Resizing 303 Brit to 30-40 krag trouble

[webradbury]

I tried a few 303 brass, running them through the 30-40 sizing die but they don't look quite right. I knew the neck would be a little short but the shoulder geometry looks different between a resized 303 and a sized 30-40 krag when side by side.

Has as anyone had this happen? I have not tried to chamber one yet.

[tdoor4570]

If they will chamber then fire form and you will be all right

[webradbury]

I've never done fire forming before. I'll have to research that and try it. I am hesitant because I don't want to damage a chamber, but with two Krags to feed and no brass available (read affordable) I have to do something. Will

Forgot to mention that I tried them and they do chamber ok.

[BK7saum]

Just load a starting /normal load and fire away. If the chamber has correct (not excessive ) headspace the cases will fireform just fine. If the chamber is a bit oversize, back off on the sizing die until the case will just chamber and will headspace off the shoulder, not the rim.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Believe me.. good advice! More advice, after fire forming, neck size only when you reload. That will greatly extend the life of your brass. It might not hurt to anneal the necks after the first firing. Neck sized brass should be reused in the rifle in which it was originally fired, and may or may not be interchangeable between your two rifles as the chamber dimensions may vary.

[webradbury]

Thanks all. The barrels are knew from Numrich so the chambers are fine.

[Shiloh]

I anneal every 5-6 or so firings. Even so, after about 40 loadings, I get more splits. I have enough for a while. Getting tough to find brass at any price.

Shiloh

[nicholst55]

I'm really hoping that Starline will start producing Krag brass, now that they're making bottleneck rifle brass. Guess we need to tell them what we want...

ETA: I just sent them an email and asked them to start producing Krag brass.

[Mr Humble]

I guess I am missing something here. Loaded Krag ammo is available all over the place. If you buy 5 boxes of the same and pull the bullets, you have 100 30 caliber bullets you can sell for 20 bucks. The powder will all be the same, weighing 5 and dividing by 5 will give you the charge. You can then go to your loading book and figure out what it's equivilant too. Then you can use it too in the Krag or most anything else. Then use a universal decap die and salvage the primers. Now you have 100 new cases. Neck anneal them and they should last easily 10 and probably 20 cast boolit loads if you don't FL size them.

I bought mine for 30 bucks a box or $150 to be able shoot my $1000 Krag forever with no issues of having ammo around with the wrong headstamp on it.

[Shiloh]

That's how you have to do it if you want brass.
Up until a couple of years ago, you could buy unfired brass.

Shiloh

[Mr Humble]

Uhhhh NO, it is not how you HAVE to do it, it how you CHOOSE to do it.

Having cartridges around with the incorrect headstamp in an invitation to a disaster.

Having seen a moron load 8x57s made from 30-06 cases in a 30-06 and shoot them with the predictable results, (destroyed rifle and a face full of brass/powder)(happily wearing glasses), I really try to avoid needless chances like saving a few bucks by not buying readily available ammo.

So you can buy new 303 Privi brass for about 45 bucks to your door.
My method, net of the bullets, powder and primers, costs say 80 bucks more.

ONE dinner out with the wife w/o needing a seeing eye dog to take you........

Use K-Mart motor oil in your $50,000 truck too ?

[EDG]

You might want to read what he is doing. He is reforming .303 to .30-40 Krag so your comment is incorrect.

Uhhhh NO, it is not how you HAVE to do it, it how you CHOOSE to do it.

Having cartridges around with the incorrect headstamp in an invitation to a disaster.

Having seen a moron load 8x57s made from 30-06 cases in a 30-06 and shoot them with the predictable results, (destroyed rifle and a face full of brass/powder)(happily wearing glasses), I really try to avoid needless chances like saving a few bucks by not buying readily available ammo.

So you can buy new 303 Privi brass for about 45 bucks to your door.
My method, net of the bullets, powder and primers, costs say 80 bucks more.

ONE dinner out with the wife w/o needing a seeing eye dog to take you........

Use K-Mart motor oil in your $50,000 truck too ?

[Mr Humble]

I know EXACTLY what he is doing. Chances are if one of his 303/30-40s was fired in a 303, the bullet would rattle down the bore. I still maintain that having cartridges with the wrong headstamp WHEN brass with the correct headstamp is easily available is foolish.

[curator]

Graf & Son's ad in Oct/Nov 2016 Handloader (page 29) claims to have Graff .30-40 Krag brass at $42.99/50. www.grafs.com

[square butte]

The Graf and Sons website shows it out of stock .

[fatelk]

I know EXACTLY what he is doing. Chances are if one of his 303/30-40s was fired in a 303, the bullet would rattle down the bore. I still maintain that having cartridges with the wrong headstamp WHEN brass with the correct headstamp is easily available is foolish.

I'm not sure that your point will be very well taken, considering that this is the "Case Forming/Reforming" sub-forum. I expect that most people posting or reading here will be making and shooting cartridges with the wrong headstamp.

[EDG]

Dear MR HUMBLE

In post #11 you admonished him to buy .303 brass but he is shooting a .30-40 Krag. So you tell us how he is not supposed to have the wrong head stamp using the brass that YOU RECOMMENDED?
He is shooting a .30-40 Krag and unless you have been locked up you should know that Krag brass has not been readily available for most of the Obama years.

So please explain how you think he will not have the wrong headstamp if he uses the .303 PPU brass that you recommended for use in his Krag??????????????

I know EXACTLY what he is doing. Chances are if one of his 303/30-40s was fired in a 303, the bullet would rattle down the bore. I still maintain that having cartridges with the wrong headstamp WHEN brass with the correct headstamp is easily available is foolish.

Uhhhh NO, it is not how you HAVE to do it, it how you CHOOSE to do it.

Having cartridges around with the incorrect headstamp in an invitation to a disaster.

Quoting more Mr Humble from post #11.
Having seen a moron load 8x57s made from 30-06 cases in a 30-06 and shoot them with the predictable results, (destroyed rifle and a face full of brass/powder)(happily wearing glasses), I really try to avoid needless chances like saving a few bucks by not buying readily available ammo.

So you can buy new 303 Privi brass for about 45 bucks to your door.
My method, net of the bullets, powder and primers, costs say 80 bucks more.

ONE dinner out with the wife w/o needing a seeing eye dog to take you........

Use K-Mart motor oil in your $50,000 truck too ?

[Mr Humble]

Oh boy. I won't comment on trying to shut me up as "it won't be taken kindly".

Now, my point in mentioning the 303 brass price was NOT to suggest it's use, nor did I. It's called "compare and contrast". I was "comparing" the price of reformed 303 brass with the cost to buy loaded 30-40 and tear it down. Really chump change to a serious shooter/caster/reloader.
I was "contrasting" the safety of using properly headstamped brass to that with a different headstamp.

According to RCBS you just don't slap a 303 in a 30-40 die and then shoot it. They make a $45.00 forming dies to do the task.

Of course people on this thread are interested in making cases to keep guns chambered for obsolete cartridges working. I make my 41 Swiss centerfires from 8mm Lebel and don't let them anywhere near an 8mm Lebel rifle. In the case of the 30-40 it is not obsolete by any stretch, Ruger even chambered rifles for it within the past 15 years.

If you are too frugal to do it right, that's fine but DON'T make veiled threats to try and silence the opposition !

[fatelk]

Ouch, someone stepped on your toes. I had to go back and read my post to make sure it wasn't me, but I didn't see how anyone else did either. It certainly wasn't my intent if you took it that way. Veiled threats? Shutting you up? Silencing the opposition? There must have been a deleted post I missed somewhere...

[Blackhawk357]

Nice thread on resizing brass, but well I will not state the obvious. Good luck on your resizing brass. I make 30 Herrit from 30-30 Winchester and really enjoy the process. I have killed several deer with my Contender in 30 H. Enjoy your hobby and continue to size on.