256 magnum brass - anybody still making it?

[olevern2]

I've had a 'tender bbl in .256 magnum for some time and been unable to find factory brass (or loaded ammo)  I understand that the ammo has been discontinued for some time now, but how about brass?  Is Win. still making it? 
 
Anybody load for this caliber?  I know the parent case is the .357 mag, how hard is it to neck down?
 
Losses? (success rate)
 
Is this a two step process?  Who makes the forming dies?
 
Anybody know of a local gun shop that has factory brass in stock, perhaps old stock?
 
 

[rescue_171]

Midway still sales brass as well as Quality Cartridge and Jamison but expect to spend about a buck a piece for it. It is easy to make, I make mine from 357 mag brass run through the seater die first with the seating plug removed and then finish them up by running them through the sizer die and trim as needed. I usually loose around 10 or so per 100. Then fireform and they are ready. Your barrel if factory will not stabilize a 100 grain bullet ( tried and they don't work) so stick to 75 grain or less bullets.

[Curtis]

Winchester quit making loaded ammo in the mid to late eighties about the time I bought my first Contender chambered in .256.  Shortly after that or somewhere around that time they quit making brass for it.  As mentioned, Quality Cartridge among others makes it.
 

I have seen mentioned (besides using the seating die) using a 30 Mauser die for an intermediate step.  Fortunately I'm still running on brass from my first few boxes of ammo and the two boxes of virgin unprimed brass I found in a pawn shop back in the 90s.  However I did toy with forming some from 357 cases just for grins.  I did it in one step without annealing and losses were as high as 20% with brass cases and almost 100% loss when trying nickel plated.
 

I have an old RCBS catalog that lists forming dies, but they were prohibitively expensive.  If I remember right, they were close to $200 back in the 90s.  If I were you I'd just use the seater as mentioned by rescue_171 or try the 30 Mauser sizer for an intermediate step.  Annealing may help, but since I was just playing around I did not try it.
 

Curtis

[olevern2]

Thanks for the info, guys, a buck a piece is not too much to pay for properly headstamped brass and to avoid the hassle of forming, of course, that's just me

[Junior1942]

Thanks for the info, guys, a buck a piece is not too much to pay for properly headstamped brass and to avoid the hassle of forming, of course, that's just me

Better read the reviews at MidWay before you buy that brass......

[Reed1911]

We stock both the loaded ammunition as well as the brass. We do not use the QC (Quality Cartridge) brass due to a wide array of problems with it. The Jamison brass we use has been very good.