Can I make 358 Win brass from 308 Win brass???

[wallacem]

Has anyone tried necking up a 308 brass to 358 size?/   I have plenty of the 308 and need 358.  Wallacem in Ga

[Kmrere42]

Hi,


Should be do-able, Just remember that as you neck up, the brass will thin. Try it on some once fired military brass first.  In addition you might need to do it in stages with an anneal stage in between.  I have done some 7tcu from .223 and it worked fine.




Paul

[Swampman]

Wouldn't it be easier to fire form it?

[SHOOTALL]

Wouldn't it be easier to fire form it?

I used to buy 223 loaded ammo and fire in in my 7tcu then just size and shoot a light load then they were ready .

[Happy]

Yes! Yes !!
You can easy resize your 308 W up to 358 W  with your 358 Die set in one stroke . Just make sure you lub the inside necks .Use something like a "Q tip" to lub inside the neck , careful not to get too much on the outside or you will buckle the case shoulder .
 I have a 30 cal M die that was used for loading lead , which I used to slightly flare the 308 brass first . Going this first , helped in starting the 358 die, and never lost a case .
So just with your 358 resize die lub the inside neck and start a bit slower , until the die has started to expand the case .
From there after firing , I just neck size after firing in my rifle and get good case life . In my BLR , I got best service with winchester brass , while federal did  not .
Load the 338 F the same way .

Good luck with your loads .

[SHOOTALL]

graphite dust works well

[yooper77]

Wouldn't it be easier to fire form it?

There is no reason to fire form. That would be a complete waste of brass, bullets, powder and primers.

I full length size 30-06 Springfield brass into 338-06 A-Square and I have zero problems. I do the same with the 35 Whelen, and yes the same is done for the 338 Federal and 358 Winchester using 308 Winchester brass.

I also resize 308 Winchester brass into 7mm-08 Remington, and yes zero problems.

yooper77

[wallacem]

Thanks guys, I will be trying it this weekend.  Thought it should work, just wanted to make sure there was no special reason not to do it.  Wallacem in Ga

[smong2000]

 I made my own custom tapered neck expander for my .358 Win by chucking the regular Lee expander in a drill and using a few grits of sandpaper to produce a polished taper on just the front of the expander.  Makes sizing much easier if you have a nice smooth taper.  As others have said, plenty of lube and you get the job done although most of the brass I've produced that way has a slant to the mouth.  The slant drives me nuts but still gives me 1" or less at 100 yds in my BLR.  I made some much prettier brass by loading 10 grains of Bullseye, filling to the neck with corn meal and plugging it with a 1/4 sheet of TP.  The brass I've made using Fed and R-P gives me better results than .358 stamped Win brass so I only use the 'proper' brass for practice.  Love that BLR...

[sabretip]

Has anyone tried necking up a 308 brass to 358 size?/   I have plenty of the 308 and need 358.  Wallacem in Ga

 
I make 358 Winchester from 308 Winchester brass in one easy step. I use an RCBS full length die with a tapered expander ball, I put a small amount of lube on the inside of the neck and the rest of the case. One pass is all it takes, I check for case length and anneal if needed. The 358 is a step up from the 308 in every sense, 2520 fps with a 225 grain Sierra BT, what's not to like.

[jhalcott]

 Just be certain the necks are centered when done. mouths MIGHT need trimming to straighten them up.