What tools do I need to use 308 brass in my 260 rem?

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Hay guys I need some advice I have a 260rem on the way and about 2000 pecies of 308 brass.

I dont see the need to buy 260rem brass when I have so much 308. Do I need to get a neck turning tool or will I be ok just running them through the 260 dies and triming them to length?

Jon

 

[boomtube]

"What tools do I need to use 308 brass in my 260 rem?"

A .260 FL die to run it into and a good case lube.

I prefer one of the wax lubes such as Imperial or Unique but lubes from Lyman, RCBS, and Lee work well too.

It HELPS to use an inrtemediate die such as a 7-08 in your case but it can be done in a single step without loosing a lot of them. If I were planning to make a lot of 308 into 260 and had no 7-08 available I'd get a set of Lee RGB 7-08 dies just for that purpose.

Load a dummy round with one of your newly formed cases, mike the neck so see that it isn't too thick. That's not likely but it can happen. Checking length is always in order.

If it needs turning, that's not hard either. I bellive the Forser HOT-100 (Handheld tool with a carbide cutter and a micrometer adjustment) is as good as they get and it's not very expensive either. Mine came from Midway at about $45, IIRC. But, again, I doubt you will need that step.

You will need to anneal the down sized necks to prevent premature splits. Don't over heat them, the commonly used RED HOT necks are FAR too hot!

 

[Wild_Bill]

Hi i have necked donw thousands of 308 cases to 243 and just used an old RCBS full length sizinf die if you lube the necks their should be no cases damaged.

Just lube them up and neck them down then load and shoot.

Some of the cases were military berdan cases shot through L2A2 Slr's M14's M1A's Valmets and bolt rifles the case heads had marks from the bolts of all of the rifles then i loaded them another 5 times in243 and did not anneal any or loose any. It would be fun to drop one of those cases in front of a police ferensic so called expert their heads would be spinning all have a destinctive mark left on the case then to be in 243 that would realy have them scratching their heads as the cases were Australian Military from the early 1970's.

Cheers Bill
Australia

 

[Dano1]

Boomtube is right, a intermediate die like a 7mm-08 would help, but I think just running them trough a .260 Rem die would work. I actually use .308 Lake city Match brass for making my .243 Ackley improved brass. Neck turning is a must for that rifle. I'd look at turning your necks if needed. If not. even better.

Dan

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

This is LC 308 match once fired I lubed them up and ran them through my redding dies. I think It looks fine. I dont know how to tell If I have thick necks?

 

[boomtube]

"I dont know how to tell If I have thick necks?"

The "new" cases look fine.

Few of us have a tubing micrometer so, to check for too thick, seat a bullet in a couple and read the neck thickness with a micrometer or dial caliper. If they are .297" or less you are ok. But prove it by "painting" the necks with a felt tip marker, chamber the dummies and extract them, then check to see of the marker is rubbed off completely around the neck. Anything less than a complete circule rub is okay to shoot, otherwise turn the necks until they are less than .297" in loaded diameter.

Don't worry about a snug or "lumpy" looking shoulders, that will correct on the first firing! Use normal loads to fire form your .260 brass.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I seated some 140g Berger VLDs and took the readings .294, .295, .296. I wont have the first rifle for at least a month so I cant to the test with the marker but I will write it down thank you guys.

 

[Wild_Bill]

The cases look fine i would just square them all up on a trimmer to clean the old crimped case mouth up then deur them. I would also look at the 123gr projectiles the 140's are a bit heavy for a 260 and we have found that a 260 generaly works best with a projectile arounf the 120-123gr in weidht also this keeps the powder capacity up especialy if you are using military cases that start out with less capacity to start with. As for the neck diameter you should be fine without neck turning.

Cheers Bill
Australia

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Wild_Bill

Why do you use the 120g bullets over the 140s? This is going to be my first rifle thats not a 30cal so I have a lot of learning to do. I have read everything I can on the 6.5 and it seams like most guys use a 140g bullet in there 260.

 

[oldfamily]

Try the 139 lapua bullets. Buddy has one that he is hitting dimes at 500 yards with, not every time but **** close to every time.

 

[Wild_Bill]

We ahve found in F Class that the 120gr class just seem to shoot the long ranges better but diferent rifles behave diferently the Lapua 123's shoot well the 123 Sierra and even the 120 A Max are all great and feed well through a mag. Try the projectiles you have but dont forget to try the slightly lighter ones you might be surprised.

Cheers Bill

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

WildBill

Thanks I guess there reason I havent considered the lighter bullets as I am building the rifle for hunting and it seams the trend in the 260 for longrange hunting is the 130-140g bulets not saying a 120 wont do the job but I am just unsure as of yet.

I was going to use Berger but there are hard to come buy James Jones told me about JLK bullets and I have decided they are a better value but in 6.5 there are only 2 choice 130 and 140 both with the same BC. So I dont know what one to pick? IM

 

[Wild_Bill]

I think the JLC's should be great i think if the 130 and 140's nave the same BC definately use the 130's as they will fly faster and give you less drop less wind drift and at the long ranges even retain more energy than the 140's they are also a beter weight for the 260. You should have a great combo. What action are you running this on? if it is a Rem 700 i would get a longer mag box fitted so you can take advantage of loading the projectiles out to get more case capacity as the 260 need all the help to get the best performance it also allows you to load the projectile in front of the doghnut.

Cheers Bill

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

I have two on the way one on a rem 700SA and another on a Mcmillan both have wayatts mag boxes installed.

I was thinking the 130s as well its BC is .620 the 140s BC is .630 not much diffrence I was wrong before thinking they were the same.