How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

[t185]

I was digging through my reloading gear and I came across around 250 lake city pieces of .308 <span style="font-weight: bold">match brass</span> with a date stamp of 72. My joy turned to sorrow when I realized that every piece had been resized down to 6mm.
I have no idea where this brass came from as I have never owned a 6mm or .243

Is there any way that I can resize the brass back up to .308?

 

[our gang]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

Well it depends on what 6mm. If it's 243 Winchester, I would neck anneal the cases, get a 6.5, 270 and 308 TAPERED neck expanding die,(Lee dies all have tapered expanders in their FL sizing dies and are cheap) lubricate the inside of the case neck with a high quality lube like Sinclair, neck em up one step at a time.(just neck up not back down) To be prudent I would then chamber check them to be sure they are a mild crush fit as I am not sure the shoulder angle is the same as the 308.If they are, resize them 95% in your 308 FL die and you're ready to shoot.
If you cant get the mild crush fit, you need to load them with a mild load and set the bullet out far enough to engage the rifling (in effect creating a crush fit). Cast bullets are ideal for this step. A lot of work to reclaim the cases, but this method will work as it how I used to make 400 Whelens from 30-06s back before Qual-Cartridge starting making them.
The steps then were 33-35-375 to 40.
Good shooting!

 

[t185]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

Sounds like way to much work....

I guess it is off to the scrap pile

 

[Queequeg]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SMTM</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds like way to much work....

I guess it is off to the scrap pile </div></div>

Not so fast amigo. I am as cheap a bastard as they come, and found a dozen .243 cases (RP) at my range. Not owning a .243 what do you suppose I did?

I lubed the inside of the necks and ran them up into my .308 resizer. As I had nothing to lose, I figured i'd see what would happen. They all came out fine. I've got a couple loadings on each one and have found no outward signs of adverse pressure and accuracy was good.

Victor suggested there is likely to be a donut at the junction of the neck and shoulder that could be removed with a drill sized appropriately.

Don't just toss em bro.

 

[jdel]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

Buy a 6mm, any excuse for another gun is a good excuse.

 

[t185]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SMTM</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sounds like way to much work....

I guess it is off to the scrap pile </div></div>

Not so fast amigo. I am as cheap a bastard as they come, and found a dozen .243 cases (RP) at my range. Not owning a .243 what do you suppose I did?

I lubed the inside of the necks and ran them up into my .308 resizer. As I had nothing to lose, I figured i'd see what would happen. They all came out fine. I've got a couple loadings on each one and have found no outward signs of adverse pressure and accuracy was good.

Victor suggested there is likely to be a donut at the junction of the neck and shoulder that could be removed with a drill sized appropriately.

Don't just toss em bro. </div></div>

I tried to resize a few of the cases and only ended up in crushing the neck....
Oh well

 

[Downzero]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

Just put 5 grains of clays or bullsye in them and shoot them in your rifle without a bullet.

 

[Queequeg]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

As I said, I just plunged right in having nothing to lose and in my case, it worked. I'll gladly scrounge up .243 cases if someone is foolish enough to leave them!!!

I did have to trim them after resizing and know they'll require annealing to last several cycles.

Mr. Humble's suggestion of doing the resize in steps makes sense so as to not widen the case necks so much at once. My cases were likely only once fired whereas yours are likely very much work hardened from the earlier case forming and unknown numbers of case firings.

Annealing them first would would seem to be a necessary and logical first step before necking them back up to .308

 

[t185]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just put 5 grains of clays or bullsye in them and shoot them in your rifle without a bullet.</div></div>

Since the cases are already primed, this sounds like a great idea!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

As part of my inheritance from my Elder Brother, I acquired 100 primed nickel Winchester .280 cases. In his usual meticulous going-over of my acquisitions, my shooting partner noticed something odd about seven of them. Though headstamped .280, they have .30 caliber neck diameters. Quite the conundrum, eh?

What to do?

If there were 8, I might want to make up a Garand clip's worth of .30-'06 loads. Hey, that's easy; run a .280 through the .30-'06 resizer die, 'and then; there were eight...'. Just like the Little Indians...

But..., but..., the nickel; you say. Me too.

When I do it; if no news, it's good news.

Greg

 

[bohem]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SMTM</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just put 5 grains of clays or bullsye in them and shoot them in your rifle without a bullet.</div></div>

Since the cases are already primed, this sounds like a great idea! </div></div>

Put about 20gr of Cream of Wheat on top of that powder charge to get some pressure in it, you'll get much better results this way.


If you can just run them through a 1 step sizer go for it, but I'd be surprised if you didn't crush a good bit of them.

If the necks were turned you might end up screwed as it is, but 2 steps up is probably the best idea. Run a 270 or at most a 7mm die through them first.

You can just take a 270 or 7mm sizing ball off something else and screw it onto your 308 FL die and run em. Then switch to 308 and run 'em again if you don't have a 7mm-08 die on the bench.

 

[t185]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

I do have a 7mm set of dies, I'll give it a try before I go blowing my daughters cream of wheat all over the back yard

 

[Queequeg]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

Cheapskates can <span style="text-decoration: line-through">survive</span> thrive!

 

[LA_Lawman]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?



<span style="font-weight: bold">Put about 20gr of Cream of Wheat on top of that powder charge to get some pressure in it, you'll get much better results this way.</span>

or maybe cinnamon and brown sugar oatmeal.... smells better! j/k ;-D

 

[Ratwhiskers]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

Having been away for a few days naughtyness l fell upon this thread last night.
So....having a large quantity of .243 brass (Winchester+Norma)under my bench at home l was busting a gut this morning to give it a try.....
Annealed 6 cases..
One pass through a .308win Hornady New Dimension die set.
One pass through an RCBS .308win FL body die, without expander ball just to push the last of the creases out of the neck area.....
And what do you know, l've just gained a whole pile of useable .308win brass for no more than following your lead...

Many thanks for the heads up gents.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

LC Match is some pretty stiff brass, I'll be interested to see how it fares going back up in size.
I didn't bother trying to make 7-08 out of my LC Match 308 just because it kept springing back bigger than I wanted.

 

[Queequeg]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ratwhiskers</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Having been away for a few days naughtyness l fell upon this thread last night.
So....having a large quantity of .243 brass (Winchester+Norma)under my bench at home l was busting a gut this morning to give it a try.....
Annealed 6 cases..
One pass through a .308win Hornady New Dimension die set.
One pass through an RCBS .308win FL body die, without expander ball just to push the last of the creases out of the neck area.....
And what do you know, l've just gained a whole pile of useable .308win brass for no more than following your lead...

Many thanks for the heads up gents.
</div></div>

As stated before,

Cheapskates can <span style="text-decoration: line-through">survive</span> thrive!

Just remove any donuts to avoid inconsistent neck tension issues.

 

[Ratwhiskers]

Re: How to resize 6mm brass back to .308?

QQ'

The only remaining jobs l found l had to perform were...

Put the expander ball back into the second die to give me a better neck tension and cut the necks back to spec as they'd run out by about 10"thou and re-chamfer the inside.

l can see where the old neck junction was, but can't as yet detect a donut so l'll give them a run and see how it goes from there.

l don't call it "CHEAP"..... it's just being "Yorkshire" round here.... Short arms and DEEP!! pockets

Right.... Quick Edit.

The Winchester's been checked again and shows no sign of a donut, but the Norma has a profound ring right at the junction of the old .243 shoulder so l'll have to ream those cases out before use... but hey l got it for nawt and it's good brass, so for the outlay l'm not complaining.

Regards.

Ratty.
....