Nato 308 Brass

[scope eye]

Anyone have any luck or problems, when using Nato 308 Brass in there bolt or semi rifle.

Dean

[bigedp51]

The problem with buying once fired military 7.62 brass is the vast majority of it is fired in machine guns. Meaning the chambers are .003 to .004 larger in diameter and full length resizing will takes more effort.

I buy a lot of once fired 5.56 brass from BrassBombers below, I would buy one of their sample packs of 7.62 and see what you think. The 7.62 brass is thicker and has 2 grains less of H2O capacity so you will need to make workup loads. I bought a sample pack to see if they would work resized to .243 but the necks would require turning so I gave up on that idea.

If you notice all their Long Range 7.62 sniper once fired brass is always sold out because it is high quality brass and only fired in bolt action rifles.

For a M1A the standard 7.62 brass would be OK but if you have good accurate .308 bolt action you will be spending time weight sorting and prepping these type cases. Again remember they were made to be fired (sprayed) from a machine gun and are average in uniformity.


.308/7.62 - Cleaned, Deprimed & Swaged - LC Only - 100 Pieces $24.00 Free Shipping (read the reviews, many shooters buy this type brass and like it)
http://www.brassbombers.com/308-762-Cleaned-Deprimed-Swaged-LC-Only-100-Pieces-7LC-SSP10.htm

Once Fired Brass
http://www.brassbombers.com/main.sc

I buy 500 once fired Lake City cases at a fraction of what 100 Lapua cases would cost. I use the most uniform brass in my .223 bolt action and the rest in my AR15 rifles. So try a sample pack and see what you think.

[Robinhood]

Before I broke down and went with the blue box, I did as biged said. I purchased large lots of LC 7.62, I Cleaned, uniformed the primer pocket, trimmed and chamfered, deburred flash hole and weight sorted. I found that the LC brass compares very well to Lapua after the work. I cant remember but I even compared the brass metallurgy and I'm thinking both fell within C28000 specs but cant remember. Might have been C26000.

I have not seen the consistency in other NATO stuff personally. YMMV.

[bearcatrp]

I use it all the time in my AR. Once you full size resize, the next time is easier. I haven't used it in my bolt as I have enough regular 308 brass for my bolt. Works great in my AR.

[LHitchcox]

I had to run the brass through a small base sizing die to get it to work. Plus the internal capacity is less, so I had to work up a new load. These rounds were for my son's FAL.

[eddiesindian]

Purchased 500/600 10 years ago. I've run them thru my gas guns. I've since sold my gas guns and am running that same brass on 2 of my bolt rigs. They easily have 20/30 firings on them. Still using those same ones to this day. After some annealing and neck turning there as good as new.
FYI. If you go with once fired, I strongly suggest buying processed brass. Sized,primer pocket swagged etc...

[darkker]

Have used mixed NATO flavors of every stamping, and commercial cases, interchangeably for several decades.
Reformed many of them into Creedmoor before I got a deal on some. Crimped primers are a hassle, but not the end of the world.

[Texas Solo]

I bought 500 once fired brass that must have come from a machine gun. I knew in advance to buy a SB die. With a lot of work to trim and swag the primer pockets, they loaded just fine. But, I found that 2 grain difference mentioned earlier. With a middle of the road load of 4064, I had a hard bolt lift, really hard. I got down to about the starting load before all was well and my velocities with 168's equaled what the book said I should get from a 2.0 grain hotter charge. Definitely start low and work up.

[Greg8403]

It may have been sid before but you must take out the crimps and I use the factory full case resizer as well as running them back trough a .020 under size die . ( Forster full length small resize die) after that and fire forming to your chamber just use the factory resize die.

IMO I like Brassbombers out of CA they do sell once fired long range processed cases ( bolt gun only fired)

[Robinhood]

SB die blah blah. Never had to use them. :o

[darkker]

Nope, me either. Lee FL die had worked for decades.

[eddiesindian]

Had a 308 gas gun with a tight chamber once. I had 2 options. 1. Buy a reamer. 2. Buy an SB die. I chose option #2. Gas gun cycled perfectly.
Different jobs,different tools. The Ying and yang of reloading.

[Robinhood]

What is a tight chamber? Seems to me it would be a special order reamer or one that had been heavily used and reground. Did you have to SB die new brass as well?

[eddiesindian]

Exactly. Tooling I'm sure was far from being to specs. LR 308 were notorious for having chamber issues. That's one gas gun I regret dumping $ into. Sold it, and purchased my 1st Savage bolt gun.
That gas gun never was fed new brass.

[Robinhood]

My boy has one that shoots itty bitty holes from the factory.