Author Topic: i need better brass? (Read 415 times)

lostsniper308 · « **on:** December 11, 2005, 05:28:35 PM »

Man my winchester .308 brass refuses to be reloaded after one time, so far of the 100 cases i've gotten so far very few will have sufficient grip on a bullet to used in my H&R .308. both Speer BTSPs and Sierra 110gr HPs and Noslers won't load so its gotta be the brass. what is the deal? i managed about 10 Remington cases and they've ALL had plenty of grip on them bullets on their 3rd load and all will fully chamber nicely weather sized or not much unlike the Winchesters. I'm using the Lee Classic, can anyone decipher whats up? is it just the brass is 'weak' and can't retain enough to be loaded?

Swamp Fox · « **Reply #1 on:** December 11, 2005, 05:54:13 PM »

This may sound like a stupid question.... Did you resize your brass?
If you did then the next place to look is the expander ball. Have you used it before.

Steve P · « **Reply #2 on:** December 11, 2005, 06:14:51 PM »

Your dies are not sizing properly. Either not set right, or way oversized in the neck area. What kind of dies?

Steve

lostsniper308 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2005, 06:45:25 AM »

its a lee classic loader, there are no dies, no press, just the complete thing. I do as the directions say but still no go. as far as i know the Lee only sizes the neck.

Ranger J · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2005, 08:11:00 AM »

Do I understand this right? Using the Winchester brass after loading the bullets will slip out? I started out on Lee Classics and loaded 30-06 with it but never had this problem. You're right it does not full length resize. Do you trim brass, do you hammer the brass down flat with the top of the resizing die, and do you reverse the resizing die to crimp? I always liked the Lee Classic but soon changed to a single stage press because it was faster and I didnÂ’t care for the occasional primer that went off when I was hammering them in. If you have done all of the above perhaps you have a lot of brass that is too thin?? Maybe someone else will have a better idea?? :?
RJ

Catfish · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2005, 09:18:52 AM »

You are simply not getting the necks sized down properly to to hold the bullets. Whether it because the case necks are to thin or the hole in your sizer is to larger it`s all the same out come. Don`t throw the Win. brass away, just put it back untill you get a good single stage press and some good dies. AND when you get a single stage press get anything but a Lee. I started loading my own in 1965 and have had alot of Lee junk over the years, and sooner or later it all let me down, no matter how much I liked it when I first got it.

lostsniper308 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2005, 02:24:15 PM »

i'll eventually switch to a press. but ya i do fully seat the cases, i pound it down with a plank of wood and then put the de-priming piece on the cases base and hammer it down fully, and none of my bullets have a crimping groove so i can't crimp them.

jgalar · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2005, 03:11:25 PM »

You can contact Lee to see what they can do for you. It sounds like the Winchester brass that you have is thinner at the neck than the Remington. You could just save the Winchester brass and use the Remington.

Steve P · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2005, 04:10:41 PM »

I would toss the Lee gizmo, get an RCBS press and dies, and be done with the headache. Your time with your family and shooting is more important than the stress caused by cheap adequate reloading equipment. I spent several years with adequate crap before I found spending a few more dollars was worth it. Less headaches, more ammo loaded, and more time to shoot it. Don't get me wrong, they have some good ideas and some good products, but most gives more headaches than loaded ammo.

Been there, done that.

Steve