Thread: necking down lapua .308 to 7-08

Lapua .308 is far cheaper per 100 than norma 7-08, and is about the same per 100 for winchester based on trademe prices per 50, so thinking of buying lapua and necking it down via a full length die. A quick google did not throw up any major causes for concern, aside from the final product being a tad shorter. It's a factory chamber so hopefully should have enough slop that I won't have to neck turn.

Anyone that has done this got any words of caution/wisdom?

Get 100 & try it on a few first to make sure, but you shouldn't have any issues going from .308 down to .284.

Did that in a T3 for a guy not long ago.There was no tolerance in the chamber with a loaded round so had to neck turn, its not a big deal if you have the gear but with .708 brass available I wouldnt bother myself.The benefits of top end brass are often over stated for hunting rifles.
If you want to go that way and find you need to turn the necks I could help you out.

I have gone down this route.

Apart from being a little hard to resize initially - I have had no issues at all in my rifle. Never had to worry about neck turning. I'm up to about my 6-7th reload on my first 50. Have once fired the other 50.

On a positive - I actually gained about 30fps with the same powder charge - accuracy improved a little also.

I use lapua 308 brass for my 260 in a t3, no neck turning, just full length size then Im away,

Damn near blew up my 700 doing that a few years back - huge boom, mega recoil, primer smeared all over boltface etc. Would pay to measure the neck of a loaded round before firing, work up load from scratch and check for easy chambering + extraction! That said it shouldnt be a problem in most rifles..

The good ol kiwi give it a go she'll be right.
If you want a quick check measure the outside neck of a fired case.A .308 lapua necked down to take .284 bullet and loaded was .316( from memory, havnt got my notes here),your fired case needs to be at least 2-3 thou bigger or you will need to neck turn.

The only sensible reason for using .308 cases is if you can't buy 7mm/08 cases. That is not the case these days.

Always found Remington Peters 7mm/08 cases to be good quality and reasonably priced.

I used necked down Lapua in an LAR 8 with excellent results. Make sure you lube the inside of the case well, otherwise you will pull the shoulder forward on the return stroke.

I use necked down lapua 308. No issue in mine but do.check neck clearance. Dont use a collet die for initial sizing from 308 to 284 but they work fine once fired.

I used military 308 necked to 243 for a while, when the military brass was free and 243 cost money. Worked well until I noticed the necks cracking. The cracked neck cartridges fired OK but the accuracy was non-existent. I had not annealed the necks. I annealed the necks and the cracking did not continue.