Do you make your 300 BLK from 223 cases?

Any insights forming 223 to 300BLK or any part of the process would be very much appreciated.
 
I’ve built a jig that runs on the drill press that cuts them to length, even designed it to be fed from a case feeder, still don’t like it.

Thinking about building a board with appropriate holes in it and a backing board to hold the cases and run the thing over the table saw or router. Just thinking it’d be faster.

I’m sure that I haven’t the patience for the little harbor freight chop saw.

Once cut, the annealing, forming and trimming don’t bother me too much. The girard annealer and trimmer make those steps pretty fast.

FWIW, some folks don’t anneal before they form.
 
if you're making your own .300blk brass, who cares if it's annealed or not. Just make a few more when those crack (the ones you don't loose).

Annealing *ANY* .223 brass is akin to recycling toilet paper and .22s. Not like it's not found on the ground on any shooting range. You're shooting a .300blk AR? gonna lose half the brass without a catcher anyhow. And what you do recover, the primer pockets will probably wear out before the necks split.

Cue the guys who've spent $1000 on annealer setups.....


Otherwise............you rough cut to length, run it thru your .300 sizer die, then trim it. Use a good press and plenty of lube. You're barely forming a shoulder and necking down, it's not rocket surgery.
 
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I have not personally dipped my toe into the 40S&W of the rifle world, but I have a buddy who makes them out of surplus machine gun blanks. Chop the crimp off with a harbor freight saw/jig, size and load. Cheap enough they aren't worth picking up. No annealing required.
 
Cue the guys who've spent $1000 on annealer setups.....
I almost resemble that remark. :D

I started out with a salt-bath annealer setup, for a little over $100. For a little more you can get at DIY kit similar to the Annealeze. After using the salt-bath setup recently to anneal some 50AE cases in preparation for reforming into 429DE, I decided I was at the point where I needed to seriously consider stepping up, so I just ordered an Annie Annealer. I admit, I am a gadget freak. :)

But, to get back to the OP, as far as annealing for 300BO I don't know that I would bother, for all the reasons mentioned. I've reformed 50AE into 429DE without annealing, and did not lose any cases in the process even after the first firing. I can't imagine that reforming 223 into 300BO would be anywhere as stressful and, as mentioned, would not make much sense unless you knew you would be able to recover all the fired brass. And 223 brass is essentially free if you are willing to scrounge some at the range. I have to pay $0.40 each for the 50AE brass, and I have had good luck recovering all my spent brass, so I am much more inclined to try to get as many loadings out of them as I can.
 
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I almost resemble that remark. :D

I started out with a salt-bath annealer setup, for a little over $100. For a little more you can get at DIY kit similar to the Annealeze. After using the salt-bath setup recently to anneal some 50AE cases in preparation for reforming into 429DE, I decided I was at the point where I needed to seriously consider stepping up, so I just ordered an Annie Annealer. I admit, I am a gadget freak. :)

But, to get back to the OP, as far as annealing for 300BO I don't know that I would bother, for all the reasons mentioned. I've reformed 50AE into 429DE without annealing, and did not lose any cases in the process even after the first firing. I can't imagine that reforming 223 into 300BO would be anywhere as stressful and, as mentioned, would not make much sense unless you knew you would be able to recover all the fired brass. And 223 brass is essentially free if you are willing to scrounge some at the range. I have to pay $0.40 each for the 50AE brass, and I have had good luck recovering all my spent brass, so I am much more inclined to try to get as many loadings out of them as I can.
Yeah, I guess I will skip the annealing, dont want to purchase the Giraud unit, I think the money could be better spent elsewhere (but still in reloading setup).
Thanks to
@JimB
@Ikarus1
@Toprudder
and others.
 
I have made some and it's easier to just buy the cases.
What he said. I tried my own when the round was introduced. Many cuts and flubs later I just bought it. Now I don't even use the round, upper stays in safe.
 
I have the $100 salt bath annealer for other way way more expensive cases, but just because I have it I do use it on DIY 300BLK.
But like Reeldoc I hardly shoot it anymore so that one run I did a few years back is all I needed. If you don't have another caliber to anneal I wouldn't buy it just for 300BLK.
 
I thought I’d make my own 300BLK brass but I’ve found enough deals for 8-12c/ea that I just buy when I find good deals. It’s not really worth the time/effort for me.
I do like the idea of having the ability to make it if I so choose, but don’t think I’d bother with annealing. Again not really worth the time and investment IMO.
 
When 300 first became popular you usually had to make your own brass. So I got in to making my own brass out of 223 or 556 casings.
I made enough to probably last me two lifetimes.
But now 300 brass is plentiful and cheap.
So unless you just want to be able to make your own 300 brass just buy some new or once fired.
You don't need to anneal the brass either.
 
So I ran the cheap sh*t chop saw and cut about 3-400 cases, this morning. Ran the ceramic media with the cases and sho-enuff, no burrs or sharp edges. What I did not realize how damn dirty the cases got.
 
I do cut and make my own 300BO brass. And- I anneal them or my home-built annealer (post somewhere in this forum). I also anneal 223. Actually- I anneal everything except pistol brass. Annealing makes it easier to form; a lot less pressure needed on the press, and potential longer life, etc. I only make it in large batches, and though I shoot a lot of it (I have 3x 300BO guns), I also seem to find my brass, so I don't need to make cases often. I don't think I've made any this year.

The statement about 300BO brass being available is true (now)- these guys claim to have good brass (checked for cracks) starting at 13c.
 
best deal on .300blk cases on the market are sold by a vendor on Castboolits that goes by Casting Machine, made from Lake City 5.56 cases for .12 ea shipped. They come cleaned and sized, and shine like the sun when you open the box.
 
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