|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 530
Campfire Regular
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 530 |
I was going to order some 243 brass then remembered I have some once fired 308 brass a friend gave me.What are the steps necessary to convert 243 from 308?I have never used or made different cal brass before.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
|
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 11,115
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 11,115 |
Anneal, lube, form, and trim.
Be not weary in well doing.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,070
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,070 |
I have made alot of different cartrdiges from .06 brass. It works and if one is shy on money it can save you some.I have not made the .243 out of .308,but if the length turns out ok,you are good to go. I think I even made some 7.65 Argintine mauser brass out of .308 and it was a tad short.Still worked.
Guys who do wildcatting do it all the time.For years that was the only way ot get3 5 Whelen brass. Make it out of.06.Same with .358 and making it out of .308 brass
I usually start by removing the decapping pin, expander ball, Lube the brass and then run it thru the FL sizer.
Then I run it back thru again with the expander ball in place
Check the length and trim if required. If OK, load them up with a min load to fire form and go shoot for fun.Some guys get anal about it and anneal the cases,I have at times,and others times not.. FL size again and load as you would any other case. It helps if you mark the case head with red magic marker or? just to keep you honest as it will still have the,.308 head stamp on it
Some guys also say you will need to turn the necks. Again I have done both.I have made quite a few .308 cases out of mil .06 brass and never have annealed them or turned the necks.
They all seem to kill elk and deer just as effectively
Last edited by saddlesore; 02/27/11.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
|
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
Neck thickness? Anneal? Like I said, order 243 cases.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,799
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,799 |
Neck thickness? Anneal? Like I said, order 243 cases. Agree. And I have nearly two bags of WW I'll sell cheap. Kaiser Norton
The Kaiser- "If it ain't broke, I can fix that!"
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 530
Campfire Regular
|
|
OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 530 |
Call me lazy........i will buy Hey Kaiser PM sent
Last edited by remrug77; 02/27/11.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,197
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,197 |
Neck thickness? Anneal? Like I said, order 243 cases. That is some of the best advise you will ever get. I have formed 243, 25/06, 7x57, 270's out of military 30/06 for a commercial loader when I was a kid. 30/06 brass was $50 for a 50gallon drum, and we sold the loaded ammo for $3.50 for 20 rounds...1968, and the post office used to deliver 20lb kegs of powder to our door step. Just buy the 243 brass, otherwise you are in for the goat ropeing of a life time.
Last edited by keith; 02/27/11.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 58,372
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 58,372 |
I'd rather neckdown and fireform false shoulders,than go up...............
Brad says: "Can't fault Rick for his pity letting you back on the fire... but pity it was and remains. Nothing more, nothing less. A sad little man in a sad little dream."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300
Campfire Oracle
|
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 |
Just buy the 243 brass, otherwise you are in for the goat ropeing of a life time.
+10
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 11,115
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 11,115 |
Oh come on guys....
Sure he can order some 243 brass, and maybe that is what he ought to do.
But I reached a point that I no longer had a 308, but did have a 243, and an abundant supply of 308 brass. I found that forming 243 from 308 is no more difficult than FL sizing a regular 243 case. Just pop it in the die and pull the handle, then trim to length. And I've had zero difficulties, with one exception.
If the brass has been worked a bit, you can get little pleats in the brass. If the brass is annealed, you don't have that problem. If you don't get pleats, you don't have to anneal.
It's easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Be not weary in well doing.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 58,372
Campfire Kahuna
|
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 58,372 |
Rollin' the false shoulder as well.
It'd be an inordinate 243 Factory Rifle,that had neck clearance issues..............
Brad says: "Can't fault Rick for his pity letting you back on the fire... but pity it was and remains. Nothing more, nothing less. A sad little man in a sad little dream."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300
Campfire Oracle
|
|
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 |
Oh come on guys....
It's easy peasy lemon squeezy.  Ive never tried the .308-.243 route but I did do a batch of 7x57s out of .30-06s and it was a PITA Maux Faux Braux....
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,102
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,102 |
Neck thickness? Anneal? Like I said, order 243 cases. +1
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,691
Campfire Tracker
|
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,691 |
.30 to .24 would be a PITA...
I run .308's to make my .358's no sweat... Trim and load.
But the other way is just too much trouble for the results IMO.
I'd just buy, or trade the .308's for your .243s.
BT53
"Where do they find young men like this?" Reporter Savidge, Iraq
Elk, it's what's for dinner....
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,151
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,151 |
I don't see the problem. I have formed 35 Whelen brass by necking up 30-06, and 7-08 brass by necking up 243. I could see if you were converting 308 to 243 you might have to turn the necks.
Well we're Green and we're Gold, and we play better when it's cold. All us Cheese heads have our favorite superstar. We love Brett Favre.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,070
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,070 |
The OP never asked what he should do,he asked what is involved in making. 243 cases from.308.If folks would read post and then answer the original question, a lot of space would be saved.I have made 7x57 cases out of LC 69 mil brass and I incurred no problems.
Can't figure out why some , instead of answering a question don't just say." I don't know"
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,086
Campfire Outfitter
|
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,086 |
Even more space would be saved by not answering, rather than posting "I don't know."
Just sayin'...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,836
Campfire Regular
|
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,836 |
I have done it before & it is pretty simple. At the minimum run the .308 cases up in the .243 sizing die and then fire form & trim. You might have to thin the neck wall by turning them. I didn't.
There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular -- but one must ask, "Is it right?"
Martin Luther King, Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 20,494
Campfire Ranger
|
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 20,494 |
I tried 5 of the 308 to 243 one time. I wound up using them for snap caps for my wife and daughters to practice with. Good for nothing else.
Buy some 243 brass. It's cheaper in the long run.
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Prov 4:23)
Brother Keith
|
|
|
|
|
90 members (44automag, 10gaugemag, 308xray, 300_savage, 41rem, 808outdoors, 12 invisible),
1,519
guests, and
911
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,191,387
Posts18,469,723
Members73,931
| |
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|
