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7.62 NATO brass vs commercial .308

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Canuck View Drop Down
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    Posted: December 12 2025 at 2:31pm
Question....is the 7.62 NATO brass of thicker case wall dimension than commercially available cases?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Irish Blonde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 12 2025 at 5:46pm
Yes
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 12 2025 at 9:35pm
yes , for certain , 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sapper740 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2025 at 4:39am
Surplus 7.62 NATO brass is fine for reloading....just be sure to lower your powder charges and don't expect exceptional accuracy.  I reload for my Anderson Arms AM 10 which is chambered for .308 Winchester and have loaded for accuracy and loaded for cheap plinking.  I bought 2,000 M80 Ball pulled bullets and a bunch of Lake City brass for cheap shooting and have been only able to achieve 2.25 MOA with those components.  Compare that to 1 MOA when I use Hornady .308 Winchester match brass, 168 gr. SMK bullets and Varget powder.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Irish Blonde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2025 at 5:11am
Commercially, Alpha & Peterson brass is fantastic! Primer pockets last a long time and can handle some pressures. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2025 at 8:37am
I'll be shooting 7.62 out of my Parker Hale T4 target rifle and my DCRA No.4 rifle. Obviously segregating ammo to each rifle. I'll need to find the proper loading inforfmation. So far, I have found info as follows: Hornady 168grain BTHP on 41.2 g's IMR4064 and LRP's. I have the bullets and the primers. My Speer reloading manual states that most military cases have primers that are crimped and to remove that crimp before loading LRP's. The book also mentioned to reduce commercial load data whenn loading military cases by at least 3%. This is going to be a fun time!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 22 2026 at 12:47pm
The crimp is quite easy to remove; I use a Lyman electric case prep machine. It does a good job on the primer pockets.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 22 2026 at 1:14pm
A good generic starting point it is to drop  or raise your current load by 1.5 Gr depending on which way you're transiting to.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 22 2026 at 3:38pm
All great informatin fellas! I thank you all and will refer to this thread often.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 22 2026 at 4:58pm
41.2 gr IMR 4064 will be a mild load with 168’s and a 7.62 NATO case.

 A chrono is a useful tool in load development. 

If you’re looking for long range accuracy in your DCRA, here is a great recipe that will give MOA accuracy at 800 yards from a mid band bedded No. 4 DCRA Conversion: 

Case - Lapua
Primer - CCI BR-2
Powder - 44.0 gr Varget
Bullet - 168 Sierra TMK
OAL - 0.02 to 0.03 inches off the lands, do not seat to 2.81 inches

Drop charge by at least 1 grain if using 7.62 cases. This load should be considered maximum for the No. 4 action, so work up to it and watch for signs of pressure. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 22 2026 at 5:18pm
Thank you for this! I have marked it all down in my loading book.
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