300 BO or BLK reloading

[ranger]

Per the temptation of the PDW thread - I will make the 300BO move. I reload all my practice ammo - will use the 110 Barnes for serious work.

I have plenty of 300 BO brass that I collected over the years. I have plenty of 223 brass to convert with a Harbor Freight cutoff saw in route and a 3d printed jig on hand. Got some Lil Gun powder on hand from a previous project and primers. Lee dies for 300 BO just arrived. I will load on a Dillon 550.

Question is projectiles. I am thinking about using the .308 110 FMJs bulk projectiles for practice - these are originally intended for 30 Carbine. I will look for some heavier bullets for subs through my 30 caliber AAC suppressor.

Open for lessons on loading 300BO. Watching PSA for a deal on a 300BO pistol upper and I need a brace that fits on a carbine tube.

[OlongJohnson]

I like the cheepness of the RN .30 Carbine projectiles, but is there any issue with them feeding reliably in an AR? I know 5.56 can feed some fairly blunt noses, but that's still a lot smaller than a blunt .308.

I'm probably headed down this same path. I'm thinking about just buying a bag of Starline brass and a bunch of SMK or SST 125s for practice.

I also have some .44 Magnum Hornady Custom ammo and a couple boxes of bullets I would be happy to trade for any .300 BLK components.

[Joshmill]

The Speer 125 TNT's got really good reviews from what I have read. I got 500 at a good price. Haven't really loaded many yet though.

[BobM]

I’m going to get some Hornady 125FMJs when I get ready to load my own 300s. Hornadys factory load with that bullet shoots well enough in my Ruger American Ranch.

[Rick R]

.300Blk is like a goat for reloading, it will digest a lot of stuff off your reloading shelf.

I’ve got the Harbor Freight cutoff saw and guide a gent was selling over at the Blackout forum, I’ve got a couple thousand brass another guy was converting with mil surp brass, I’ve fed my guns .308 bullets ranging from 110gr to 240gr. With the 240gr bullet being one I cast myself.

FWIW, Lil Gun runs hot, as in the barrel is too hot to touch after 5 rounds and you can’t comfortably pick fired brass up with your bare hand for a minute or so. I also got better accuracy and no heat issues using W296/H110. Accurate Arms 1680 is the darling of .300Blk loaders but I could never find it in stock when I needed it. I have a pound of Hodgdon CFE BLK on my shelf, I need to knuckle down and load up some to see how well it works.

[Clusterfrack]

I’m getting ready to load 125gr with H110 and a set of Lyman MSR dies that just showed up. I only have 1lb, so fortunately it’s not a high volume cartridge. I like that this is a small base die set and comes with a case gauge.

[Tokarev]

The Speer 125 TNT's got really good reviews from what I have read. I got 500 at a good price. Haven't really loaded many yet though.These and the Sierra 125 Pro Hunters are both good. The TNTs are a bit cheaper especially when bought in the Speer bulk box.

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[mmc45414]

The Speer 125 TNT's got really good reviews from what I have read. I got 500 at a good price. Haven't really loaded many yet though.

When I asked the same question (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?37675-What-Bulk-Bullet-For-300BO&p=907402&viewfull=1#post907402) nate89 Turned me on to the TNTs. I have only loaded Qty500-600 and have not shot that many, but it seems like a nice fit.

[jeep45238]

I'm processing a bunch of brass to convert over to 300 - for those that have done the work, is there a problem with rough sizing and then cutting compared to rough trimming and then sizing?

[mmc45414]

I'm processing a bunch of brass to convert over to 300 - for those that have done the work, is there a problem with rough sizing and then cutting compared to rough trimming and then sizing?The ones I have made were sized in the 300BO die to form them before I cut them off. Seemed like I could get the saw closer to net length that way.

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[awp_101]

Question is projectiles. I am thinking about using the .308 110 FMJs bulk projectiles for practice - these are originally intended for 30 Carbine.

Could these (https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=212&category=6&secondary=36) or these (https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=266&category=6&secondary=36) be used?

[Toonces]

Question is projectiles. I am thinking about using the .308 110 FMJs bulk projectiles for practice - these are originally intended for 30 Carbine.

I couldn't make Remington 110 gr soft points work. I never could strike a balance of long enough OAL and enough bullet in the case to be secure. I was using a Lee FCD, and I had setback issues. I also tried sizing without the expander ball, so the neck was tighter on the bullet. After about six or seven attempts with visual setback or deformed necks after chambering, I called it quits before I created an issue. I don't doubt that a better and more dedicated loader could make it work, but I don't think there's going to be a lot of forgiveness for any variable.

I'd love it if someone else figured it out, because I've got 1,950+ of those stupid bullets left from a box I won at auction...

[ranger]

I ordered 500 Nosler 190 Custom Competitions "overruns" they had on sale from their Pro Shop. Will start with those (plus excuse to try subs and use my suppressor). I am going to watch for a deal on 147 or similar pulls also. Will watch for deals on 125s.

Will also look for 1680, H110, etc. powders also to try - had Lil Gun on hand for 350 Legend.

[mmc45414]

I'm processing a bunch of brass to convert over to 300 - for those that have done the work, is there a problem with rough sizing and then cutting compared to rough trimming and then sizing?

The ones I have made were sized in the 300BO die to form them before I cut them off. Seemed like I could get the saw closer to net length that way.
To elaborate a little bit, my goal was to spend less time on the trimmer. I am doing it with the process I posted about here (https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?38337-Trimmer-Motor-Hack-Perfect!!!&p=923992&viewfull=1#post923992), but still, the less time I spend holding the case while it trims the better. My hunch was that if I sized the neck down to 308 prior to cutting it off I could adjust the cutoff saw maybe a little closer.

I thought it would maybe take extra effort to size the case while it still had the shoulder on it, but I was sizing in the 650 and it was no problem. Maybe doing it in the APP there might be a noticeable extra effort? Cutting them first is probably theoretically better, but I was trying to cheat the trimmer as much as I could.

ETA: I also used my experimental process of not expanding the neck until after they had been trimmed, obviously you couldn't run the 308 expander ball down the neck until it had been cutoff.

[entropy]

Like mentioned before, I’ve used 1680 and H110. A few pounds of CFE BLK sit unopened on the shelf. You might try American Reloading for cheap pull-downs for practice. I’ve been using Remington 165gr PCLSP’s I had in bulk until I discovered an old Swiss K31 loved them. I have not had good luck with anything Nosler. The Barnes 110gr work about the best for non-practice but can be difficult to come by. Mine doesnt seem to care about brass...reformed or factory shows no difference. Then again, it’s not a precision round. Be careful with the H110 as you reach the top end, things happen quickly. I don’t load those on a progressive and I weigh the charges.

[richiecotite]

When I put together my 8.5 pistol a few months ago I was pretty much set on loading the 150 gr gold dot bullet for practice and for defense as initial unofficial reports looked good and it was cheap enough to shoot a few mags a month at the range (28 cents per bullet or so).

I’m loading a Lee Classic, and using the powder charge bar on the auto disk powder dispenser. Also using a 38/357 expander to flare the case mouth just enough to seat the bullet base.

Been using Lil Gun since I have a couple of lbs laying around. As others have mentioned Lil Gun runs hot, and with the GD bullet, a 1 grain difference between start and max loads. My shoulder can definitely tell a difference between shooting 55 gr 5.56 out of 16” barreled carbines and 150’s out of an 8.5” barrel. Not that it’s too bad, but there is noticeably more felt recoil.

I’ve seen where people really like the Speer 125’s and 130’s. I’d imagine one of those bullets loaded down the 1700-1800 FPS might be a nice target load.


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[Corse]

When I put together my 8.5 pistol a few months ago I was pretty much set on loading the 150 gr gold dot bullet for practice and for defense as initial unofficial reports looked good and it was cheap enough to shoot a few mags a month at the range (28 cents per bullet or so).

I’m loading a Lee Classic, and using the powder charge bar on the auto disk powder dispenser. Also using a 38/357 expander to flare the case mouth just enough to seat the bullet base.

Been using Lil Gun since I have a couple of lbs laying around. As others have mentioned Lil Gun runs hot, and with the GD bullet, a 1 grain difference between start and max loads. My shoulder can definitely tell a difference between shooting 55 gr 5.56 out of 16” barreled carbines and 150’s out of an 8.5” barrel. Not that it’s too bad, but there is noticeably more felt recoil.

I’ve seen where people really like the Speer 125’s and 130’s. I’d imagine one of those bullets loaded down the 1700-1800 FPS might be a nice target load.


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I have been loading the speers to about 2050 ish from a 9.5” and they are working good. Matches my SMK load. Too bad I can’t seem to find anymore of the Speer bullets anywhere.

The 150 range is the worst for 300. Too slow to match the trajectory for the 110-130s.

[JM Campbell]

I have been loading the speers to about 2050 ish from a 9.5” and they are working good. Matches my SMK load. Too bad I can’t seem to find anymore of the Speer bullets anywhere.

The 150 range is the worst for 300. Too slow to match the trajectory for the 110-130s.

Care to share your loadings for the tnt and smk? I’m running a AAC barrel kit that was available years ago. Came with the barrel, gas block and gas tube.


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[Corse]

Care to share your loadings for the tnt and smk? I’m running a AAC barrel kit that was available years ago. Came with the barrel, gas block and gas tube.


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I also have one of the AAC uppers. Either 8.5” or 9”. It is actually one of the better shooting ones I’ve tried.

Use at your own risk!:

As for loading the 125TNT (https://www.brownells.com/reloading/bullets/rifle-bullets/tnt-30-caliber-0-308-hollow-point-bullets-prod54375.aspx), I have settled on 18.2- 18.3gr (loaded on a 550) of H110 at a OAL of 2.060”. It is fairly accurate, with a 1-4 lpvo, I can manage 5-10 shot groups of 1” @ 50 yrds. Velocity is ~ 2050 FPS.

I need to re evaluate my 125 SMK load. I had a few that I loaded years ago and they say I was using 19.2 gr of H110. This load is over max for some manuals. But it is under the max for Sierra. It looks like it is all OAL dependent. They shot well, and no pressure signs were noted. Velocity was ~2050 when I tested the ones I had left.

I just found a box of 500 125 SMK buried under my bench, so I am going to run some tests with them soon.

I tried lil gun with the TNT (https://www.brownells.com/reloading/bullets/rifle-bullets/tnt-30-caliber-0-308-hollow-point-bullets-prod54375.aspx) and was not impressed. Plus, it has a reputation for excessive heat and cutting in magnum revolvers.

[RevolverRob]

I wanna run a quick follow up here -

Who is running a Squirrel Daddy cut-off jig?

Are you decapping and sizing as .223, then cutting, re-forming, and then trimming?

I'm thinking of doing the cut off jig and ordering a bunch of, not yet processed, Lake City brass. Cutting them and then decapping and forming in the same step with trimming after that?

What dies have folks settled on?

What primers are folks using?

[ranger]

I ordered a variety of 110 grain 308 for my 300BO from Natchez and they arrived last week. Hornady 110 Varmint SP, Sierra 110 HP, Speer 110 TMJ RN (30 Carbine bullets) and Branes TSX 110 (not tipped - those were sold out). Lee dies arrived and I put them in a head for the Dillon 550. Used a Lee powder drop with a bushing for 18 grains of H110. Loaded up 10 of each except the Barnes. Put a lot of lube on the bolt of the PSA 7.5 inch upper and went to range. They ALL worked first try and I was surprised as I heard the 30 Carbine bullets were problems in 300BO. Used some VN era 20 round mags - got some Lancer 20s on order. Bolt locked back - no issues. Did a rough zero on a dot I have on hand - C More slide ride. No issues 7 yards through 15 through 25 through 50. I have a few hundred 300BO brass on hand - pays to be a brass chicken. Loading up the rest of the Speer 110 TMJs and some more of the 110 SPs and HPs. Will make sure all this works and then try a few of the SPs and HPs with some more powder.

[RevolverRob]

I ordered a variety of 110 grain 308 for my 300BO from Natchez and they arrived last week. Hornady 110 Varmint SP, Sierra 110 HP, Speer 110 TMJ RN (30 Carbine bullets) and Branes TSX 110 (not tipped - those were sold out). Lee dies arrived and I put them in a head for the Dillon 550. Used a Lee powder drop with a bushing for 18 grains of H110. Loaded up 10 of each except the Barnes. Put a lot of lube on the bolt of the PSA 7.5 inch upper and went to range. They ALL worked first try and I was surprised as I heard the 30 Carbine bullets were problems in 300BO. Used some VN era 20 round mags - got some Lancer 20s on order. Bolt locked back - no issues. Did a rough zero on a dot I have on hand - C More slide ride. No issues 7 yards through 15 through 25 through 50. I have a few hundred 300BO brass on hand - pays to be a brass chicken. Loading up the rest of the Speer 110 TMJs and some more of the 110 SPs and HPs. Will make sure all this works and then try a few of the SPs and HPs with some more powder.

What OAL are running for the TMJs?

Would sure love a 110-grain .30 carbine load to run, the bullets are a damn sight cheaper than proper .308 110 spitzers.

[ranger]

What OAL are running for the TMJs?

Would sure love a 110-grain .30 carbine load to run, the bullets are a damn sight cheaper than proper .308 110 spitzers.

1.85 they were 12.99 per 100.

[mmc45414]

Who is running a Squirrel Daddy cut-off jig?

Are you decapping and sizing as .223, then cutting, re-forming, and then trimming?

I'm thinking of doing the cut off jig and ordering a bunch of, not yet processed, Lake City brass. Cutting them and then decapping and forming in the same step with trimming after that?
I have the SD jig.
I am using a 650 so I have extra stations to play with so I have one tool head setup with:

Decap
Size to 223 (no expander)
Size to 300BO (no expander)

Then I cut off in SD jig and trim with a WFT. My strategiery is I think I can do the cutoff closer and require taking off less in trimming. I also wet tumble and they dry quick with no primers. Then I run though another tool head:

Decap die with the SD expander
Charge
Nuthin (maybe Dillon powder check in future)
Seat
Crimp

I like sizing without the expander in case you stick a case. Also I have been trying with skipping champher so shoving the expander down in the neck might break the edge.

Not saying all this is The Way, and I have only done about Qty500 this way, but is what I am doing. When I am doing 223 anything that I do not like the feel of when trimming goes in the bucket for 300BO conversion.





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[Borderland]

I was thinking about cutting some brass down for awhile and loading some 300 BLK. I have thousands of 110 Speer bullets that I use for 30 carbine. Also some coated lead 110's that I will never use that I might be willing to part with. I finally just scraped the whole idea of 300 BLK because I have a 30 carbine. I was going to use 2400 for powder as I have plenty. 300 BLK with 110 really is a lot like 30 Carbine.

Never did buy a rifle but it had me going for awhile.

[RevolverRob]

I have the SD jig.
I am using a 650 so I have extra stations to play with so I have one tool head setup with:

Decap
Size to 223 (no expander)
Size to 300BO (no expander)

Then I cut off in SD jig and trim with a WFT. My strategiery is I think I can do the cutoff closer and require taking off less in trimming. I also wet tumble and they dry quick with no primers. Then I run though another tool head:

Decap die with the SD expander
Charge
Nuthin (maybe Dillon powder check in future)
Seat
Crimp

I like sizing without the expander in case you stick a case. Also I have been trying with skipping champher so shoving the expander down in the neck might break the edge.

Not saying all this is The Way, and I have only done about Qty500 this way, but is what I am doing. When I am doing 223 anything that I do not like the feel of when trimming goes in the bucket for 300BO conversion.





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Do you get the sense the SD jig is sensitive to whether the brass has been sized before cutting?

Since I’m running an App - I’m going to batch it, skipping the 223 sizing step would be nice. And since I don’t have a 223 gun, I have zero need for a 223 sizing die, except to make 300blk brass...maybe?

[mmc45414]

Do you get the sense the SD jig is sensitive to whether the brass has been sized before cutting?

Since I’m running an App - I’m going to batch it, skipping the 223 sizing step would be nice. And since I don’t have a 223 gun, I have zero need for a 223 sizing die, except to make 300blk brass...maybe?No, the jig is not sensitive, I think it is more conventional to cut the bottleneck off before you start, as you suggest. If I were you I would just get the SD jig and some Lee 300BO dies and start rocking.

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[RevolverRob]

Well, it's happening.

I just ordered reloading and quick trim dies for 300BLK along with an APP swaging kit, universal case feed, case collator, and some extra shell plates. And Brownells had 110-grain Barnes bullets in stock, so I grabbed a box of 50 to load up.

[Clusterfrack]

125 gr. Hornady FMJ seated to mid-cannelure.
18 gr. H110
Tula military rifle primers
Full length sized
Taper crimped -0.002”

Chrono: ~1800fps from 7.5” barrel.

Good ejection, not too blasty. Good practice load.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/81e52a58b28d5b25b91eff6cbceda22d.jpg

[ranger]

Another range trip - the 30 Carbine 110s worked fine again in 300BO with 18 grains H110. I used Small Pistol Magnum primers and I have some sitting around I never use - no issues. Shot about 50 more of the original 100 - will have to order more.

[mmc45414]

I just ordered reloading and quick trim dies for 300BLK along with an APP swaging kit, universal case feed, case collator, and some extra shell plates.
And I just ordered the APP, mainly to swage. But the more I thought about it I can use it for sizing either 223 or 300BO with just a decap pin, serving my scheme to not expand until ready to charge.

[Toonces]

Another range trip - the 30 Carbine 110s worked fine again in 300BO...

Would you be willing to detail your processing steps/loading equipment/gun/magazines so I can see how close I can manage as a better starting point? I tried loading Remington 110 RNs at 1.87” and then 1.79”, with a heavy Lee FCD, and my BCM upper was bending them as they fed. I got a few to fire, but once I realized how bad some of the rounds were mangled I stopped before I gave myself a “pressure event” due to setback.

[ranger]

Would you be willing to detail your processing steps/loading equipment/gun/magazines so I can see how close I can manage as a better starting point? I tried loading Remington 110 RNs at 1.87” and then 1.79”, with a heavy Lee FCD, and my BCM upper was bending them as they fed. I got a few to fire, but once I realized how bad some of the rounds were mangled I stopped before I gave myself a “pressure event” due to setback.

PSA complete upper 300 BO 7.5 inch
Anderson lower with unknown completion kit
SBA3 brace
Carbine buffer and carbine spring
Speer 110TMJ
Loaded on Dillon 550
Lee dies with their FCD
Lee disc powder drop
18 grains H110
CCI Small Pistol Magnum primers
1.85-1.86 length
Ancient (VN era?) Colt style 20 round mag
No issues, feeding, etc.

[RevolverRob]

Well, we'll see if my brass order went through - I just put in for 2000 pieces of once-fired Lake City 5.56. That should keep me and my APP busy for a while. :D

[Clusterfrack]

FYI, I am using the Lyman MSR 3 die set for 300 BLK. I'm impressed. The taper crimp die adds needed neck tension for this caliber. It includes a case gauge as well.

https://www.brownells.com/reloading/reloading-dies/rifle-dies/msr-die-set-prod116400.aspx
https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-MSR-Precision-3-Die-System/dp/B071ZQQFXQ
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71-lyH7IFzL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

[RevolverRob]

Well, we'll see if my brass order went through - I just put in for 2000 pieces of once-fired Lake City 5.56. That should keep me and my APP busy for a while. :D

My brass is going to get here a hell of a lot sooner than my dies....just got a shipping notice. If anyone needs mil-surp brass Potomac Brass was stupid fast in handling my order.

[RevolverRob]

So, I've been trolling for bullets. Obviously the TNTs are the hot ticket, but hard to get.

That said, I did come across Sinterfire's 110-grain .308 and 125-grain .308s - https://americanreloading.com/en/30-caliber-308/2436-308-110gr-frangible-sinterfire-250ct.html - These are twice the price of TNTs, but if someone is shooting on an indoor range or wanting to do close-up steel work, these might be perfect.

The trouble is, the length of these. 110-grain SFs are 150-grain-length and the 125s are the same as 168gr. That said, since you can push a 150-grain BO load to supersonic speeds, you should be able to get these 110-grain SFs to a reasonable velocity, without risking pushing them past them too fast. Actually, .300BO seems about ideal for frangible practice rounds.

I may order up 250 of these to give them a try. If they work these will be my "winter" practice load, when I can only shoot indoors.

[rca90gsx]

Tula primers....so a great accuracy primer...so I've read, really hard to find any left


125 gr. Hornady FMJ seated to mid-cannelure.
18 gr. H110
Tula military rifle primers
Full length sized
Taper crimped -0.002”

Chrono: ~1800fps from 7.5” barrel.

Good ejection, not too blasty. Good practice load.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200517/81e52a58b28d5b25b91eff6cbceda22d.jpg

[Clusterfrack]

Tula primers....so a great accuracy primer...so I've read, really hard to find any left

Yeah, it's a bummer but you can't get Tula primers anymore. I have enough that I didn't worry about using them for this batch of 300 BLK. I should probably use CCI-41 in the future, and reserve the Tulas for 6.5 Grendel and my Mk262 clone load.

[rca90gsx]

If these bullets would work, very cheap! Would they?

https://www.surplusammo.com/products/30-carbine-bullets-1000cnt-armscor-110-grain-fmj-1000-count-free-usps-shipping.html

[ranger]

If these bullets would work, very cheap! Would they?

https://www.surplusammo.com/products/30-carbine-bullets-1000cnt-armscor-110-grain-fmj-1000-count-free-usps-shipping.html

Someone will have to try them!

[RevolverRob]

So, my 5.56 brass showed up today. And I started working on a .300BLK jig. Basically, two pieces of 1x4 sandwiched together with 3/8” hole drilled in to approximately 1.4” of depth. Here, I’ll use circular saw to just rip 10 pieces of brass at once. The rounds slide out of the jig easily.

If you have a drill press a piece of 2x4 you could easily do this with a single piece in a single hole. I chose the sandwich approach, because I just have a hand drill on hand and I knew if I drilled too deep (which I did on a couple of holes) I could take up the gap by dabbing some silicone into one half of the sandwich. This let me then trim the silicone to give me pretty close to even depth. As you can see I still need to adjust them a bit more.

54537

54538

[RevolverRob]

Quick Update:

My sandwich jig sucks. It's just too inconsistent with the cuts ripping with the circular saw. Part of that is the jig and part of it is the stability of cutting.

So, I'm going to try something different for the jig. I want something very simple. I'm going to use a piece of 1.5" square aluminum tubing. Drilling a 3/8" hole on one side and having a 1/8" wall thickness will just about perfectly cut the brass down to 1.4" or so. The aluminum will be stronger and of course harder for my saw to cut into.

Then the next part is mounting it in a way to allow me to cut it consistently. For that, I think I'm going to drill perpendicular holes in the ends and bolt it to another piece of square tubing that I'll lock into my vise. That should let me rip right through without any risk of hitting the vise with the saw blade.

[RevolverRob]

MidwayUSA is showing .30 cal TNTs in stock. Shipping is steep, $14 for a box of 500.

I don't have a free shipping coupon and Midway refuses to ship me gunpowder here (they claim there is a Chicago ordinance banning the sale of smokeless powder, which is absolutely untrue), so I can't bundle for free shipping.

So, yea you guys buy them all or something. I'm pissed off about the MidwayUSA gunpowder thing. I'll probably just cut them off my list of people to buy from, their prices usually suck and they have a lot of garbage on their website anyways.

[OlongJohnson]

Look them up on gun.deals.

[RevolverRob]

Took me forever to find an active free shipping code - PM me if you want it.

In the meantime - 500 TNTs on their way to me!

[Borderland]

MidwayUSA is showing .30 cal TNTs in stock. Shipping is steep, $14 for a box of 500.

I don't have a free shipping coupon and Midway refuses to ship me gunpowder here (they claim there is a Chicago ordinance banning the sale of smokeless powder, which is absolutely untrue), so I can't bundle for free shipping.

So, yea you guys buy them all or something. I'm pissed off about the MidwayUSA gunpowder thing. I'll probably just cut them off my list of people to buy from, their prices usually suck and they have a lot of garbage on their website anyways.

Try these guys for powder. email them and see if they ship to your zip. They have my business now.

https://reloadingunlimited.com/product-category/reloading-components/powders/pistol-powders/

[RevolverRob]

Behold! My non-power tool .300BO brass maker! Cuts clean and quick. Just a plain old Rigid mini-tubing cutter for copper/brass/aluminum tubing. Is it as fast a saw? No. But because I reload in the dining room, wife adjacent, I needed something quiet. I can sit on the couch and watch TV and process brass like this with nary a sound. If you insert a piece of 5.56, put the case mouth just about flush with the body of the cutter, you get 1.37-1.38” pre-sizing brass. Plenty for sizing and trimming down.

13 bucks on Amazon, you’re welcome.

54813

54814

54815

54816

[RevolverRob]

And some product pics:

54821

54822

[TOTS]

Buddy of mine is getting out of reloading .300 BO. He has about 10ish lbs of IMR 4198 someone could get for very cheap if they are interested. PM me for his contact.

[RevolverRob]

If anyone is wondering -

You can chuck a 1/4” drive extension into a Ryobi 18v drill and use a 3/8” socket to pretty much perfectly hold a 5.56 case. This is more poor man’s annealing setup. Tempilaq on the case, butane torch, power drill.

55250

[Hambo]

Behold! My non-power tool .300BO brass maker! Cuts clean and quick. Just a plain old Rigid mini-tubing cutter for copper/brass/aluminum tubing.


I've used an antique tubing cutter on brass and aluminum arrow shafts. Patience is the key. I also use the poor man's Annealeez.

[RevolverRob]

I've used an antique tubing cutter on brass and aluminum arrow shafts. Patience is the key.

Definitely going to anneal. I've actually got some Tempilaq and a good torch kit on the way from Amazon.

My process right now:

Cut to relatively short length with tubing cutter (1.36" or so)
Form and decap
Trim back down to ~1.36"
Anneal
Load

Or at least, that will be my workflow, if FedEx ever delivers my fucking dies. FedEx decided my neighborhood is too "unsafe" and hasn't done deliveries here in nearly 10-days and won't let me pick up my package...

My understanding is that a lot of .300 brass formed from 5.56 will get split case necks in just a couple of loadings, basically due to the work hardening from cutting and reforming the brass without annealing. I could maybe get away with annealing, because I'm using all Lake City once-fired brass that was annealed initially. But why risk it? It adds a step, but I'm loading in lots of 50-100 rounds, it takes 5-seconds to anneal a case.

[entropy]

I’ve never had an issue with split cases formed from 5.56 brass, and some of my cases have been reloaded multiple, multiple MULTIPLE times. From the knowledge I’ve acquired annealing precision rifle brass, I would be more concerned about damaging the case due to over-annealing than splitting necks. Overdo it and you weaken the case head significantly. This can lead to ruptured case heads.

[RevolverRob]

I’ve never had an issue with split cases formed from 5.56 brass, and some of my cases have been reloaded multiple, multiple MULTIPLE times. From the knowledge I’ve acquired annealing precision rifle brass, I would be more concerned about damaging the case due to over-annealing than splitting necks. Overdo it and you weaken the case head significantly. This can lead to ruptured case heads.

I was only thinking of annealing the case necks. And I was under the impression the best way to do is is tempilaq and then dunk them into water.

I have plenty of brass (I bought ~2000 pieces). So I might try a lot here of a couple hundred cases without annealing and see what happens.

[ranger]

Another range trip - the 30 Carbine 110s worked fine again in 300BO with 18 grains H110. I used Small Pistol Magnum primers and I have some sitting around I never use - no issues. Shot about 50 more of the original 100 - will have to order more.

Range day Sunday afternoon with wife - orientation day for her on the AR pistol in 300BO. We shot the final 50 of the "30 Carbine" 110s FMJs with no issue. She had no issues with the 300BO. I need to order some more of the 110 FMJs. Loaded about 90 Hornady 110 Varmint SPs to have on hand.

[RevolverRob]

Range day Sunday afternoon with wife - orientation day for her on the AR pistol in 300BO. We shot the final 50 of the "30 Carbine" 110s FMJs with no issue. She had no issues with the 300BO. I need to order some more of the 110 FMJs. Loaded about 90 Hornady 110 Varmint SPs to have on hand.

Solid.

My Lee dies finally got here this morning. So, I spent time this afternoon forming some of my cut brass and doing some trimming. I guess I can finally order powder now (the last thing I need. I honestly wasn't going to bother until I had dies and bullets). Looks like the expander in my Lee dies will be just about right for Speer TNTs. I measured a random sampling of case neck diameters at 7.8mm and my TNTs are 7.7mm in diameter at the base. Should be just about perfect.

[ranger]

Solid.

My Lee dies finally got here this morning. So, I spent time this afternoon forming some of my cut brass and doing some trimming. I guess I can finally order powder now (the last thing I need. I honestly wasn't going to bother until I had dies and bullets). Looks like the expander in my Lee dies will be just about right for Speer TNTs. I measured a random sampling of case neck diameters at 7.8mm and my TNTs are 7.7mm in diameter at the base. Should be just about perfect.

I am using Lee 300BO dies with Speer, Sierra, and Hornady 110s so far. H110 Powder.

[RevolverRob]

What are folks running their trim lengths at?

Ideally, I'm running mine right about 1.36" or 34.5mm, but I have a few cases that are on the short side at 1.338-1.340'ish - which is right around 1/100th outside the SAAMI spec on length (1.348" is min for SAAMI).

I'm trying to decide if I should ditch the shorter cases, or load and fire them, knowing that they'll length when I fire them. Since .300 headspaces off of the shoulder and the 1/100th is on the neck side of the equation, I should be good, right? I think I'm overthinking this.

[EricP]

Trimming to 1.358".

I really don't know how much case neck tension and surface area is required to keep a 300 BLK from setting back, but I wouldn't really want to find out. For what that gun cost and the potential for injury, I'd ditch the brass.

[RevolverRob]

Trimming to 1.358".

I really don't know how much case neck tension and surface area is required to keep a 300 BLK from setting back, but I wouldn't really want to find out. For what that gun cost and the potential for injury, I'd ditch the brass.

Excellent point. I went through the trimmed pieces and found all of them under 34.2mm (~1.348") and tossed them. That was a grand total of 8 cases. Seems false economy to try to save 8 cases. I should've just done that to begin with.

I adjusted to cut my cases a bit longer as well to avoid this issue, so they size out on the longer side. I may need to trim a bit more, but that's fine.

Glad I asked here, I hadn't thought about neck tension and setback.

[RevolverRob]

p/CBgdbe6pPWX

[ranger]

American Reloading had 300 BO brass on sale. I just got 250 used 300 BO from Midsouth. I got stuff to make 300 from 223 but decided my time was better used reloading 223, 9, and 6XC

[entropy]

Graf’s had the Barnes 110gr Tac Tx in stock this morning when I coffee surfed. Stocked up. Picked up a few bags of the Hornady 125gr FMJ too. I need to load up a new plinker....

Anyone do Hornady 125gr FMJ?

I have data for the 125gr (120?) Barnes black tip boat tails. That would prolly be a good start subtracting 10%

Never mind. Forgot I had the Hornady book on Kindle...<shrugs shoulders>

[RevolverRob]

Midsouth Shooter Supply has 500ct 125-grain Speer TNTs in stock right now - ~76 bucks per 500, so 15.1 cents/bullet.

[LittleLebowski]

If anyone is wondering -

You can chuck a 1/4” drive extension into a Ryobi 18v drill and use a 3/8” socket to pretty much perfectly hold a 5.56 case. This is more poor man’s annealing setup. Tempilaq on the case, butane torch, power drill.

55250

Dude, I don’t even resize .300BO, let alone anneal :D

#RyobiMasterRace

[RevolverRob]

Dude, I don’t even resize .300BO, let alone anneal :D

#RyobiMasterRace

There’s no kill like overkill...

I’m using so many 18v Ryobi tools it’s ridiculous. I wonder if I can figure out a way to rig up some kind of Ryobi tool to run my press for me too?

[LittleLebowski]

There’s no kill like overkill...

I’m using so many 18v Ryobi tools it’s ridiculous. I wonder if I can figure out a way to rig up some kind of Ryobi tool to run my press for me too?

The moment you need a real press, holler. PF would be glad to give you a purpose built Lee single stage.

[entropy]

Away from the loading room, but brought my Lee turret press and basic supplies with. I loaded up
A spread of the Hornady 125gr FMJ using 1680, AA9, and H110. Goal is an inexpensive practice round using powders I have plenty of on hand. Mixed brass, plenty of former 5.56 in the mix. Hopefully find something sub-2000fps that is fairly accurate. I have the luxury of stepping out the back door where I am to test things further once I get it narrowed down. Much easier than multiple trips to the range. I had pulled the barrel and swapped to a shorter rail again to facilitate fitting the gun into a carry bag. Re-zeroed at 25yds (1.2”low) then tweaked it at 100yds. All minor adjustments, but the 90F heat slowed the process a bit. I’ll post the results.

[entropy]

MidwayUSA has the Hornady 190 SubX in stock (or at least they did) the other day. Picked up a few boxes. My pistol likes the factory loading so will try to duplicate. Data a bit scarce, but looks like 1680 is getting the nod at around 10gr.

[757_Magnum]

Midsouth has a lot of Barnes black tips available.

[JM Campbell]

Midsouth has a lot of Barnes black tips available.

Linky Linky


https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/0003530321/300-aac-blackout-300-whisper-point308-diameter-110-grain-tac-tx-fb-50-count?trk_msg=HR51CVGEQF34T4E5QLNJ3K0NN8&trk_contact=J8NKSAUCA4AFA6N9U2N309MGVG&trk_sid=5H4M77RHO8PE0QP1V1FIM6R3DO&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=turn+on+images+to+shop+barnes+300+blackou t&utm_campaign=RCBS+Chargemaster+Combo+Rebate+Saving s!


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[entropy]

58758

Unscientific results of 190gr Sub-X @ 1005fps from an 8” barrel

4 gallon jugs, entered the 5th. Pieces found in jug #2.