.308 to .260 Remington

[VaRandy]

I know that a lot of people have turned down .308 to .260 Remington. My question is: Doesn't that leave a doughnut to deal with. I know there are some commercial brass formers that do this kind of service. Am interested in having someone turn 100 special new cases down to .260, turn the necks down and make sure no doughnuts.

Who does this kind of work?

 

[Sniper338]

I know that a lot of people have turned down .308 to .260 Remington. My question is: Doesn't that leave a doughnut to deal with. I know there are some commercial brass formers that do this kind of service. Am interested in having someone turn 100 special new cases down to .260, turn the necks down and make sure no doughnuts.

Who does this kind of work?

Must be special cases to go through that work when you can just get lapua from the get go...

 

[savagedasher]

I like necking up 243 brass . Larry

 

[Scott Harris]

I know that a lot of people have turned down .308 to .260 Remington. My question is: Doesn't that leave a doughnut to deal with. I know there are some commercial brass formers that do this kind of service. Am interested in having someone turn 100 special new cases down to .260, turn the necks down and make sure no doughnuts.

Who does this kind of work?

neck is formed into shoulder when necking down...donuts not an issue. you get donuts when necking up. that said, its easier to neck up using a mandrel. necking down usually requires you to do it in several steps, otherwise cases get crushed.

 

[ShootDots]

I know that a lot of people have turned down .308 to .260 Remington. My question is: Doesn't that leave a doughnut to deal with. I know there are some commercial brass formers that do this kind of service. Am interested in having someone turn 100 special new cases down to .260, turn the necks down and make sure no doughnuts.

Who does this kind of work?

Darrel Jones of "DJ's Brass Service" who is on this forum, does excellent work. He advertises on here so getting in touch with him is easy..

 

[savagedasher]

neck is formed into shoulder when necking down...donuts not an issue. you get donuts when necking up. that said, its easier to neck up using a mandrel. necking down usually requires you to do it in several steps, otherwise cases get crushed.

Not to disagree but how do you get donut from necking up ? Larry

 

[msinc]

I have formed close to 1000 260 Rem cases using once fired Lake City LR brass. I have never bought or even shot actual 260 cases and had zero problems. I clean them, anneal all of them and then full length size first in a 308 then in a 7mm-08 die and go to the 260. Again, never had a problem. In fact, the last time I did 75 or so I full length sized in the 308 then sized right to 260 and skipped the 7mm-08 die....couldn't tell the difference.
I would suggest that if you have both dies, 308 full length and 260 why not lube up a few cases and try it...what's the worst that can happen??? You ruin 8 or 10 cases??? Trust me, you wont.

 

[Carolina Hillbilly]

I have used Lapua 308 Palma to make 260 cases, because I wanted the small primer setup. I simply annealed them and ran them into a Redding 260 die with the ball expander in place. I lubed a little heavy with one shot. The neck was about .002" larger on the loaded round than regular 260 Lapua cases, but still plenty of room in a factory Savage LRP chamber. Case capacity was slightly more (.6 grains) in my formed cases, before firing. No ignition problems in 30 degree weather with RL17, CCI 450 primers.

 

[sbhooper]

I have made all of my .260 cases from Hornady Match .308 cases, as I have a nearly unlimited access to them. I just pass them through the .260 die and turn the neck to get rid of the donut. I am not sure that is even necessary, but that is what I do. They perform flawlessly in my rifle.

Free, or cheap .308 cases really beat paying Lapua prices for .260 brass.

 

[JLT]

I have formed close to 1000 260 Rem cases using once fired Lake City LR brass. I have never bought or even shot actual 260 cases and had zero problems. I clean them, anneal all of them and then full length size first in a 308 then in a 7mm-08 die and go to the 260. Again, never had a problem. In fact, the last time I did 75 or so I full length sized in the 308 then sized right to 260 and skipped the 7mm-08 die....couldn't tell the difference.
I would suggest that if you have both dies, 308 full length and 260 why not lube up a few cases and try it...what's the worst that can happen??? You ruin 8 or 10 cases??? Trust me, you wont.

I've used the same process. Pull the expander balls out of the .308 sizing die and the 7mm-08 die (optional step) and it works just fine. I neck turn before necking down to .260 - my .260 AI chamber has a .294 neck. No problems at all with LC and IMI brass. I really like the IMI brass, BTW.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Not to disagree but how do you get donut from necking up ? Larry

Because the brass in the shoulder is thicker than that of the neck. When you expand the neck diameter up, you use brass from the shoulder to do it...the top of the shoulder does in fact move down, leaving less shoulder on the case. It didn't vanish...it went to form the now larger neck. Will leave a doughnut every time. Most people use a neck turner with a mandrel in the neck to turn the doughnut away. The mandrel should be a tight fit so as to push the doughnut to the outside so it can be turned off. This method uniforms both inside and out at the same time. A few ream the doughnut out.

 

[savagedasher]

Because the brass in the shoulder is thicker than that of the neck. When you expand the neck diameter up, you use brass from the shoulder to do it...the top of the shoulder does in fact move down, leaving less shoulder on the case. It didn't vanish...it went to form the now larger neck. Will leave a doughnut every time. Most people use a neck turner with a mandrel in the neck to turn the doughnut away. The mandrel should be a tight fit so as to push the doughnut to the outside so it can be turned off. This method uniforms both inside and out at the same time. A few ream the doughnut out.

Would you not have to turn the neck because you have made the neck thicker ?
My point is if the neck get thicker you must turn the neck . Why wouldn't you have to do the same expanding up . That is why turning the neck you always bump on to the shoulder . Larry

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Would you not have to turn the neck because you have made the neck thicker ?
My point is if the neck get thicker you must turn the neck . Why wouldn't you have to do the same expanding up . That is why turning the neck you always bump on to the shoulder . Larry

That can work when neck turning before necking up. It's not my preferred method. Other than in the doughnut area, why would brass that is expanded up get thicker?
I do have a general rule that I adhere to in regard to neck turning. That's if I neck up or down, I will turn necks and spec my reamers based on this general rule. This is to uniform the neck after necking up or down. As to needing to neck turn for thicker brass..that depends on the chamber neck diameter.

That leads me to another point about doughnuts. I don't feel that they hurt anything if you have one or both of two aspects of the chamber properly cut with the doughnut in mind. Those being a freebore amount that will not let the bullet come in contact with the doughnut or having generous enough chamber neck diameter that the doughnut forms and stays on the outside of the case neck, again to make sure that the bullet can not come into contact with it. This requires bushing dies and NOT sizing the doughnut area back inside the neck. This is JMHO and YMMV. Of course with this method, you're working the neck more when firing and sizing.

 

[savagedasher]

Donuts are going to happen when you shoot brass reguadless wheathe you neck up or down . You can deal with them by seating the bullet foward of them .
I do a double step neck my bump sizeing die does the od of the neck to the shoulder . My bushing die does how much of the neck I want for seating . It will do the same if I neck up or down . Larry

 

[VaRandy]

I do use Lapua now and love them. Want to find how how RWS brass compares in no of reloads each will give and to compare consistency. I turn necks for all my sticks. My chamber is .297 and I load to .2945.

Must be special cases to go through that work when you can just get lapua from the get go...

 

[msinc]

I've used the same process. Pull the expander balls out of the .308 sizing die and the 7mm-08 die (optional step) and it works just fine. I neck turn before necking down to .260 - my .260 AI chamber has a .294 neck. No problems at all with LC and IMI brass. I really like the IMI brass, BTW.

Yep, neck turning just before you do the final size is a great idea...helps to get the neck sized evenly and correctly "as turned" and saves not having it this way until it is once fired. Good tip!!!! Pulling the expander balls is another good idea...why work the case necks anymore than you need to???

 

[Liven The Dream]

243 Winchester was my go to brass ...
even 260 to 260impv.

 

[ranger3]

I tried this, crushed cases with 7 08, I will try annealing and see how that goes. So far not good.

 

[loneranger04]

I used to shoot .308 then moved to the .260 and had some leftover Lapua brass so I tried necking them down to .260. I annealed then used generous amount of Imperial die wax and ran them through a .260 Redding body die then necked sized with my Lee collet. I had a donut in the shoulder area however after firing once the donut came out. The biggest problem I have is the necks are a little short after doing this. I've used these for practice rounds without any problems and to foul the bore after cleaning it. Actually can't tell the difference in group size between these and standard .260 Lapua brass.

 

[loneranger04]

I used to shoot .308 then moved to the .260 and had some leftover Lapua brass so I tried necking them down to .260. I annealed then used generous amount of Imperial die wax and ran them through a .260 Redding body die then necked sized with my Lee collet. I had a donut in the shoulder area however after firing once the donut came out. The biggest problem I have is the necks are a little short after doing this. I've used these for practice rounds without any problems and to foul the bore after cleaning it. Actually can't tell the difference in group size between these and standard .260 Lapua brass.