[Bill T]

I just picked up a set of RCBS Small Base Reloading Dies in .308 to compliment my RCBS Competition Die set in that same caliber. My reason for this is I have recently acquired 2 new Springfield Armory M-1A rifles. A National Match, and a SOCOM 16. I also reload .308 for 2 Savage bolt actions, a Model 10-FP, and a Model 12-F/TR. My question is will I sacrifice anything in the accuracy department by running all of my brass through the small base sizer die? I could segregate it but that is a lot more work. Much of the brass I'll be reloading is new, so I don't think it will matter that much. Has anyone run any accuracy tests in this area? I'm a firm believer in full length resizing, and I don't feel it effects accuracy that much. However, with that said I have never run any direct accuracy tests in an attempt to establish a running difference either way between the two. Thoughts or comments??

I should mention I shoot several rifles in the AR platform, two are LWRC weapons. I religiously use small base dies for all of my .223 / 5.56 MM reloading. I don't believe I sacrifice any accuracy by using small base dies in the .223 /5.56 MM caliber. I also shoot a CZ Model 527 LUX in .223, and it is quite accurate with the ammo reloaded with the small base dies. I just am not sure if that translates into anything different with the .308. Bill T.

[Chills1994]

I would say that if all you had was one and only one bolt action rifle then you could get by with just neck/mouth sizing.

But since you have all these multiple .308 guns, then yeah you're gonna have to full length resize, and a small base resizing die is probably a good idea since some are semi-autos.

As far as accuracy goes, I have NO idea. If you were planning on cranking out ammo in bulk (and NOT making a specific batch of .308 ammo for one particualr gun), I would think what what your OAL turns out to be to be much more influential on accuracy.

Said another way... if one gun's rifling starts longer out than another and you don't adjust the OAL out longer...well, then don't be surprised if accuracy sucks in that gun.

Also, said anther way... if one gun is chambered shorter or the rifling "leade" starts sooner than all the other guns and you adjust your OAL down to fit that one short chambered gun, then don't be surprised if accuracy isn't all there for the other rifles.

I also have to wonder what all these gun's twist rates are too.

PS: You have too many .308 guns.

PPS: I hate you!

[Bill T]

Chills1994, on Jun 27 2009, 12:32 PM, said:

I would think what what your OAL turns out to be to be much more influential on accuracy.

I also have to wonder what all these gun's twist rates are too.

1 in 12" for the Savage 12-F/TR and 1 in 10" for the 10-FP. 1 in 11" for the Springfield SOCOM 16.

I agree that OAL governs accuracy far more than resizing dimentions. Bill T.