.300 Savage forming from .308win

Information on Malfunctions and Care of your Model 8 & 81
Post Reply
nzkk
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:44 pm

.300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by nzkk »

Hi, does anyone use 308 Winchester brass to convert to 300 savage? I've been testing dummy rounds using mixed converted headstamps and noticing that most dummy rounds get stuck in the chamber and require a lot of force to pull out. I am trading in my Lee dies as I heard RCBS dies have a better time getting converted brass into spec. Is this assumption correct?
goalie
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:07 pm

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by goalie »

Are you using a full-length resizing die?
MinnesotaDan
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:17 pm

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by MinnesotaDan »

This site sells once fired 300 Savage brass for $16.25/ 25 pieces.
That is $65/100 if my math is correct.

If converting 308 brass is going smoothly, keep doing it. But getting once fired 300 Savage brass is worth considering if the 308 conversion is not reliable. Plus the brass has the correct headstamp, which is always a bit safer IMO.
MinnesotaDan
Posts: 170
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:17 pm

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by MinnesotaDan »

Rifleman
Posts: 242
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:07 pm

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by Rifleman »

Reference reforming .308 brass to 300 Savage, I did so a while back as .308 brass either new or used is more common and cheaper than 300 Savage. Resized some once fired Hornady using a set of Redding 300 Savage dies, full length resize. I use a RCBS Rockchucker press, so it had enough leverage and strength to resize easily. The problem was having to trim the excessive amount of brass from the necks. I hate brass trimming anyway, loathe it, my most hated part of reloading. I use a hand cranked Forester brass trimmer, a quality piece of equipment, but I never kept track and can't tell you the number of revolutions it took to get the neck down to its proper length. After laboring over a number of them, I used a fine cut hack saw to cut the majority of unneeded neck and then trim, still a PITA!!!

After that, I bought a Little Crow brand case trimmer, needed one anyway as I had need of a faster method of trimming for several other calibers of rifles that I shot alot, esp in autoloaders and needed to keep COAL to near specs. (30/06. .223/5.56 mm). Did some after getting the Crow and it hastened the job with speed and was very very accurate. The Little Crow is an accurate and quality piece of equipment.

As far as what brand of dies work best, a member and reloader on another forum posted once that Redding dies were better for resizing to another caliber. Don't know how accurate or where he got his info, but the guy does do alot of reloading and is always knowledgeable. I've always had good luck and accuracy with what RCBS dies I've used for normal reloading, they're quality stuff also. Another forum poster advised that he had better luck resizing .308 brass in a .308 sizer first, then resizing in a 300 Savage sizer die. Sort of makes sense in that a fired .308 brass has expanded somewhat and resizing it back to .308 dimensions, then to 300 Savage might make it easier and better. Question though if double working the brass may/might take a toll. Can't say??????? Others advise they resize alot of .308 to 300 Savage and 300 Savage to 250 Savage. One guy told of resizing .308 to 300 Savage to 250 Savage. Alot of work if 250 and or 300 Savage's aren't easily obtained.

Sometime after I bought the Little Crow trimmer I purchased a good quantity of new Hornady and Remington 250 and 300 Savage brass online from several well known outfits that had them on sale. Bought most at around $26-28 per 50 and some right at $30. That was around a year to 6 months before the craziness started in pricing and scarcity. Have around 350 each, not counting my once, twice, or three timed fired casings. I don't have any rifles calibered in .308, don't really shoot around anyone who does, but as previously posted by MinnesotaDan, I prefer to keep a cartridge's headstamp to a rifle, safer IMO also.

I didn't have any problems with the .308's I did resize to 300 Savage, just the PITA with the excessive trimming at first, but even using the Crow trimmer was a longer step than normal reloading of a caliber. The site selling what they advise are one fired mixed headstamp brass is cheaper than new brass and alot more available, but the cost per 50 or per 100 is at the price new stuff was selling for less than a year ago when scalpers, price drivers, and low availability started. I'm not a extreme hoarder like alot of guys, but keep good inventory of all of my reloading components and needs. On GunBroker I've seen new brass selling for close to $100 per 50, 75 one fired 300 Savage went for $110 not counting shipping, primers selling for $150-200 per 1000. Powder costing $90-120 per pound. This is on gun broker and people are buying it. NUTS!!!!!!!!! Some gunshops and box stores are scalping also, overpricing on components. Some aren't and they'll get my business after the "crisis" is over, the others can pound sand.

The only ammo I buy is 22 LR, a few 9mm and 45 ACP rounds for defensive needs. I don't shoot trap or bird hunt like I used to, but will buy some shotshells if needed. Have kept a good inventory of those also, not hoarding extremes, just to prevent any 'not having' or having to buy at ridiculous prices. I reload for everything else and cast alot of my handgun/rifle bullets. I started keeping a healthy ammo and reloading component inventory just before Obama was elected in 2012 as I never trusted him or his ilk and have never been in want. Hopefully the gun buying price hiking crazy's will end driving up prices of firearms, ammo, and components and things will get back to near or what they were prior to all the price hikes and gouging. If I were really in need of 300 Savage and had to pay current crazy prices, not counting the poor availability, I'd have no problem resizing .308 to 300 Savage. Just takes a bit more time, needs some close attention to detail/correct brass dimensions, and watchfulness if you shoot a .308/7.62 mm rifle or are around someone who does. Just my 4 cents-----price scalping my old 2 cents!!!!
nzkk
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:44 pm

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by nzkk »

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't gotten back but I have since gone on two shooting trips with the 81.
The first time around I was lucky to find a guy on Calguns who sold me about 120 once fired 300 Savage brass for $50. During the first trip I decided to make loads using only the 300 savage brass in order to get a good feel for the gun as well as to see how accurate Quickload data would be. I noticed in this first time that some of the cartridges caused the same issue I experienced before where the bolt wouldn't be completely forward. What I tried was placing the round back into the magazine and loading another round over it. When the first shot cycled the bolt, it managed to chamber the stubborn cartridge perfectly.
The second time I ran the case capacities of my mixed headstamp converted 308 to 300s brass and developed cartridges of three groups of headstamps. I placed the three in the magazine and a topped off with standard 300s carts and the gun successfully shot off all of them without the bolt every getting stuck. Before this second trip I did trade in my Lee dies for some RCBS ones, which may have made somewhat of a difference. I noticed that trimmed 308 Hornady, Barnes and Perfecta brass have oddly similar case capacity to Remington-Peters 300 savage brass, where as actual 300s Hornady brass was off by about -0.8 grains of the R-P brass. I have a decent amount of brass at the moment but if I need to replace in the future I would just go with 308 brass.
Rifleman
Posts: 242
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:07 pm

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by Rifleman »

I've always read and understood that if a person reloads brass of military calibers, that the internal case capacity of ammo designed for and used for military or designated as military grade has less internal case capacity than commercial ammo. That would include some of the popular rounds such as 7.62 mm NATO (M14 rifle)(.308 Winchester) and the 5.56mm NATO (M16/AR15)(.223 Remington) in that reloading such military designated/grade brass, the brass is less forgiving, has thicker case walls making it stiffer than commercial stuff.

Be pretty rare if some one had access to military ammo, probably be getting a visit from the FBI wondering where they got it. Ammo being sold that is labeled 'same as military grade' from such makers as Federal, PMC, and others will need the primer pockets reamed before seating new primers. Also commercial ammo/brass from manufacturer to manufacturer differs alot. I've always read that Winchester brass has thinner walls than other brands, while the others such as Remington, Federal, and Hornady differ some (sort of in the order I just wrote as far as thin to thicker).

Many write if reloading ammo for an autoloader (or lever gun), it is best to keep the same headstamp in a reloaded batch and not mix them due to slight differences in brass, I've never had a problem with commercial stamped 300 Savage brass. One article I read by a well known, seasoned reloader that if a person resizes brass from .308 to 300 Savage, that it is best not to mix headstamps if possible, esp in a autoloader. I talked with a guy at a gun show a few years back that tried to resize some military 7.62mm (.308) brass to 300 Savage, advised he had nothing but 'headaches and sorrow' with them and trashed em'. The .308 Winchesters I resized at the time were Hornady brand and worked OK, just the PITA with all the neck trimming. An article I read recently by a Alaska hunter and shooter advised that in his stable of 300 Savage lever guns he mostly shoots nothing but reloads using brass resized from .308 commercial ammo and has excellent results. Keep the forum posted on your results. :D
nzkk
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 11:44 pm

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by nzkk »

I did a bit more playing with the 308 brass and found that there were a few pieces that would not chamber well enough to properly shoot and would cause the bolt to get stuck, requiring a lot of force to pull free. These pieces I decided to place back in the rifle followed by cartridges that would chamber properly. The pressure from the good rounds would sometimes be enough to cycle the stubborn rounds. I decided to just chuck the brass that gave problems (which out of the last 2 times I've gone shooting has been probably 6/65). Strangely the cases that resulted in malfunctions haven't been very consistent as far as I can tell in terms of headstamp.

Also for fun I have been reloading 300 savage using Shooters World Buffalo Rifle powder for reduced pressure loads. By reduced pressure, I mean close to none. The recoil feels comparable to a Daisy bb gun at about 16 grains of powder using 125gr Hornady bullets, and while they do suffer additional drop due to low velocity, I made them with the intention of using them for short range shooting with new shooters who aren't used to the standard and pretty unfriendly recoil of a regular 300 savage round. It really helped when I was getting two friends into guns with the Model 81 the last time I went.
DWalt
Posts: 513
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 1:18 pm
Location: San Antonio & Brackettville TX

Re: .300 Savage forming from .308win

Post by DWalt »

I have formed hundreds of .300 Savage cases from .308 and 7.62 NATO cases without incident. One pass through a .300 FL die is all it takes. I cut the necks of re-formed cases to length using a small tubing cutter. Works like a charm. The only cases I have experienced difficulties with are Federal's, which seem to have thicker neck walls than any others, so I don't use them. I do not enjoy the "fun" of firing full power factory equivalent loads from a M81, so the majority of my .300 Savage loads use gas-check 168 grain lead bullets, using 24 grains of IMR 4227. MV is around 2000 ft/sec, and that load doesn't sling fired cases 20 feet away. But action functioning has always been reliable.
Post Reply