Titan ReloadingInline FabricationReloading EverythingLoad Data
WidenersLee PrecisionMidSouth Shooters SupplyRepackbox
RotoMetals2
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: 30-06 to 308 military brass, What I did

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Rio Linda, California
    Posts
    48

    30-06 to 308 military brass, What I did

    This is what I did. I have a lot of military brass just sittin' around, no caliber designation. The 308 idea came from some where in my head. Anyway.
    I took some 30-06 and sized them down to 308, without the expander plug and decapper in the sizer die, since I didn't know what was going to happen. I did this very slowly and carefully since this was my first attempt at this. I ended up with this very long neck. WOW was the least of what I thought. I then went to the trimmers and what a pain to try and trim so much. So to get the neck to within an 8th of an inch of case OAL, I used a very small pipe cutter to cut off about 3/8" of brass off, which appeared to shrink the inside neck diameter a wee bit, due to the pressure of the cutter I guess, the pilot on the trimmer didn't fit. I then ran this brass, with the 308 expander from the size die set in a universal decapping die, since at the time I wasn't sure of total neck outside diameter and didn't want anything to get stuck in my 308 size die. I then trimmed down to correct length and ran each through a case gauge and then measured everything out and now I have 100 or so 308 brass. I was surprised that the neck didn't need turning with using the mil brass. What an exercise that was a cool learning experience and fun. I plan to now do 22-250, 243, 250 & 300 Savage and maybe 25-06 just for fun. I have these rifles so this brass I will use to reload, maybe sell the commercial brass. I will use my single and dual Herter's and Rock Chucker for these.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    CastingFool's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Climax, Michigan
    Posts
    2,634
    I tried making .243 brass out of .308, and the process left a large step on the case, due to the length of the angle on the case. I think it would require fireforming to completely reshape the cartridge. Not something I want to try, besides, I don't have a .243.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    644
    might look into the harbor freight 2" chop saws that people use for making 300 Blackout- it makes fast work of trimming cases to length. I finish with a WFT drill-mounted end mill.
    Loren

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Lead Fred's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Washingrad
    Posts
    2,208
    Cuttem down before you size them, and dont forget to anneal the necks, since they werent necks before hand
    I have sworn on the altar of GOD eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.
    Thomas Jefferson

    " Any law that is NOT constitutional is not a law" James Madison

  5. #5
    Boolit Master ballistim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    where rocks are shot at & milk jugs, too...
    Posts
    945
    Quote Originally Posted by rockshooter View Post
    might look into the harbor freight 2" chop saws that people use for making 300 Blackout- it makes fast work of trimming cases to length. I finish with a WFT drill-mounted end mill.
    Loren
    I bought one to cut down 45-70 cases to be legal for deer hunting where I live and it worked great until the blade dulled after about 10 cases. I'm hoping to find replacement blades that are better than the original.
    “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."

    Winston S. Churchill


  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    871
    Quote Originally Posted by ballistim View Post
    I bought one to cut down 45-70 cases to be legal for deer hunting where I live and it worked great until the blade dulled after about 10 cases. I'm hoping to find replacement blades that are better than the original.

    You must have gotten a bum blade. Mine has cut thousands with no issue. I don't force it through and let the saw do the work.
    Our house is protected by the Good Lord and a gun and you might meet them both if you show up here not welcome son!

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master Good Cheer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    the Ark
    Posts
    5,277
    Trim dies are the cats meow.
    Concerning annealing the new neck area... it's a learning process to get it right. Too soft is easy to do, depending upon the brand of brass.
    I've made .308 from 30-06 that the bullet would dang near fall back out of until it got shot a couple of times.

    Oh, about the long necks, run an -06 into a .338 Federal die. It looks like it needs a little more neck than what comes from the factory. I got the mold, dies, brass and a rifle to have rebored. Just need to do it, to get it done some day.
    Last edited by Good Cheer; 01-27-2015 at 07:36 AM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master justingrosche's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Auburn, Wa.
    Posts
    520
    Quote Originally Posted by Good Cheer View Post
    Trim dies are the cats meow.
    Concerning annealing the new neck area... it's a learning process to get it right. Too soft is easy to do, depending upon the brand of brass.
    I've made .308 from 30-06 that the bullet would dang near fall back out of until it got shot a couple of times.

    Oh, about the long necks, run an -06 into a .338 Federal die. It looks like it needs a little more neck than what comes from the factory. I got the mold, dies, brass and a rifle to have rebored. Just need to do it, to get it done some day.
    I pick up trim dies when ever I can for case forming as well.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check