Got this rifle recently. Plan to reload for it and have been told by some (others disagree) that I need "small base" dies.I have not handloaded for a BAR and had never heard of small base dies before. Does anyone reload for a Browning BAR 338 and are "small base" dies necessary?

Shoot a few and reload with your normal dies. See if they chamber OK, then see if they cycle through OK by firing them. That is the only test that matters. Most production semi-autos do not really need the small-base dies. Many competition semi-autos with custom tight chambers do need the small-base dies. The reloaded case must be reliably smaller than the chamber, though, to operate reliably.

Don

Many years ago while a gun dealer we recommended the small base or even extra small base dies and had nothing but success in the BAR application.
The cost of these dies is small compared with a hang up on a shot at a trophy animal.
I see these are still available and cost is not much higher than regular dies.
For my money I would recommend Highly to go with the small base.

Daryl:

I agree with Don. I've found no need of small base dies with a BAR in .270. If your reloads are not so hot that they give significant head expansion, then small base dies are usually not necessary. But each rifle is a rule to itself. Try some moderate loads for function loaded with your regular dies, and if they give you any trouble, buy a small base resizer.

I have found that the BAR doesn't like extremely slow-for-caliber powders which tend to have an extended pressure curve and therefore have higher pressure at the gas port. I wouldn't use anything slower than perhaps IMR-4350 with your .338 BAR.

By the way, this doesn't sound like a grouse and hare gun to me!

Thanks for the advice on the dies. I tend to be pretty cautious so I'll probably just get the small base dies and be done with it.

Enjoyed the comment that it isn't a grouse and hare gun. I had carried 338 bolt actions around the woods for 20 years. Lost my feeling of comfort a few years ago when I encountered 3 grizzlies that were apparently hunting me. We all survived fine although I got a much closer look at them than I wanted. They finally stopped at about 12 paces and I had started saying "whoa" as soon as I saw them (at about 25 paces) coming toward me. I had been taking an afternoon walk in late Fall. A couple of inches of crusty snow, lovely scenery, and I was just enjoying the view up the valley. I heard what sounded like a bird dog quietly working back and forth in the alders up hill from me and was wondering if I was in a time/location warp and thought what a strange location to be hunting with a bird dog. Then the first large brown head emerged from the alders. The bolt action felt more comforting than a baseball bat, but depending on (probably) one shot at three large animals at very close range suddenly didn't seem like a good idea. Hence the autoloader, which surprisingly shoots smaller groups than the Ruger, Browning or Winchester bolt actions did.