Small base die for 308

[6BRinNZ]

Is it common to get a reamer that requires a small base die for 308?

Is there any advantage to going the small base die route with a 308 for FTR?

 

[amlevin]

Only benefit I am aware of to a "small base die" is for the autoloading .308 rifles. Helps insure that the cartridge allows the bolt to fully into battery with no resistance. Other advantages??? Can't see them.

 

[bigedp51]

In 46 years of reloading I have NEVER had the need for small base dies in a standard commercial chambered rifle.

NOTE: The military .308/7.62 chamber is .0025 larger in diameter than a standard SAAMI .308 chamber. The only reason for a small base die in 7.62 NATO is for oversized cases that were fired in a M240 machine gun. (and this is a one time operation)

Below are some .308/7.63 chamber sizes to better answer your question.

 

[2506]

I got hold of a Rem 700 with a Heart varmint barrel 21 1/2" long. It was built many years ago as a hunter class bench rest rifle. It is a tight neck chamber and it has a very tight chamber that you need to use a small base sizer with most new cases. It shoots so well that I will not mess with the chamber so I just use the SB die and turn the necks. I now use it as a deer hunting rifle. It handles really well even though it is a bit heavy.

 

[6BRinNZ]

In 46 years of reloading I have NEVER had the need for small base dies in a standard commercial chambered rifle.

Thanks - it will be a custom FTR rig shooting heavies.

 

[jonbearman]

Are you having trouble chambering new brass or fired brass.It could be a bump problem.

 

[6BRinNZ]

Are you having trouble chambering new brass or fired brass.It could be a bump problem.

No issues just a question to see what people are doing.

 

[ar10ar15man]

to get better , more meaningful answers...
tell us what the gun is..and what you plan to do with it...
.generic questions get generic answer...which tend to be useless in specific cases...

 

[Shynloco]

In 46 years of reloading I have NEVER had the need for small base dies in a standard commercial chambered rifle.

Thanks - it will be a custom FTR rig shooting heavies.

Great point on custom rigs. Lake City Match .308 brass sometimes requires a Small Base FL Die to get to the correct base diameter to chamber the casing, depending of course on your chamber.

 

[Jeffvn]

I never needed a small base die on a .308 until I tried to make use of brass from Rifle #1 in Rifle #2. The chamber in Rifle #1 was just large enough that the brass used in that rifle, even when full-sized, did not want to go into the 95 palma chamber cut into Rifle #2. Small base die used once fixed the problem.

Lesson learned either use the same reamer for all my .308s, or keep the small base die handy.

Jeffvn

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

I have been using a Redding small base bushing die for the match ammo in my F-TR rifles. My reason for doing that is to obtain the longest possible case life while shooting near-max loads in tight chambers.

Most recently, after 8 firings my Lapua brass was still able to hold a primer and the OD above the extraction groove was exactly the same as my new batch of Lapua brass I'm now using in my latest rifle.

Please note that my reason for using the S/B die was not to keep the primer pocket tight; I was only hoping to keep the case dimensions as close to virgin as possible that way my loads would be consistent throughout the life of the brass. It may not be helping to keep the primer pocket usable, but I'm sure it's not hurting it.

I use an S/B die exclusively and it presents no more effort to resize than a regular die.

 

[Cody Richardson]

I have to use it in my palma rifle, it has the 2011 fullbore chamber, my Winchester brass chambers fine but I have to use the sb die for the Lapua brass.

 

[spclark]

In 46 years of reloading I have NEVER had the need for small base dies in a standard commercial chambered rifle.

No surprise, they're usually pretty generous in dimension. Where SB dies come in handy is for some Palma chambers, which can be on the minimum-dimension side for 308.

Type of case lube plays a part too I've learned. I used to use Imperial very sparingly & had issues. Switching to RCBS liquid stuff (the kind you apply to a foam pad; on the advice of a well-known rifle builder) resolved the problem without my having to go to using an SB die... so of course I have two now that don't get used anymore....

 

[people]

I had a Savage 99e that needed a small base die. I tried and tried and never could get a regular die to work. I also had a two mini14 rifles. One had a chamber so large you could almost stick 308 in it. The other was so tight only new factory ammo worked all the time. I used a small base in that rifle and it helped lots but that chamber was so tight I never was happy with it.

Most rifles that are comerical you will never need them but on some yes you do.

 

[bigedp51]

I have been using a Redding small base bushing die for the match ammo in my F-TR rifles. My reason for doing that is to obtain the longest possible case life while shooting near-max loads in tight chambers.

Most recently, after 8 firings my Lapua brass was still able to hold a primer and the OD above the extraction groove was exactly the same as my new batch of Lapua brass I'm now using in my latest rifle.

Please note that my reason for using the S/B die was not to keep the primer pocket tight; I was only hoping to keep the case dimensions as close to virgin as possible that way my loads would be consistent throughout the life of the brass. It may not be helping to keep the primer pocket usable, but I'm sure it's not hurting it.

I use an S/B die exclusively and it presents no more effort to resize than a regular die.

At the "The Rifleman's Journal" Mr. Salazar in one of his articles stated one of his shooting buddies stated the following and I had a good laugh.

Mr. Salazar friend stated he got his best accuracy when..............
"The case fit the chamber like a rat turd in a violin case". ;D

 

[Innovative]

99.9% of the time a small base die is not needed. In fact, they are never needed for a properly cut chamber. The problem comes when handloads are made without concern for the "shoulder clearance" in your particular chamber. If you want to be sure your handloads will always chamber, AND you want them to fit perfectly . . . . take a look at the Digital Headspace Gauge.

 

[bigedp51]

And for us poor folk there is always plan "B" that works for sure also. :

I only use the Hornady case gauge now and the Wilson case gages are now used for paper weights and pen holders. ;D

And these get oiled and put in a ziplock bag for storage.

 

[Innovative]

Unlike the Redding Competition Shellholders, the Skip's Die Shims are not limited to certain calibers. That makes the die shims a much more affordable deal. Unfortunately, those particular die shims don't include .001" and .002"shims (very handy sizes).