Reloading steel cases?

[hoz53]

If you are talking about a CTME or an H&K on an other gun with a fluted chamber. I understand entirely!!!! I have avoided these guns cause they abuse brass so badly. I think that would be a cool experiment. Maybe if Hornaday still makes the steel cased ammo, you could buy some and shoot it up and reload the empties. Then see how many times they can be reloaded. I understand you now and this may be an excellent idea.

yes that is what im taliking about-- i had one before and now just got another so i knew what id be in for. the hornady idea is good since they have boxer brass. very rarely do i buy factory loads but i bought some tula to try in this gun. ill report how it works out. thanks

ill look for some of the hornady to

 

[joshb]

I'm just worried about neck tension. With a bolt gun, you can "gently" chamber the round. That semi could jamb a bullet back into the shell on chambering and you wouldn't know it, until you pulled the trigger.
The whole point is to have fun and be safe. My wife is on me cause I'm spending "too much time on this stock building thing". I spend 5 hours in the shop and 2 hours posting the descriptions. Doesn't seem that bad. Am I "neglecting her"? Yeah, maybe? Oh well. I'm having fun! It'll be finished soon and then I'll go shoot the new builds!

 

[hoz53]

I'm just worried about neck tension. With a bolt gun, you can "gently" chamber the round. That semi could jamb a bullet back into the shell on chambering and you wouldn't know it, until you pulled the trigger.
The whole point is to have fun and be safe. My wife is on me cause I'm spending "too much time on this stock building thing". I spend 5 hours in the shop and 2 hours posting the descriptions. Doesn't seem that bad. Am I "neglecting her"? Yeah, maybe? Oh well. I'm having fun! It'll be finished soon and then I'll go shoot the new builds!

time flys for me when im in the shop 2 hours go by and it seems like a few minutes. I didnt know you were spending that much time and i and im sure alot of others sure appreciate it. Dont want to mess up your domestic tranquility though. I wonder how many guys are doing the build. you could update less frequently. OK you mean neck tension on the steel reloads--thanks ill watch for that. i bet some steel factory loads are crimped-- part of wat im trying to find out--thanks

 

[ebb]

I hand mine the Lancaster archery catalog and the credit card and all is well.

 

[joshb]

Oh, I'm with you there. I hit the shop, get busy and all of a sudden it's lunch time. I'm in my element. I'd be there making stocks, anyway. No big problems on the home front. Just the "normal" back and forth from 30 years of marriage She's always got some minor gripe. She really just wants some attention. I think the tutorial is worth doing. This forum covers a lot of ground, but I never saw anything on stock building. I'm not a great shooter yet, but this forum has helped me in a big way. This is how I can give back, in a small way. My parents were both teachers. Guess a little rubbed off. The build is very close to being done. Just a few more steps. I sent out 28 sets of plans, so a lot of guys are doing them. One set went to New Zealand. What I need to do is figure out how to attach a down load able plan to the thread.
On the steel cases: Yes, I'm worried about neck tension. You're in uncharted territory! You need those fingers!

 

[ebb]

I don't see this as a problem. Any standard rifle die has a crimp feature, this is not a good thing on a bolt action. But he is reloading for a Battle rifle, that accuracy is not the only feature strived for. If I were going to try this I would set the seater die to make a slight crimp to make sure the bullets didn't move while being bounced around in the magazine, and get pushed in during the chambering process. In this rifle if might not even be a bad idea to use a full crimp. A full crimp may raise pressure so the charge may have to be lower than the current load. I don't know if changing to steel cases will raise or lower pressure but checking H2O volume of the brass cases used to develop the current load versus the steel cases would be on my to do list before I loaded anything. The crimp and case volume effect on pressure may mean that a substantial change in charge weight is necessary.

 

[hoz53]

I don't see this as a problem. Any standard rifle die has a crimp feature, this is not a good thing on a bolt action. But he is reloading for a Battle rifle, that accuracy is not the only feature strived for. If I were going to try this I would set the seater die to make a slight crimp to make sure the bullets didn't move while being bounced around in the magazine, and get pushed in during the chambering process. In this rifle if might not even be a bad idea to use a full crimp. A full crimp may raise pressure so the charge may have to be lower than the current load. I don't know if changing to steel cases will raise or lower pressure but checking H2O volume of the brass cases used to develop the current load versus the steel cases would be on my to do list before I loaded anything. The crimp and case volume effect on pressure may mean that a substantial change in charge weight is necessary.

thats what i thought for any steel case loads- i will get caneleured bullets and crimp them. i may even get a lee factory crimp die. i will work up from starting loads. thats a good idea to check H2O volume- ill do that. i wonder how different case expansion will be-- will find out. thanks

 

[hoz53]

Oh, I'm with you there. I hit the shop, get busy and all of a sudden it's lunch time. I'm in my element. I'd be there making stocks, anyway. No big problems on the home front. Just the "normal" back and forth from 30 years of marriage She's always got some minor gripe. She really just wants some attention. I think the tutorial is worth doing. This forum covers a lot of ground, but I never saw anything on stock building. I'm not a great shooter yet, but this forum has helped me in a big way. This is how I can give back, in a small way. My parents were both teachers. Guess a little rubbed off. The build is very close to being done. Just a few more steps. I sent out 28 sets of plans, so a lot of guys are doing them. One set went to New Zealand. What I need to do is figure out how to attach a down load able plan to the thread.
On the steel cases: Yes, I'm worried about neck tension. You're in uncharted territory! You need those fingers!

will be great to see the pics. i have wanted to do a stock for quite awhile and watched some videos so your class came at just the right time for me. is finishing part of the class and do you use an orbital or a sheet sander? ill be careful with the steel cases. Thanks

 

[joshb]

Yes. I use Dewalt orbitals down to 600 grit for the flats and big curves. The tight, small areas take up most of your sanding time. Multiple hours with the 150, 180, 220, etc. to 600 grit on the grip, trigger area and other detail spots. I sometimes do that with a towel on my lap, in front of the evening tv shows.

 

[Shaggy357]

I am wondering if anyone has tried reloading steel bottle neck rifle cases and if it worked and what different procedures you used compared to brass. Im not talking here about berdan priming. More about the working of the case(sizing) I wonder if steel cases would wreck our standard sizing dies among other things. Thanks

I won't shoot steel cased ammo in my guns. Reloading steel cases crossed my mind, but it didn't last long.

 

[sparky123321]

To heck with the dies. Steel cases in and out of my very expensive SS or CM barrels/chambers I think not!

 

[hoz53]

To heck with the dies. Steel cases in and out of my very expensive SS or CM barrels/chambers I think not!

I 100% agree with you i only use them in mil style semiautos with factory or inexpensive barrels.

 

[hoz53]

I won't shoot steel cased ammo in my guns. Reloading steel cases crossed my mind, but it didn't last long.

sure wont shoot it in most of my guns but am going to try it in one or two. Its not something im planning on doing alot. I just want to see what it takes to do it.

 

[ebb]

Yea after some research maybe this isn't going to work. Midway has Hornaday steel match in 308 with 155 HPBT bullets, it is $45 for 50 rounds and is Berdan primed. Good surplus 308 is way cheaper and then there is the Berdan priming. I don't know if any of the Russian ammo is boxer primed, that may be an option. I've read of people reaming a primer pocket into the Berdan brass and even though it doesn't make a clean pocket they stuff a boxer primer in and shoot them. The people that do this do it for obsolete calibers that no brass is available for. Maybe some cheap military brass and some kind of degreaser when its time to reload?

 

[hoz53]

Yes. I use Dewalt orbitals down to 600 grit for the flats and big curves. The tight, small areas take up most of your sanding time. Multiple hours with the 150, 180, 220, etc. to 600 grit on the grip, trigger area and other detail spots. I sometimes do that with a towel on my lap, in front of the evening tv shows.

Ok thanks for that info-ill get the orbital. you dont get saw dust all over the house do you? I bet the wife wouldnt like that to good.

Yea after some research maybe this isn't going to work. Midway has Hornaday steel match in 308 with 155 HPBT bullets, it is $45 for 50 rounds and is Berdan primed. Good surplus 308 is way cheaper and then there is the Berdan priming. I don't know if any of the Russian ammo is boxer primed, that may be an option. I've read of people reaming a primer pocket into the Berdan brass and even though it doesn't make a clean pocket they stuff a boxer primer in and shoot them. The people that do this do it for obsolete calibers that no brass is available for. Maybe some cheap military brass and some kind of degreaser when its time to reload?

Thanks for checking into this stuff. I just shot some of the Tulammo berdan primed steel case ammo. Cost was 180.00 for 500 to my door. I was surprised the cases were not damaged nearly as much as i anticipated by the ptr91 rifle. a few dents and a little rim mark but all defineatly reuseable. im thinking i could take a magnet on a stick to pick up/find the cases. Anyway ive been able to remove the primers without hurting the cases and also size the cases. The only fly in the soup i see right now is getting the primers. None of the places ive checked online has them. Tulammo shows them on their site -i will call them-- was hoping to buy them along with other stuff because of the hazmat. ive seen videos of people modifying the pocket to. im not going to do that. ill concentrate on the primers for now. Another thing ive learned from this is there appears to be many different sizes of berdan primers. im gonna put a scope on this gun so i can see how accurate it is and compare the accuracy of the steel cases with some brass cased handloads. ill report how it goes-- Thanks

 

[ebb]

When I was reading about Berdan primers, Old Western Scrounger was the go to place to get Berdan primers. This info is many years old so take it for what its worth.

 

[1lnbrdg]

I always reloaded the brass shot from my H&K 91, no issues even with the dent. I didn't have any issues with the fluted chamber though mine was mainly discoloration.

Boxer primed steel cases are reloadable 1 time in my experience, get a lot of neck splitting when trying to resize on the 2nd reload. Those were .223 not .308 though.

Boxer primed steel .45 ACP cases are reloadable also, same 1-time. They are worse trying to reload the 2nd time, almost all of them split when you bell them just a little.

 

[ebb]

Do any of the steel cases use boxer primers?

 

[1lnbrdg]

Yes, come of the steel case ammo has boxer primers.