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Reloading .308 Brass (faint ring)

thepatchcable

Private
Minuteman
Dec 14, 2022
29
5
US, NJ
Hi all,

I started to deprime/resize once fired .308 cartridges and after resizing a faint ring appears below the shoulders. Is this OK to reload?
thumbnail_image0 (1).jpg
 
Looks good to go, what dies are you using ?
what case lube are you using ? I see a case lube dent ?
Were these cases fired by you ? and in what ? Bolt or gas gun ?
 
I have a few similar to that. It's just rub marks. No worries.

Now if you had a faint line starting to show about a half inch above the bottom I would toss. That's a future separation. You can rub the inside with a bent paperclip to feel the crack form.
 
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Hi all,

I started to deprime/resize once fired .308 cartridges and after resizing a faint ring appears below the shoulders. Is this OK to reload?View attachment 8021380
Yes, I don't see any problem for reloading these.

But those rub marks do suggest to me that something is not quite right with your sizing die, like at some point as the case is being sized, something is pushing down on the neck and shoulder to cause a slight bulge at that shoulder-body junction. If you're using the expander ball in you die when you're sizing, it might need some adjustment???
 
Looks good to go, what dies are you using ?
what case lube are you using ? I see a case lube dent ?
Were these cases fired by you ? and in what ? Bolt or gas gun ?
Hornady dies and one shot. That isn't a lube dent... it's from the brass hitting the ejector. Gas gun, semi-auto, and yes these cases were fired one time by me.
 
Hornady dies and one shot. That isn't a lube dent... it's from the brass hitting the ejector. Gas gun, semi-auto, and yes these cases were fired one time by me.
Your rifle probably has a larger chamber than what the equivalent area in the die is. In most instances, rifle manufacturers make the chambers on the large side (but still within SAAMI spec) to try and avoid feeding/chambering problems. You're probably OK, but I'd keep an eye on the brass.
 
Yes, I don't see any problem for reloading these.

But those rub marks do suggest to me that something is not quite right with your sizing die, like at some point as the case is being sized, something is pushing down on the neck and shoulder to cause a slight bulge at that shoulder-body junction. If you're using the expander ball in you die when you're sizing, it might need some adjustment???
Think I found the issue
 

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Hi all,

I started to deprime/resize once fired .308 cartridges and after resizing a faint ring appears below the shoulders. Is this OK to reload?View attachment 8021380
Your brass is fine. Your rifle chamber is not the same size and shape as the inside of your sizing die. After firing, your brass is roughly the size and shape of the chamber. When you shove that brass into the sizing die, the brass is forced to change shape. The rub marks tell you where the mismatch was. In this case the shiny marks are small so the mismatch is small. Some sort of case lube may make the brass flow more smoothly - the marks may be less noticeable or disappear altogether. Did you lube those cases before sizing them? Note that the case necks and just above the extractor groove the brass is shiny - same cause.