[Naphtali]

Is there a procedure that reforms 7.62x51 and/or 308 Winchester brass to 358 Winchester that does not require fire forming or otherwise using consumables during the procedure? What I seek is a method where brass is sufficiently reshaped to allow 358 handloading to occur as though the case were originally 358.

I'm not concerned that the reformed brass might not "look" SAAMI. First firing accomplishes that. I'm trying to determine whether brass can be rendered "close enough" to be loaded as would actual 358 brass.

 

[unclenick]

Pop over to Sinclair International (or call them) and get their expanding die body for turning mandrels. They sell the mandrels 0.001" bigger than actual turning mandrels for widening case mouths. These have a longer taper and will let you expand a fair amount at one pass. Check with Sinclair for advice on any intermediate steps you might need to take to get a fit? You'll also want to anneal the case necks and shoulders before you try.

 

[broom_jm]

Nick,

Is it so difficult to go up .050" in one pass? I have a 6.5JDJ that resizes 225Win. from .224" to .264" in one, smooth (well-lubricate) pass. That's only .040", but does .050" require a step, in-between? My die has a tapered expander ball, of course. What would you even use as a middle step, to go from .308 to .358?

 

[fguffey]

Going from 308 W to 358 W is a foot note #4

The 358 W die should be made (RCBS) after April 1983 with a tapered expander ball, and, the book on forming cases says an assembly out of a 35 Whelen will work, then it is a matter of using the 358 Winchester die to neck up and size the cases.

#09823 expander/decapping unit for the 35 Whelem, 30765 trim die.

F. Guffey

 

[fguffey]

broom-jm, When set up I will go from 30/06 to 338/06 or 35 Whelen 200 at a time without splits unless the cases have been fired so many times they are full grown (I have not ideal what that is but I am told cases require 5 firings before the fit and are full grown), I will not neck up cases unless they are new and or once fired, AND, not plated, I have never had nickle peal as in loosing the bond to the case, when necking nickel case from 30/06 to 35 Whelen I expect to loose 25% +.

I also neck 280 Remington to 35 Whelen and 338/06 with new cases only, for me there is an advantage to the extra .051 thousands case body length over the 30/06 and the additional .041 thousands case length.

F. Guffey

 

[fguffey]

no ideal or not an ideal,

forgive,

F. Guffey

 

[MikeG]

You can go from .30 to .35 cal in one pass. I made a tapered expander for a friend and it worked just great. 2 degrees per side, hardened, and polished. He loved it.

 

[broom_jm]

You can go from .30 to .35 cal in one pass. I made a tapered expander for a friend and it worked just great. 2 degrees per side, hardened, and polished. He loved it.

S'what I figured, and the neck angle from .308 to .358 Winny is the same, so I would think you could just neck up the case, load and go. Also worth noting, when I create fire-forming loads for the 30 Herrett or 6.5JDJ, I find the accuracy of both to be quite acceptable. I wouldn't use them for hunting, since I use heavy-for-caliber bullets when fire-forming, but they are just fine for practice and learning the gun.

 

[fguffey]

Naphtila "Is there a procedure that reforms 7.62x51 and/or 308 Winchester brass to 358 Winchester that does not require fire forming"

Yes, when you size a 308 W to 358 Winchester you are forming first then firing, this procedure eliminating the fire forming step. I know it sounds good but firing is not forming unless the shoulder is formed ahead of the parent shoulder and the case is blow out to remove case taper.

F. Guffey

 

[Harry Snippe]

I use a M die to slightly flare the 308 case, then lub the inside necks well as the outside then just use the full size die ( Hornady) for 358 Winchester with out any problem.All the brass is once fired and cleaned.
After the first loading , just neck size enough to load in the rifle. Perfect!!

 

[al_sway]

I made a tapered mandrel that I use on my bench top drill press. I made it from a bolt that I filed down on the drill press. Once the tapered mandrel was made I used a drill press vise to hold the case. With a bit of lube and high speed the case mouth opened up fairly easily. The mandrel does not have to be exact size, but large enough so that you can use your sizing die without any strain.
One side benefit, I found, is that the process heats up the case mouth and I believe it does a nice job of annealing; no case mouths have split.
You can do a hundred cases in part of an evening.

 

[oneoldsap]

Get yourself a set of Redding .358 dies . They have a tapered expander button that makes .358s from .308s in one pass , been doing it for years and haven't crushed one yet . I love the .358 and it's not the least bit picky about what you feed it . My favorite hunting load is Speers 220Gr. SPFP over 50Gr of W-748 . Usually the last step they take is the one they took before getting tagged with one of these ! I realize that you didn't ask for any load info , but it's too good not to share !