Sparkylr308 Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Hello all. I was wondering if anyone can help me with this. Can you load 7.62x51 nato with the same load data as 308 win? Obviously working up towards max as usual. Does the slightly different case make a difference? And if so what do you do differently? Loading this for a 308AR with a 308 win chamber. So no worries there. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Sparkylr308 said: Hello all. I was wondering if anyone can help me with this. Can you load 7.62x51 nato with the same load data as 308 win? Obviously working up towards max as usual. Does the slightly different case make a difference? And if so what do you do differently? Loading this for a 308AR with a 308 win chamber. So no worries there. Thank you! Using NATO brass is just like working up any other load, like you stated. Start lower, work your way up to pressure signs, back down to the last accuracy node. That's your load. I would never arbitrarily use one of my accuracy loads from Hornady .308 Win Match brass, and just use that load (charge weight) in some Lake City NATO brass. I'd back that load down, and work it back up again for that NATO brass - but at least I have a common-sense place to start the process. You're on the right track - develop the load for the brass you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 @98Z5Vthank you! That makes sense. The internal dimensions are a bit different right? Do you prep your nato brass any differently? Obviously need to remove primer crimp, but is there anything else to look for? I have heard about looking out for brass fired from a fluted chamber and how that is pretty much junk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Only question ????Do you have your barrel chambered in .308 ?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 Sniper's Hide and the Highroad have good threads on this topic. Chamber size and case volume along with the primer crimp and annealing are the major differences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 (edited) @MikedaddyHyes I do. 308 win chamber. Ok thank you! I will check those out. Do you happen to know which thread on there? I tried looking and couldn’t find it. But I am internet illiterate hahaha. Edited February 21, 2023 by Sparkylr308 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 2 hours ago, Sparkylr308 said: @MikedaddyHyes I do. 308 win chamber. Ok thank you! I will check those out. Do you happen to know which thread on there? I tried looking and couldn’t find it. But I am internet illiterate hahaha. Do a Google search .308 vs 7.62x51 a lot of information should appear. Tip when using 7.62x51 brass start your load 0.2gr less than you would a .308 brass load then work up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 @MikedaddyHok I will do that. I have a ton of Malaysian 7.62x51 cases a buddy gave me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 21, 2023 Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Sparkylr308 said: @MikedaddyHok I will do that. I have a ton of Malaysian 7.62x51 cases a buddy gave me. On the primer pockets, Dillion makes a really nice remover at about $125, I use the one at my buddy's shop. Or hand ones that are like < $10 but can only do 50- 75 before my hands hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2023 @MikedaddyH I have the rcbs one that goes on the press like a shell holder. It works ok. Was the Dillon fast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 3 hours ago, Sparkylr308 said: @MikedaddyH I have the rcbs one that goes on the press like a shell holder. It works ok. Was the Dillon fast? Dillion just runs smoothly. You have a good one . 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 (edited) 16 hours ago, Sparkylr308 said: @98Z5Vthank you! That makes sense. The internal dimensions are a bit different right? Do you prep your nato brass any differently? Obviously need to remove primer crimp, but is there anything else to look for? I have heard about looking out for brass fired from a fluted chamber and how that is pretty much junk? My brass prep always stays the same, no matter what I'm working in, whichever caliber. Well, pistol shiit is obviously different, and way easier. The only company I know of making a fluted chamber is LaRue Tactical, and they call it the XTRAXN Technology. Other companies may have copied that, but I wouldn't want to be the company that copied something Mark LaRue came up with and patented... It doesn't hurt the brass at all - just makes brass easier to extract on a fouled chamber. Heavily fouled chamber. Here's some of the details on it... https://www.larue.com/page/xtraxn-technology-larue-tactical/ 3 hours ago, Sparkylr308 said: @MikedaddyH I have the rcbs one that goes on the press like a shell holder. It works ok. Was the Dillon fast? I have one of those, and don't use it anymore. The "RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Tool 2." Now, I just use a Lyman VLD Chamfer tool to cut crimps out. 2 or 3 twists with it, done. Crimp gone. This one: Edited February 22, 2023 by 98Z5V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 2 minutes ago, 98Z5V said: I have one of those, and don't use it anymore. The "RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Tool 2." Now, I just use a Lyman VLD Chamfer tool to cut crimps out. 2 or 3 twists with it, done. Crimp gone. This one: I have a generic one of these I got from Pistol Parlor. I use one end only in combination with another tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 Somewhere around here I have cut cases side by side, which show the case wall differences between 5.56 NATO and .223 Rem, as well as .308 WIN and 7.62 NATO brass. I have no idea where those pics are now, or what thread they're in, but the NATO brass has thicker bases and towards the bottom, has thicker walls. On both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 Just now, 98Z5V said: Somewhere around here I have cut cases side by side, which show the case wall differences between 5.56 NATO and .223 Rem, as well as .308 WIN and 7.62 NATO brass. I have no idea where those pics are now, or what thread they're in, but the NATO brass has thicker bases and towards the bottom, has thicker walls. On both. I remember seeing it also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 4 minutes ago, MikedaddyH said: I have a generic one of these I got from Pistol Parlor. I use one end only in combination with another tool. This Lee primer pocket cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 22, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 @MikedaddyHwell that is good to know! @98Z5Vi have heard it more with surplus brass and from machine gun chambers. A friend of mine gave me around 1000ish Malaysian surplus cases. I have that exact tool as well. The reamer bit in it? Do you find it ever over it’s resulting in loose pockets? I will have to take a look for that photo! I am curious, does the thicker base of x51 brass allow the primer pocket to last longer? And not blow out as easily, Kinda like 308 Palma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 (edited) Well, machine gun brass is a different animal, and you never know what you're getting with surplus brass. That's the problem. Machine guns have longer chambers (the leade), so those things can keep running, fouled, and keep running fouled. When you need a machine gun, that fucker better run, forever, until you overheat the barrel. On that, it's easy to find the brass that's been fired from a machine gun - measure the OAL of the fired cases that you get. If they're longer than the max listed for a case trimming dimension, and listed as "once-fired" - they probably came out of a machine gun. They'll need to be trimmed for OAL, before you can ever use them in an AR or bolt gun. No, I've never seen that reaming the crimps out of a case with a VLD Chamfer tool has resulted in loose pockets. Don't go crazy on it, it only takes a couple turns, and the crimp is gone. The thicker bases on NATO brass, and the thicker walls at the lower part of the case - are so they can survive going through a machine gun, and keep the gun running. There's a pattern here on why NATO brass is the way it is. Machine guns. That's the pattern. Edited February 22, 2023 by 98Z5V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shooterrex Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 HK 91/G3 have fluted chambers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted February 22, 2023 Report Share Posted February 22, 2023 2 hours ago, shooterrex said: HK 91/G3 have fluted chambers. Those are straight flutes, unless I'm wrong. Just like PTR chambers. Those things are rough, and nothing extracts straight back - it always twists, and must, just in the nature of the rotating bolt, during extraction. Here's some PTR chamber-fluted brass, in pics, and that stuff is nasty. Here's a couple articles on it all: https://www.petersoncartridge.com/technical-articles/posts/2018/february/head-ripping-issue-caused-by-a-fluted-chamber/ https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/04/30/beware-commercial-308-fluted-chambers/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2023 @98Z5Vahhh ok. That makes a lot of sense! Do you do it all by hand? Oh wow. That is insane how much it damages the brass! What is the purpose of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 23, 2023 Report Share Posted February 23, 2023 On 2/21/2023 at 8:26 PM, Sparkylr308 said: @MikedaddyHwell that is good to know! @98Z5Vi have heard it more with surplus brass and from machine gun chambers. A friend of mine gave me around 1000ish Malaysian surplus cases. I have that exact tool as well. The reamer bit in it? Do you find it ever over it’s resulting in loose pockets? I will have to take a look for that photo! I am curious, does the thicker base of x51 brass allow the primer pocket to last longer? And not blow out as easily, Kinda like 308 Palma. @Sparkylr308 that Malaysian brass may take a lot of work. Take your time and do it in steps. Don't force it too much. Look out for smashed heads or bent rims. Sort what is Fubar. Measure the cases OAL. I bought some Mini gun brass once it was a PITA. Learned my lesson. 1 & Done 👍. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 23, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2023 @MikedaddyHjust curious. Is it something with it being Malaysian? That is my plan. I got it free so that’s more the only reason I am bothering with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted February 24, 2023 Report Share Posted February 24, 2023 7 hours ago, Sparkylr308 said: @MikedaddyHjust curious. Is it something with it being Malaysian? That is my plan. I got it free so that’s more the only reason I am bothering with it. No ... machine gun brass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkylr308 Posted February 24, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2023 @MikedaddyHah I see what you mean. Well was a bit disappointed. Finally got around to prepping the brass so I thought last night. Turns out it is berdan primed. Not really worth converting right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.