From .270 to .280 ?

[RBak]

A friend of mine just gave me 150 empty .270 cases. It seems about 90+% are Winchester cases.

Since I don't own a .270, but I do own a .280, is there anything special I should know about running these through a .280 sizer, trimming to length, loading and shooting????

Bob says he's not sure, but recalls being told something about "shoulder set-back" on this particular conversion that can create possible high pressures.????

He is knowledgeable enough, and I've known him long enough for such statements to cause me concern coming from him.

I have sized .270 and 30-06 up to .35 Whelen and I was never smart enough to see any big deal.
Many of those I've gotten upwards of 20 plus loadings from....
But still, something about Bob's comment has bugged the living daylights out of me, and I thought I better ask before I just do it.

Like me, Bob is 70 plus years old and I know he means well, but he just might be confused.
After considerable thought, I figured I better ask just to make sure.

I would much prefer to feel safe, and look a bit foolish, but all the while knowing I did the right thing by asking first.

I'm sure you know where I'm coming from?

Russ...

[GrizzLeeBear]

The problem you will have is that the shoulder on the .280 is about .050 forward of the .270. This is supposedly to keep .280 ammo. from being able to chamber in a .270 rifle. You will have excessive headspace if all you do is run the .270 brass in the .280 sizer.
However, you can either fireform the resized brass by backing the load down to a starting load and seating your bullets out to be firmly into the rifling when chambered. When fired, the bullet being seated into the rifling will prevent the case moving forward from the primer strike, and the shoulder will be moved forward by the pressure.
Or you can run the .270 thru a 30-06 sizer. Then size with the .280 sizer backed off a ways, so that the case has a 2 step shoulder. Start out where the case will not chamber, and turn the die down a little at a time until the case will just chamber with a little resistance. This way you are headspaced on the "false" shoulder. Again with a starting load, the shoulder will fireform to its proper place and you can then size as usual for subsequent loadings.

You won't have any trouble resizing .270 to 30-06 or .35 Whelen because they all have the same shoulder location.

[RBak]

Thanks for the information!
Makes perfectly good sense. I should have figured this all out without even having to ask.

Now, It seems Bob was right, and I was indeed the fool for even questioning him.

Hope he's up to a nice glass of wine.

I do feel a bit bad about this. I had suspected I might if I found out he was right on the money, and it seems he was.
Kinda hard to explain, but on one hand I'm very glad I got the "right" information, while on the other I'm somewhat disappointed at myself for asking.

Thanks again for providing the right information, without the bashing I probably needed for doubting my friend.

Russ...

[RayinNH]

Russ, it's always much safer to ask when you get information that doesn't sit right, than to be sorry later on...Ray

[Houndog]

There's no such thing as a foolish question! What someone thinks is a routine thing, another person has no clue about. That's what makes places like this so good.

As my Grandpa used to say, "only a fool thinks he knows it all and won't ask!"

[Bret4207]

Doesn't hurt to anneal the necks first either.

[Wayne Smith]

No question is stupid except that one left unasked. What I expect myself to know and what I actually remember specifically are often vastly different. That's why I use load data manuals even tho I've been reloading the same case for years.

Since the brass has been fired at least once and you are doing a two step process annealing is a good idea. I use my lead pot.

[timkelley]

When in doubt ask, ALWAYS!

[JIMinPHX]

Have you thought about swapping what you have for what you need? The swappin n sellin section of this board has usually found me what i need.

[MtGun44]

I'd find the wrong headstamp a real headache. I tend to agree that trading for
.280 brass may be a good decision. An intermediate 'trade' of $$ may be the simplest
due to timing.

Bill

[RBak]

I'd find the wrong headstamp a real headache. I tend to agree that trading for
.280 brass may be a good decision. An intermediate 'trade' of $$ may be the simplest
due to timing.

Bill

Some very good answers, indeed. I especially liked the ones that suggested there is no such thing as a dumb question. Embarrassing perhaps, but not dumb.

And, on top of that, I learned something about that shoulder.

In the meantime, in fact, just an hour or so ago, the "problem" kinda resolved itself....a fellow I know that needed to borrow some powder simply took 'em off my hands, and will drop off a few boxes of real .280 brass in return.
Not a bad deal IMO.

I haven't seen my friend Bob since Memorial Day, but I did go out yesterday and get him a nice bottle of wine...one of those "just because" bottles, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the responses.

Russ

[Adk Mike]

I always take any good brass that I can get and then trade with people that can use it. Trade it off if you can and have the correct headstamp on your cases. When I got a US Model 1917 a while ago I already had collected 700 cases over a few years and didn't have to buy any.