My first was 8x52R from 8x56R to try out my Siamese Mauser. That was easy. Then I made 40-70 Shiloh Bottleneck out of 45-70. That was even easier. Then 40-65 Winchester (Ballard) from 45-70 military surplus line throwing cases. Still pretty easy but ended up having to buy a forming die to get better results. Then I made 40-70 Ballard from 40-70 Sharps Straight that were BA-converted from 30-40 Krag. Results were marginal, about a third of them split lengthwise on first firing. Still waiting on Jamison to run 40-70 Ballard again. Latest adventure is .22-6mm Remington from 6mm Remington.
rr2241tx
Timin' has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."
― Winston S. Churchill
7x57 from 06 - 8x57 from o6 - 7tcu from 5.56 - 7x50r belm from 5.6x50 magnum
next will be 7x57 from .270 (06 cases seem to have a better use in the garand)
My first was .30-06 -> 8 x 57mm Mauser as the latter is often in short supply.
Well the first was unintentional. When I was a teenager I thought I'd cut a fat hog when I bought a gorgeous pre-64 M70 Super Grade in .300 H&H cheap. Went to the range and got it zeroed and was shooting pretty good groups and was pretty happy. As I began to put the fired cases back in the boxes, something wasn't quite right. I realized that the cases looked much different than when I chambered the .300 H&H ammunition. I took the cases to an older friend who had been reloading for years. He knew what was going on immediately. The rifle had been re-chambered to .300 Weatherby. I was very disappointed and sold the rifle for a slight loss. I wanted a "pure" model 70. I really regret selling the rifle how. Since then I've done everything from .17 Javelina from .222 and .223 to .40-82 Winchester from RCBS basic .45/70 brass.
First was 7-30 from 30-30 for my Contender, then went all out and developed a wildcat of my own which required lots of forming. The .17 Mojave Green, formed from .357 Magnum parent brass. Had to take the neck down in 8 steps to keep from crushing them.
This may not count, but .30-06 to .270 Win! My first "real" conversion was .30-30 brass to 7-30 Waters.
I've been contemplating my own wildcat by taking .30-30 to 6.8mm SPC(R) where the "R" stands for rimmed. The idea is to create an ideal deer cartridge on a single shot action (hence the rim). The only problem is the large primer pocket on the .30-30 limits pressure/head expansion. Most 6.8 brass has small primer pockets, which is more desirable.
FWIW
The first was making .308 Norma Mag. from .300 Win. Mag.
If you are unwilling to defend even your own lives, then you are like mice trying to 'negotiate' with owls. You regard their ways as 'wrong', they regard you as dinner. John Farnam
My first, and only, forming attempt so far is .300 Blackout from .223 & 5.56 brass.
Just remember that the 5.56 has less internal capacity than 223 so cut the load even more when starting out and ALWAYS keep the brass separated.
WE WON. WE BEAT THE MACHINE. WE HAVE CCW NOW.
Not sure if my first counts, 9x19 to 9x18. second was 7.62x25 from .223 still not completely successful with that one. Now I do many, Vetterli from lebel, Wrendl and Beumont from 50-90 sharps and 577-450 Martini-Henry from 24 Gauge shotshell. I get a kick out of these old BP cartridge rifles.
Tony
Started with some easy ones .. 6.5x57R from 7x57R, some 9.3x57 from 8x57 and 243win from 308win.
The most recent are 401wsl from 7.62x39..that's the first one that requires fireforming.
.350 Rem Mag from 7mm Rem Mag. Turned out to be a lot more work than I thought it would. Bought a bunch of factory .350 brass soon after, but its nice knowing I can do it again if I have to.
9X19 para. to 9x18 mak.
So many guns, so little time
_____________________________
You must pay for everything in this life - nothing is free, except for the grace of God.
"Free cheese only comes in a mousetrap"
.308 BR into .22 CHeetah
Old tired 6mm Rem up to 7x57 back in the '60's and all sortsa stuff since.............!! .303Brit to 5-in-1 blank, and then 7TC/U, 7-30, .257R, .32 Win. Spl., 7-08 & etc.
Life Member NRA.
Member: RWVA.http://www.appleseedinfo.org/smf/
Member: WRSA http://westernrifleshooters.blogspot.com/
Founder: Guns of the Golden West (Show group).
Founder: Nosehills Gun Club.
Founder: IPSC in Alberta.
Retired from Instructing, and just about everything else!
Like a few others mentioned mine was 7-30 Waters from 30-30.
Paul G.
Once I was young, now I am old and in between went by way to fast.
The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun.
-- R. Buckminster Fuller
My first was 30-30 to 357 Herritt. Since then I've converted every manner of TCU cartridges and the 300 Whisper. I've really used up the 223 brass.
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 |