need .300 black out i chop down LC .223. I always run them the first time through an RCBS small base die . then a reg FL size die after that. Haven't had any feeding issues since. I look forward to watching your videos, I learn something or many somethings new every time. Thank you sir
I always crimp anything meant to be fired from a semiautomatic or anything with enough recoil to change seating depth on the other rounds in the magazine or cylinder.
I measured the throat of my rifle and am able to load to magazine length, 2.250 for me . Why not ? The leap is still over .050 . This seems standard for all my armalite rifles. With 300 BO I only use flat base bullets ,150 gn. All so full length size and check with a cartridge gage . When using a cartridge gage if your brass won’t fully seat check the base by inserting the base in the gage to reveal if there is a burr stoping it from seating. This can be fixed with a drill and a fine file . Yea .Please comment !
You nailed it. Honing down expanders on Lee Dies it pretty common. My experience with Lee 223 dies have been perfect though. Pop the Expander in a drill and lap it with some 1000 then 2000 grit. Check size and repeat if necessary. Also on the PPU brass (or any thick neck brass) can be turned down with a neck turner after sizing the case. The process only needs done once and its good for the life of the brass. Your a smart guy and I'm sure you probably know this already but thought I would mention it. Awesome work. Cant wait to move over to blackout!
Just a thought...I wonder if Lee over sized the expander ball with the thought that reloaders will probably be using their factory crimp die. Basically, they pushed proper neck sizing away from the resizing stage back to the crimping stage. This would explain why there was so much bullet movement with the Lee die (since there was no crimp). Only way to know for sure is with additional crimp tests.
Exactly! lol I love Lee for their innovation and pricing, but damn they really seem to over-think some of these things. Just give us a standard dimension die for crying out loud.
It is supposed to be used with an FCD. Also, I think there is demand for a looser expander for those who don't want fat lead bullets to get swaged down by the brass.
@Sturmreiter are you reloading the sane cases multiple times, if so with the expander removed are you noticing any adverse affects , i.e . stretching or cracking at the neck? Thought about trying this myself, but still want to maintain case longevity.
I got the rcbs small base die ar series, I hope I won’t have these problems I’m just getting into reloading rifle ammunition this video is awesome thanks .
Hornady will also work on your dies to meet your specs. With a boat tail bullet take the expander off the sppindle and seat the bullet. Also, if the dies are setup the same, camover, they shell holder shouldn't make a difference.
I'd like to see the bullet movement after using the factory crimp die. I'm confident that would stop bullet movement. As usual, great content value! Best on CZcams.
I know it's not the point of this series but with the bullets moving around in the brass from the Lee die, isn't that why they include a factory crimp die with their set? In a sane world I don't know anyone who would expect Lee dies to hang with Forster dies in fit, function or performance. I wish you had a Hornady die to test.
I would try a crimp test before messing with the expander ball. A crimp will help neck tension. I think he theory behind the "undersizing" of the lee dies is they have to expand less to fit the chamber leading to less variations between rounds and possibly better accuracy. Also I suspect the Forester is sizing the cases more than the other 2 causing the minor velocity difference as the case has to expand more to fit the chamber.
I use a RCBS hand neck turner to thin the necks before loading a bullet. And then I also use a Sheridan Engineering guage to make sure they meet SAMMI specs.
I've used the Hornady comparator as I size brass. To make sure every piece is sized the same I start with the die unscrewed a tad, size, measure, adjust, and size again until I get the exact shoulder setback I'm aiming for. If one of your dies isn't giving the dimensions you're looking for adjust the die.
I think you are underestimating the PPU brass. I use Norma, Lapua and PPU. I have loaded my PPU brass 8 times now, and absolutely no problems. I've had more trouble with Norma brass.
I have a sanity check question: have you loaded this brass enough that you are approaching time to anneal it? I was sitting here thinking of what could affect the neck tension on a brass cartridge case; this was all that I could come up with that you haven't already addressed.
re: SS Pin tumbling; I think people tumble for too long. I hear about guys going for 2-3 hours. This is silly. I use the Frankford Arsenal solution and go for 20-30 minutes. Brass is clean and no sizing lube remains.
My fresh ultrasonic solution is first 2 times 15minutes used to clean my 2 baths oily resized brass. Than i used it to clean my 2 bath's deprimed brass. example 4X75pcs308 in 1 hour. Drying is supersimple. Brass in plasticbulletholder,hairdryer and afterdry with 12V fan. see link sites.google.com/view/reload-cheap-subsonic/homepage
I go for 3-4 hours wet tumble Dry them in the dryer Resize and decap Wet tumble again to clean primer pockets Dry again Then put them in the dry tumbler to polish for 3-4 hours
I had some virgin gemtech brass so I decided to see if annealing might help them. I used 2 pieces, annealed one, left the other alone. best I could measure they had a.303 id. at the neck, I didn't resize them. loaded 208gr ELDs in them at 2.20 col. no crimp. ran them 6 times through the gun alternating which was first in the mag measuring each time. the results kinda surprised me. I know this may be a fluke but it's enough to make me want to test more. 1. 2.205 & 2.204_A 2. 2.212 & 2.208_A 3. 2.220 & 2.210_A 4. 2.222 & 2.212_A 5. 2.227 & 2.214_A 6. 2.310 & 2.219_A
Jon James im willing to bet that the Gemtech isnt annealed from the factory. Maybe they even cut and form from 223 which cuts off the annealed portion. Not only does annealing make the brass softer, it brings back its elasticity which helps with neck tension and even bullet release.
Then it begs to be asked why manufactures anneal brass..... Why go through the extra cost and time to do that...... brass does get harder when worked, that doesn't necessarily mean a harden piece of brass can hold onto a bullet better. Chinese finger cuffs are soft/flexible an can stop your fingers from pulling apart. if they were harden they wouldn't do shit.
Jon James exactly. Brass does not hold a bullet by being hard, it does so by being elastic. Hardened brass has lost some elasticity not to mention consistant release.
Gemtech brass could be too soft from over annealing during manufacture process. When I first began annealing my brasss, I over annealed and had neck tension issues in an auto loader.
I dont reload 300blk for accuracy or hunting. Mainly just for range fun at this point. I use the Lee die and can definitely feel the mushyness with my converted Wolf brass. Would you suggest the RCBS or the Forster to replace it? The RCBS seems like I can get the small base Sizing die and seating die for $49 compared tot he $85 of the Forster. edit: Or maybe the Redding?
I'm having similar problems with 458 going into battery and I'm using Lee dies. I'm going to order the Redding or Hornady to see if that helps. They are the only other brands I'm aware of that don't cost more than $150. Using Starline brass btw. Great vid. You got me thinking.
Since you've already got your wallet out, buy a Redding Competition Shell Holder Set (my research shows that you would need the #1 for 458 Socom). It will allow you to adjust your headspace by .002 increments by swapping to different shell holders. The set of 5 is around $45-$50. If the Lee die is otherwise good except for headspace, that might give you the cheapest solution.
Johnny, might you try not using the expander and seat some boat tailed bullets in the resized case. That would have maximum bullet grip, no lube as well. Shoot some groups as a baseline. Just a thought.
That will not work...the bullet would require way too much force and the case necks would collapse. No way. Just hone the expander button slowly until your neck tension is around .0025 to .0030. more neck tension than this will score the hell out of the bullet or collapse the neck.
Lee has been doing this for years. They oversize their expander balls to make you use their crimp die. I've honed about a dozen 223 sets from lee with emory cloth when I taught reloading classes. I've never bought or used lee rifle dies since
I really like the range time parts - however, when you have a bunch of that footage that you think is repetitive, you should run it like you did there in sample format at high speed and slap a background track of Yakety sax on it (Yakety Sax makes almost anything fun ;))
Thanks for this analysis. But I think the initial question was about the effect of the various dies on the life of the brass. What was the life of the brass formed with the Lee, since it had the lowest delta change in shoulder location from the fire formed, then conceivably, the brass case should last longer. The Lee dies are designed to use a factory crimp die, which would conceivably equalize neck tension, while increasing accuracy. I always use a collet neck resizer only and factory crimp to extend brass life and accuracy. Thoughts?
You're in for a wild ride! They are a lot of fun to reload for and shoot! If you're in a bit of a rush and wanting a load for this year's deer season, get some Barnes TAC-TX bullets in either 110 or 120gr. They have a great track record of performance in 300 Blackout on deer. A bit expensive, but worth it. I would suggest starting with Winchester 296 or Hodgdon H110 powder since they will give you excellent velocity (same product, just different packaging). I have videos in the 300 blackout playlist for both of these bullets. Another good option would be the 115gr Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos Copper. Good luck.
I think the forester die probably has the most neck tension and thats why there is a few fps drop will we add a crimp test? And would annealing have any effect?
I have no interest in neck sizing 300 blackout, which would mean a separate die to size the body. It doesn't really fit the high-volume reloading that most people do with 300 Blackout. I am looking for solutions that involve the standard full-length die kits.
Have you used the hornady 300 blk out dies? That’s all I have and am new to reloading so I’m sure there is a lot to learn but I’m not sure I’m using the seating die properly the case doesn’t go in to the die all the way it just seam to sit on the neck of the case. The bottom of my die is about 1/2 inch from coming through the press threads or quick lock adapter. I’m using the hornady progressive press/ammo plant.
I thought I wanted to reload 300, but this is hurting my head. I just want to load some plinking supers and suppressed subs. What will work for me, JRB?
If you reload I would say yes. The .308 bullet diameter for 300 blackout will give you much larger selection of bullets to choose from. There are a lot of good deer hunting options in the 110-125gr range that do a great job.
Johnny's Reloading Bench don't forget a lot of American made ARs in 7.62x39 like my new one have a .308 barrel and dies come with both expanders just in case so you can load either .310 or .308 bullets.
+Edward Osborne Same argument as 7.62x39. If you're talking about a tube fed 30-30 your bullet selections will be limited to round nose and Hornady FTX bullets. I would rather have the flexibility of 300 Blackout. All three are good short range deer cartridges, it just comes down to what fits your needs.
Yes! They look like the absolute best way to trim, honestly. Just freaking expensive. I have nearly bought the WFT2 several times, since it can do multiple calibers, but I'm worried it might not work as well as the original WFT. And I can't afford to buy the regular WFT's for all of the things I reload! I'll get one eventually, just need to figure out which direction to go.
Hold it right there Mister! Video One was NOT dry or boring!! What are you saying?!
It was excellent and a great comparison of the brass and dies. Gave me a lot to think about! I totally enjoyed it!
Keep up the great work!
You are the ONLY guy that I've seen who has addressed shell plate inconsistencies. I ran across that issue with .223 head spacing problem that a riflesmith at an arms company did not consider. He just told me I needed a small base die; that didn't work. I traced it to the shell plate holder, both RCBS and Lee would not work. my solution was to mill a couple of thousandths off the Lee holder, problem solved. Showed me the importance of a case gauge and thinking outside the little box I was stuck in. Kudos, my friend, for bringing that up. Had someone mentioned that to me it would have prevented a lot of frustration. Interesting point is that the Dillon had no issues as the die seats more deeply into the progressive press shell plate. Thanks for that reveal as a lot of new hand loaders will find that little bit of info very enlightening.
I had to do a similar experiment with my RCBS and Lee dies for 357 sig. Neck tension and headspace are big topics for that round. I found that the RCBS had trouble in both areas(RCBS shell holder was used). I had to remove the expander ball from RCBS to get enough tension on the bullet to keep it from setting back after 1! chambering. To make a long story short the Lee die solved both problems and even runs in my dillon, double plus, no more single stage pistol loading.
The moral is, you almost always have to purchase multiple MFG's dies of the same caliber to test in your guns, just like bullets and powder and primers and such, its another component of the system that can be changed and tested against the others for results.
Thanks always for the content, very thorough and informative. Certainly saves the rest of us some mistakes.
I've simplified my brass, but it's not the most economical. I buy LC brass exclusively for .223. when I need .300 black out i chop down LC .223. I always run them the first time through an RCBS small base die . then a reg FL size die after that. Haven't had any feeding issues since. I look forward to watching your videos, I learn something or many somethings new every time. Thank you sir
I always crimp anything meant to be fired from a semiautomatic or anything with enough recoil to change seating depth on the other rounds in the magazine or cylinder.
Amen bro, me too.
I measured the throat of my rifle and am able to load to magazine length, 2.250 for me . Why not ? The leap is still over .050 . This seems standard for all my armalite rifles. With 300 BO I only use flat base bullets ,150 gn. All so full length size and check with a cartridge gage . When using a cartridge gage if your brass won’t fully seat check the base by inserting the base in the gage to reveal if there is a burr stoping it from seating. This can be fixed with a drill and a fine file . Yea .Please comment !
Last week, I bought S&B 147FMJ and used 23gr VV133. My first group was 0,38".
You nailed it. Honing down expanders on Lee Dies it pretty common. My experience with Lee 223 dies have been perfect though. Pop the Expander in a drill and lap it with some 1000 then 2000 grit. Check size and repeat if necessary. Also on the PPU brass (or any thick neck brass) can be turned down with a neck turner after sizing the case. The process only needs done once and its good for the life of the brass. Your a smart guy and I'm sure you probably know this already but thought I would mention it. Awesome work. Cant wait to move over to blackout!
Just a thought...I wonder if Lee over sized the expander ball with the thought that reloaders will probably be using their factory crimp die. Basically, they pushed proper neck sizing away from the resizing stage back to the crimping stage. This would explain why there was so much bullet movement with the Lee die (since there was no crimp). Only way to know for sure is with additional crimp tests.
Lee's loose neck tension is a performance feature. Once the bolt slams home, you're loaded in the lands! :)
Exactly! lol I love Lee for their innovation and pricing, but damn they really seem to over-think some of these things. Just give us a standard dimension die for crying out loud.
Look at the other side of the coin: in a bolt gun, sizing a thousandth under wouldn't be a bad thing.
It is supposed to be used with an FCD. Also, I think there is demand for a looser expander for those who don't want fat lead bullets to get swaged down by the brass.
I know this is an old series. I usually size without an expander. I get gobbs of neck tension. I load boat tails. It works pretty good for me.
@Sturmreiter are you reloading the sane cases multiple times, if so with the expander removed are you noticing any adverse affects , i.e . stretching or cracking at the neck? Thought about trying this myself, but still want to maintain case longevity.
Subject matter may be a bit dry. Your commentary is entertaining. Thanks for covering this.
I got the rcbs small base die ar series, I hope I won’t have these problems I’m just getting into reloading rifle ammunition this video is awesome thanks .
Hornady will also work on your dies to meet your specs. With a boat tail bullet take the expander off the sppindle and seat the bullet. Also, if the dies are setup the same, camover, they shell holder shouldn't make a difference.
great work . I've been following all the videos, I love it ... come to part 3.
I'd like to see the bullet movement after using the factory crimp die. I'm confident that would stop bullet movement. As usual, great content value! Best on CZcams.
I know it's not the point of this series but with the bullets moving around in the brass from the Lee die, isn't that why they include a factory crimp die with their set? In a sane world I don't know anyone who would expect Lee dies to hang with Forster dies in fit, function or performance. I wish you had a Hornady die to test.
These videos improve my mood man. Keep it going. Especially liked the mk 262 stuff. Thanks.
Also happy to see jrb outdoors coming alive!
Thanks, dude. I am loading ammo for the next mk262 video and bobs' video today. Should be posted in a few days.
I enjoy the dumpster fire portions of ur vids. Plz keep them in! If others don't care for them, they can fast forward. What do u think?
Nothing like checking out a crazy rabbit hole with Johnny lol
I would try a crimp test before messing with the expander ball. A crimp will help neck tension.
I think he theory behind the "undersizing" of the lee dies is they have to expand less to fit the chamber leading to less variations between rounds and possibly better accuracy.
Also I suspect the Forester is sizing the cases more than the other 2 causing the minor velocity difference as the case has to expand more to fit the chamber.
Lee expanders are $4 to replace. I have no worries about screwing it up. I think I've made my case that it is too large and needs modified.
I use a RCBS hand neck turner to thin the necks before loading a bullet. And then I also use a Sheridan Engineering guage to make sure they meet SAMMI specs.
I've used the Hornady comparator as I size brass. To make sure every piece is sized the same I start with the die unscrewed a tad, size, measure, adjust, and size again until I get the exact shoulder setback I'm aiming for. If one of your dies isn't giving the dimensions you're looking for adjust the die.
Anything fed through a magazine needs to be crimped. The quality of that crimp is what matters. Lee has a really nice solution for that...
These issues are exactly why I spent the money on 1000 Lapua cases. No issues what so ever and accurate to boot.
This is invaluable information. You sir are a badass
I think you are underestimating the PPU brass. I use Norma, Lapua and PPU. I have loaded my PPU brass 8 times now, and absolutely no problems. I've had more trouble with Norma brass.
I have a sanity check question: have you loaded this brass enough that you are approaching time to anneal it? I was sitting here thinking of what could affect the neck tension on a brass cartridge case; this was all that I could come up with that you haven't already addressed.
DocLarsen44 video part 1 says it was once fired brass.
you can go with a smaller expander ball, like .307 or just start crimping
Great series
re: SS Pin tumbling; I think people tumble for too long. I hear about guys going for 2-3 hours. This is silly. I use the Frankford Arsenal solution and go for 20-30 minutes. Brass is clean and no sizing lube remains.
and all of the peening on the case mouth is also reduced with less time in the tumbler.
My fresh ultrasonic solution is first 2 times 15minutes used to clean my 2 baths oily resized brass. Than i used it to clean my 2 bath's deprimed brass. example 4X75pcs308 in 1 hour.
Drying is supersimple. Brass in plasticbulletholder,hairdryer and afterdry with 12V fan. see link
sites.google.com/view/reload-cheap-subsonic/homepage
I go for 3-4 hours wet tumble
Dry them in the dryer
Resize and decap
Wet tumble again to clean primer pockets
Dry again
Then put them in the dry tumbler to polish for 3-4 hours
I had some virgin gemtech brass so I decided to see if annealing might help them. I used 2 pieces, annealed one, left the other alone. best I could measure they had a.303 id. at the neck, I didn't resize them. loaded 208gr ELDs in them at 2.20 col. no crimp. ran them 6 times through the gun alternating which was first in the mag measuring each time. the results kinda surprised me. I know this may be a fluke but it's enough to make me want to test more.
1. 2.205 & 2.204_A
2. 2.212 & 2.208_A
3. 2.220 & 2.210_A
4. 2.222 & 2.212_A
5. 2.227 & 2.214_A
6. 2.310 & 2.219_A
Jon James im willing to bet that the Gemtech isnt annealed from the factory. Maybe they even cut and form from 223 which cuts off the annealed portion. Not only does annealing make the brass softer, it brings back its elasticity which helps with neck tension and even bullet release.
Then it begs to be asked why manufactures anneal brass..... Why go through the extra cost and time to do that...... brass does get harder when worked, that doesn't necessarily mean a harden piece of brass can hold onto a bullet better. Chinese finger cuffs are soft/flexible an can stop your fingers from pulling apart. if they were harden they wouldn't do shit.
Jon James exactly. Brass does not hold a bullet by being hard, it does so by being elastic. Hardened brass has lost some elasticity not to mention consistant release.
Gemtech brass could be too soft from over annealing during manufacture process. When I first began annealing my brasss, I over annealed and had neck tension issues in an auto loader.
I dont reload 300blk for accuracy or hunting. Mainly just for range fun at this point. I use the Lee die and can definitely feel the mushyness with my converted Wolf brass. Would you suggest the RCBS or the Forster to replace it? The RCBS seems like I can get the small base Sizing die and seating die for $49 compared tot he $85 of the Forster.
edit: Or maybe the Redding?
A late reply for sure, you probably have solved your issue. What did you do? Buy RCBS?
I'm having similar problems with 458 going into battery and I'm using Lee dies. I'm going to order the Redding or Hornady to see if that helps. They are the only other brands I'm aware of that don't cost more than $150. Using Starline brass btw.
Great vid. You got me thinking.
Since you've already got your wallet out, buy a Redding Competition Shell Holder Set (my research shows that you would need the #1 for 458 Socom). It will allow you to adjust your headspace by .002 increments by swapping to different shell holders. The set of 5 is around $45-$50. If the Lee die is otherwise good except for headspace, that might give you the cheapest solution.
Johnny, might you try not using the expander and seat some boat tailed bullets in the resized case. That would have maximum bullet grip, no lube as well. Shoot some groups as a baseline. Just a thought.
That would probably work with the Lee die. I might give it a shot in the next video.
That will not work...the bullet would require way too much force and the case necks would collapse. No way. Just hone the expander button slowly until your neck tension is around .0025 to .0030. more neck tension than this will score the hell out of the bullet or collapse the neck.
lee 223 die has the same problems, best 223 for my guns is the RCBS SB dies
Lee has been doing this for years. They oversize their expander balls to make you use their crimp die. I've honed about a dozen 223 sets from lee with emory cloth when I taught reloading classes. I've never bought or used lee rifle dies since
Thank you have a great day. And i enjoy your show
Check the neck runout after sizing? Try the Lee collet die !!!
How can you expect accuracy when your tool head is moving (vertically) 100 thou on every stroke.
I really like the range time parts - however, when you have a bunch of that footage that you think is repetitive, you should run it like you did there in sample format at high speed and slap a background track of Yakety sax on it (Yakety Sax makes almost anything fun ;))
Thanks for this analysis. But I think the initial question was about the effect of the various dies on the life of the brass. What was the life of the brass formed with the Lee, since it had the lowest delta change in shoulder location from the fire formed, then conceivably, the brass case should last longer. The Lee dies are designed to use a factory crimp die, which would conceivably equalize neck tension, while increasing accuracy. I always use a collet neck resizer only and factory crimp to extend brass life and accuracy. Thoughts?
Yeah 100 yrd i order a blackout upper yesterday thats why im ask so many questions i see you have alot of experience with them
You're in for a wild ride! They are a lot of fun to reload for and shoot!
If you're in a bit of a rush and wanting a load for this year's deer season, get some Barnes TAC-TX bullets in either 110 or 120gr. They have a great track record of performance in 300 Blackout on deer. A bit expensive, but worth it. I would suggest starting with Winchester 296 or Hodgdon H110 powder since they will give you excellent velocity (same product, just different packaging). I have videos in the 300 blackout playlist for both of these bullets.
Another good option would be the 115gr Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos Copper.
Good luck.
Do you have any 45-70 dies? I'm looking at the rcbs 3 die set and probably a factory crimp die
Do you ever use Starline brass?
I wonder if that is why Lee die sets come with a crimp die?
Did you use or test any Nosler brass?
i enjoyed pt one, maybe im a nerd? thanks for both these videos
I think the forester die probably has the most neck tension and thats why there is a few fps drop will we add a crimp test? And would annealing have any effect?
The Lee collet die sizes against a mandrill and does not over work the brass
I have no interest in neck sizing 300 blackout, which would mean a separate die to size the body. It doesn't really fit the high-volume reloading that most people do with 300 Blackout. I am looking for solutions that involve the standard full-length die kits.
have you thought about the annealing on the gemtech brass it may be too soft i assume none of your cut cases have been annealed
I was about to purchase a lyman die set for 300BO now I am not sure
Hornady 300 blackout die set is your best bet
Have you used the hornady 300 blk out dies? That’s all I have and am new to reloading so I’m sure there is a lot to learn but I’m not sure I’m using the seating die properly the case doesn’t go in to the die all the way it just seam to sit on the neck of the case. The bottom of my die is about 1/2 inch from coming through the press threads or quick lock adapter. I’m using the hornady progressive press/ammo plant.
For semiautomatic rifles I use a cartrage gauge to ensure properly size cartrages.
We’re you annealing your brass at all ?
I thought I wanted to reload 300, but this is hurting my head.
I just want to load some plinking supers and suppressed subs.
What will work for me, JRB?
Do you think the 300blk prefroms as well as 7.62 x39 i see people deer hunting with that round will 300blk do the same job on deer.
If you reload I would say yes. The .308 bullet diameter for 300 blackout will give you much larger selection of bullets to choose from. There are a lot of good deer hunting options in the 110-125gr range that do a great job.
Johnny's Reloading Bench don't forget a lot of American made ARs in 7.62x39 like my new one have a .308 barrel and dies come with both expanders just in case so you can load either .310 or .308 bullets.
annealing ?
did the rounds that failed to feed into the chamber, pass or fail the rcbs case gauge tool you have?
They failed with the Lyman Ammo Checker. Failed the headspace check...wouldn't go in far enough.
Good to know it works, ill pick one up.
Keep the vid's coming,
Ok do you think it compares to 30 30
+Edward Osborne Same argument as 7.62x39. If you're talking about a tube fed 30-30 your bullet selections will be limited to round nose and Hornady FTX bullets. I would rather have the flexibility of 300 Blackout. All three are good short range deer cartridges, it just comes down to what fits your needs.
why don't you use hornady dies?
I don't have anything against Hornady dies. I just don't have any.
Johnny's Reloading Bench have you checked out any of the drill bit trimmers from little crow gun works? They're awesome! if you haven't you should.
Yes! They look like the absolute best way to trim, honestly. Just freaking expensive. I have nearly bought the WFT2 several times, since it can do multiple calibers, but I'm worried it might not work as well as the original WFT. And I can't afford to buy the regular WFT's for all of the things I reload! I'll get one eventually, just need to figure out which direction to go.
Johnny's Reloading Bench there is another one called Trim it that works very well. Have you heard of it?
If I have I don't remember looking at it. I will give it a look!
I thought video 1 was great
Imagine that, Lee processed cases wouldn't chamber.