NAS3 308 cases

[u/DGRaptor15]

I just picked up my first press. My plan is to buy primed cases from Shell Shock Technologies and load them to use for hunting.

My question for anyone with experience with these cases, do I need to size or trim them? Or can I just fill them with powder and load a bullet and go?

Do I need any special or specific dies to load this ammo?

For anyone with experience loading these in 308, id like to push a 150-168 grain all copper out of my 20" barrel around 3,000 fps. Is this possible? What powders should I look into?

[u/LowBamaJL]

I’ve loaded several hundred NAS cases in 5.56. Yes they are different. All you really need to do is add powder and bullet. When you reload DO NOT full length resize. It will pull the bottom part of the case off leaving the top stuck in your die. So long as you reload them for the same gun you can pretty much just pop the primer, clean, at primer, powder and bullet. You could probably neck size if needed but I didn’t find it necessary.

You can push them harder than brass, especially in a bolt gun. But you do you with regard to that. I got them up to 2750ish with 77gr smks in 16” AR and XBR. Be careful though the only pressure signs you get is on your primer, case want show any.

[u/DGRaptor15 → u/LowBamaJL]

I hadn't planned on reloading the cases. I planned on working up a load the gun liked and loading a big batch to last a while. Then while I shoot those I can get more stuff to do case prep, case cleaning and improve the setup.

[u/iforgotmylogin32 → u/LowBamaJL]

I was always told you need to full length size anything that goes into an AR for that two thousandths of clearance to make sure the BCG is in battery. I always have separated brass shot out of my bolt gun for neck only sizing.

Have I been wrong all this time?

[u/LowBamaJL → u/iforgotmylogin32]

Yes and no. For feeding, especially mixed gas guns it’s never a bad idea to full length resize. I use a small base die with the stem removed and a mandrake for the neck. Now if you use the same brass in same gun you only really need to resize it to what’s needed to fit the chamber again without resistance but still give enough neck tension to hold bullet. In other words just neck size. Again this only works reliably using same cases and gun.

However to your NAS case application, these behave differently. I took 10 cases and shot them 5 times without any resizing using the same gun with no function or deminsional changes I could find and they were loaded on the hot side. Again I don’t know if you could reload them for a different gun due to chamber variation in deminsions. Neck tension did not change. I did waste a die trying to size one and the head pulled off and there is no way to get the body out. This is why I’m a big fan of cheap Lee dies for experimenting, so cheap you can just keep spares.

I am really looking forward to getting some of the NAS cases for my 50BMG when they are released. For the extra case capacity but also the increased spring back of the steel case. My HM50 has a tight chamber and once fired military brass sticks at low pressures even after full resize, annealing and neck turning.

[u/iforgotmylogin32 → u/LowBamaJL]

Thanks dude, I run different loads of 308. My bolt gun (Bergara Cheeto) gets loaded meticulously, neck sized, and put into an MTM box.

The AR10/“toss some ammo to friends on range day” stuff gets full length sized and loaded with some CFE and tossed into a cardboard box or a ziplock.

The sexiest brass I’ve used to date is Starline, and nearly all my other brass is range pick ups, so I’m not even in the same league it would appear lol.

Thanks again for the detail. I’ll give these a try next time my wallet feels a little too heavy.

[u/greyposter]

First press? Learn the basics before you start messing with high pressure stuff.

Regular 308 has more than enough punch for deer. If you need to hunt bigger go bigger. High pressure stuff is newer and if you don't know how to reload regular cases you will have a higher chance of catastrophic failures.

[u/DGRaptor15 → u/greyposter]

From what I've read these cases are easy to load and have good consistency. I don't have a lot of loading or reloading tools yet, I'll be getting a scale, powder trickler and powder thrower and be able to load the NAS3 cases. Once I get the tools to do case cleaning and case prep I'll work with brass loads as well.

[u/greyposter → u/DGRaptor15]

I just don't see the hurry to get into NAS3. Seriously, just start with good brass and other components. The velocity gain with NAS3 is not nearly as useful as people think.

Go 300 wsm if you want fast 308 bullets. 308 has enough energy as is. 200 fps more isn't going to make a difference on that buck

[u/DGRaptor15 → u/greyposter]

I already have the 308 rifle built so I'm not switching that. Good brass is about $1 per case unprimed. The NAS3 cases are .80 cents per case primed. I also don't have to load them to pressure max. From talking to other people that have loaded these cases 3k with the 150 grain TTSX should be no problem at all. I'll obviously start low and work my way up like I would with any other load.

[u/greyposter → u/DGRaptor15]

Alpha brass and 130 grain ttsx can easily hit 3k. Alpha will give you 20 firings per case.

Nobody seriously in the game is using NAS3, the vortex guys love talking aboub high pressure stuff, but that doesn't mean they're using it.

Ask yourself, what is my goal? What does NAS3 give me that I can't get with conventional components?

[u/DGRaptor15 → u/greyposter]

I'm looking to just load at the moment. I don't have anything to prep or clean cases at the moment. Once I get those things I can look into good brass to get multiple firings.

I have talked quite a bit with the guys at Vortex and they're doing a good amount of work with NAS3 and Peak+ cases in multiple calibers.

[u/EMDReloader]

The cases are not going to get your 20" barrel to deliver 10% more velocity than a 24". There's a reason nobody is bothering with these things.

Second: but why tho?

It's a .308. There's not a lot in North America that really demands more than that at reasonable hunting distances--grizzlies, elk, and moose? If you want more performance than a .308 delivers...don't use a .308.

[u/Nyancide → u/EMDReloader]

I believe the entire reason companies and reloaders use their cases is to increase the amount of powder to push the cartridge a bit more. there is definitely real data behind it and people do use them. you can get factory loaded ammo with them that prove their claims. whether op's goal is not something i could vouch on.

[u/DGRaptor15 → u/EMDReloader]

From what I've read 3K with a 150 grain load is quite possible. The factory barnes 150 grain already shoots 2830 out of it.

[u/HollywoodSX]

I think your goal is a great way to blow yourself up, especially as a new reloader.

Stick to traditional cases and known quantity load data.

[u/N2Shooter]

As someone who has bought NAS3 for 300BLK, just load the powder and go, no trim or sizing steps. Just walk up your charge just like every load (start with minimum, and check velocities), no shortcuts unless you wanna blow your face off.

Understand, that Shell Shock doesn't recommend reloading once fired NAS3 cases.

[u/DGRaptor15 → u/N2Shooter]

The plan is to work up a load I'm happy with and then load up all the remaining cases with that exact load. That will give me time to get other tools and components to load other cartridges. I have a winchester 94 in 307 win that I'd love to load for and Id like to pick up a 6 ARC howa at some point.

[u/N2Shooter → u/DGRaptor15]

That should work.

[u/Coodevale]

How big is your firing pin?

[u/JayPolar91]

You need special dies and the pistol cases can't be reloaded at all. If you try to use regular dies you will mess them up.