I really appreciate that. I was able to get some ADG brass from Mr. Sherman, and I found some Precision Hunter ammo. Peterson says they will have brass ready soon also. Thanks again to everyone who ppsted.
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Where to find 300 PRC brass
- Thread starter dragon798
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calinb
Well-Known Member
I'm tired of waiting to shoot my new 300 PRC because of no brass so I'm thinking about ordering some Hornady 416 Ruger brass (the only viable brass I can find). I also have a full length Redding S-type 300 PRC die on order with Creedmoor, which is allegedly being held for my Lapua brass to arrive to ship out my entire order but I could split my order and have Creedmoor ship it order in two shipments.
Then if I order a cheap Lee 416 full length sizer for the first sizing step, I should be able to make 300 PRC brass!
Yup--I see on the prints that the 300 PRC shoulder is pushed back slightly farther than the 375. Is the setup challenge in dealing with the shoulder push back? Might a good strategy be to not try to get the shoulder fully pushed back on the first pass with the 338 RCM die but rather concentrate on just sizing the neck to the intermediate 338 and then go to the 300 PRC die? If more shoulder push back is then required, I might try either a thinner (face milled) shell holder (which I already have for pushing back WSSM shoulders) with the 300 PRC die or I could even use my 300 RCM die (I have both 300 and 338 RCM dies) to push the shoulder back a bit more. (Being a thinner holder, shell holder contact is then not limiting in the setup).
I have some experience with necking a few cartridges up and down, but I've never made this big of a caliber change.
Should I buy more than one box of 416 brass or wait until I prove my ability to even do this. Brass supplies are scarce and becoming more scarce. Even 416 brass may not be available much longer!
I guess I could order a Hornady overall length Modified 300 PRC case too, which might help me to setup the 338 RCM die.
Thanks for any feedback and thoughts.
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It's much easier to push the shoulder back using the largest neck diameter die you have. The best way to reduce the number of crushed cases would be to mill a bit off the base of a either a 375 or 416 die (or both) and use those to push the shoulder back. Using the large diameter die means you're not trying to push as much of the shoulder back all at once.
The 338 RCM die works, but I would take about 4 passes on each case, screwing the die in about 1/4 turn and rotating the brass each time. Keep the case lube off the shoulder and use a lanolin/alcohol mixture for best results.
The 338 RCM die works, but I would take about 4 passes on each case, screwing the die in about 1/4 turn and rotating the brass each time. Keep the case lube off the shoulder and use a lanolin/alcohol mixture for best results.
calinb
Well-Known Member
Instead of milling a bit off the base of the die, I've milled a bit off the top face of a shell holder. It produces the same result--the shell holder contacts the die later and the shoulder can be pushed harder. Redding even sells sets of under-size shell holders but I used my mill to customized a magnum shell holder for my 243 WSSMs long before I learned of the under-size Redding shell holders.
I'll order some lanolin off Ebay. Is the lanolin / alcohol lube better than Imperial SIzing Wax?
It sounds like I should make about 4 pases with each of the 375 Ruger > 338 RM > 300 PRC dies and the also use my milled shell holder to permit the last pass with each die to be stronger. Maybe I'll buy a 416 die too, as you suggested. It makes sense to get the shoulder pushed back in as many steps as possible. Each time the neck is sized down a step, more shoulder must be created from previous neck brass, right? The milled shell holder provides more "push potential" with all the dies without having to mill each of the dies. It would be nice to have 416, 375 and 300 case length/headspace gauges to use after each step too. Then I could measure the amount of shoulder pushback I achieved, but that would be getting crazy expensive, even if I could find a source for them in today's market. Maybe I can use my new Hornady Headspace Comparator Kit to check my progress at each step. I think it might even be more useful than case gauges, because it's neck size "agnostic".
I've never understood why it happens but I guess lube on the shoulder makes dented cases and that's why you recommended not getting lube on the shoulder, right?
I'm trying to better understand all of this and your help is most appreciated, yorke-1, and I think I'm going to go for it!
The modified shell holder will help. How much did you take off it? I go fairly redneck with my case forming and I've actually taken a spare 375 Ruger die over to the bench grinder and just taken roughly .150" off the bottom of the die then chamfered the opening. The measurement doesn't need to be critical as long as it's not making contact with the shell holder.
I spent a lot of time playing with wildcats in the AR platform like the 6mm Dasher, 6.5 BRX, and 270 AR, and I formed all of those cases by shortening 6.5x47 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmoor brass. I got a TON of practice with pushing case shoulders back and learned a lot of lessons by ruining a lot of brass! LOL
The lube can't be compressed, so it makes dents in the shoulder. When you start pushing the shoulder back, those dents will become wrinkles that will fold over and ruin the case. You'll want to use the lube sparingly and pull the die out periodically to clean the lube out of the die. The lanolin/alcohol mixture works well because it leaves a very thin layer of lube on the case which doesn't collect in the die as quickly as Imperial does. Honestly, Imperial Sizing Wax has worked better for me on the case necks when necking down in large steps (from 338-308) and the lanolin works better on the case body when making major changes to the shoulder angle or case taper.
I spent a lot of time playing with wildcats in the AR platform like the 6mm Dasher, 6.5 BRX, and 270 AR, and I formed all of those cases by shortening 6.5x47 Lapua and 6.5 Creedmoor brass. I got a TON of practice with pushing case shoulders back and learned a lot of lessons by ruining a lot of brass! LOL
calinb
Well-Known Member
A lot of my reloading gear has been in storage for the last three years. I'm trying to find the time to get my benches setup again now. I need to find that shell holder and measure how much I removed, because I don't recall but I'm sure it was nowhere near 0.150". I'll probably need to remove more material for this project. I previously removed only enough material to make pushing WSSM shoulders back a little easier/possible. WSSM neck and shoulder brass is thick! I also bored-out a full length WSSM die a little to not resize the body. I wanted to just neck size but I found that I still needed to push the shoulder back after each firing. A Forster "bump and bush" die would've worked but going "redneck" is sometimes faster, cheaper and just as good!
The shoulder dents hazard has always puzzled me. These are some great tips and knowledge you're providing to me here, yorke-1! Thanks.
I was very interested in the 270AR, but never built one. I did however download and archive the entire 270AR thread from the forum, which was later pulled due to legal threats involving the fat / short cartridge patent nonsense.
I'll take it slow and proceed cautiously. Today's reloading supplies market is very punishing of ruining brass or even other activities like wasting primers and powder just to fire-form cases!
I have about 125 Hornady once fired 300 PRC. They are cleaned and polished. I'll sell the lot for $125 + shipping.
