What can I do about this dilemma?

[AL45]

I used to own a single shot .308. I always necked sized only for it. I still have about 50 rounds loaded for it and am some day planning to get another .308. Is my only option to pull all the bullets , tap out the primers and full length size?

[Wyoredman]

When you get your new rifle, see if they will chamber. If they do, shoot 'em up! If they don't, take 'em apart!

[NoSecondBest]

You ever thought about shooting them in the gun you have for them now? I don't know if this qualifies as a dilemma. You could also get some more brass. Having 50pcs isn't very much inventory for one gun.

[AL45]

Nosecondbest, As I said, I no longer have the gun. Otherwise I would be glad to shoot it. I realize that the only thing I will lose is some powder and primer, but I was raised by "Depression Era" parents and Grandparents, and I don't like wasting anything.

[Jay24bal]

You don't have to lose the primer. Just remove the decapping pin from the die before sizing them.

[RC20]

As noted, if you get a new gun, try them (carefully of course)

If they chamber you are ok and they will form to the new chamber.

And I do note you say you "used" to own the gun but also said I still have 50 bullets for that gun.

Not intentionally misleading but the tendency is to skip the first part and remember the second part (guilty as well until I read your response) went back and ahh, I see now.

[chiefr]

When you get your new rifle, see if they will chamber. If they do, shoot 'em up! If they don't, take 'em apart!

+ 2

[green_MTman]

the chamber part you may be able to get around if they chamber.but unless your last loads you made were at minimum load you will still have to reduce by 5 or 10% and work back up.

so if your loads are at or close to max then you will have to pull the bullets.

[steve4102]

You can always purchase a Body die and FL size the loaded rounds.

[Jim Watson]

I am in the "save them to try in The Next .308" club.

As long as they are not utter maximum firewalled hot loads, they will be ok as long as they chamber freely.

If they do NOT chamber in The Next .308, I would pull the bullets, save the powder, and resize without decapping pin to save the primer. No loss except the time to salvage everything.

[mikld]

You don't have any reason to disassemble that ammo now. You don't have a gun to shoot them in yet, so you don't know if they will chamber. So, put the ammo away for now, and when you get that new rifle, try 'em...

[Metal god]

Well that makes sense but is not what I do . I worked up a hunting load for my Ruger American but sometimes shoot them out of my Savage target rifle . Is that bad ??? They are not max , more like mid range charge .

I always thought if I worked up a good safe load in one 308 I can shoot it in another . Heck I have guys at the range shoot my reloads all the time to confirm they are accurate and work in multiple rifles .

Why are factory loads good to shoot in any rifle but my (with in spec) hand loads are not ??

This is not me being passive aggressive . these are real questions I would like to know .

[green_MTman]

if you guys would be that cavalier about just firing the loads in a new gun.
then why do we even bother working loads up?

why not just reduce by 1 grain below max and save yourself the trouble of a 5 or 10% reduction in the first place.if you would not scrape these old .308 loads why even bother any minimum load starts on any load?

i am not saying one should only reduce by one grain im just saying thats the end result you some people on this threads logic

[Metal god]

I'm not sure what you were saying but I'm not loading rounds from data used in another rifle . I loaded a few hundred rounds of that Ruger load and from time to time I grab a box and use them in the other rifle . Not sure if there's a difference there though . If I'm loading to go shoot . I load for the rifle I'm going to shoot from .

I see the issue if you pushing max or over max loads . Why are factory loads good to shoot in any rifle but my (with in spec) hand loads are not ?? How many of you have shot a mid charge load that does not show pressure signs in one rifle but when shot from another rifle it does ?


If we don't get more reply's here about this I'm going to start a dedicated thread to it .

[green_MTman]

a lot of things like the way a certain bullet reacts to the rifling or the size of the free bore or the dementions of the chamber.

the bottom line is NEW rifle = reduce by 5%

if your using factory ammo then it is a mute point,that type of ammo is safe in any gun.and i would say there is a 90% chance that your handloads from the old gun would shoot safe in the new gun,but would you get on an airplane if there was a 10% chance it would crash

guns are also expensive and over pressure ammo does not always explode causeing the chamber to explode it could just ruin your rifle.would you engage in high risk activity with a expensive violin or piano if there was a 10% chance you would ruin the instrument

[Metal god]

Valid points there .

Are you talking 5% less then max book load or 5% less then the load you worked up . My load in question here is 6% below book max and if I went 5% below the loaded charge . I'd be below minimum book charge .

This is a real question I'm not trying to argue . This whole time I've had no problem in my mind shooting those loads from other rifles . I'm now having second thoughts .

[green_MTman]

it would refere to the max load listed in the manual.not what you have already worked up to.

your manual should show a maximum and minimum charge.the minumum charge is usually about 5 to 10% below the maximum.if your just changing 1 component 5% is fine,5% can sometimes be over pressure but never enough to harm the gun or you; atleast as it concerns rifles.i have never loaded for handguns so i cant speak for that.

use the maximum load in your book or website and reduce 5% or the minimum in the manual or web page.if your using online data always copy every detail of your load onto paper journal for quike referencing while loading.

10% below the max is often the manual minimum as is such on the 6.5-55 loads im working with now,why could this benifit you


1. 6 to 10% below minimum could be the most accurate load and you may not want to deny yourself the oportunity to see how well that load shoots.

2. 5% below max wont harm you but may be over pressure which is not good for the LONG TERM health of your gun,so going back to full manual minimum will keep you under pressure for sure.if you dont have time or money before hunting season to experiment with other loads and get them to max or close to it.you always have the minimum to fall back on to hunt

safety wise 5% below listed max is fine for a component change.if your load is indeed already 6% below book max then you have nothing to worry about and disregard this thread

[mikld]

BTW; the OP asked if he could shoot neck sized ammo in another gun. Load quality wasn't the question...

[green_MTman]

i know! but he said he had already loaded neck sized ammo, not just neck sized brass.so thats why load data was relevent.

but at 6% bellow max i cant see a safety problem,he could be a bit over pressure but it should not hurt the gun