What have you made from 30-06 brass?

[nagantguy]

Real original and thought provoking I know;but I was doing a mental check list deciding wether or not to sell some 06 brass, standard not military! I could make more 8mm, 22-250 etc, what do you or have you made ?

[Leadmelter]

44 Auto Mag but Starline take the pain from cutting, forming and reaming the brass.
Leadmelter
MI

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Back in late 60's, early 70's - 300 Savage, 8 x 57 - 06 brass was 6 cents a pound - 55 gallon drums at the surplus store (real Army surplus).

[Moleman-]

44x1.6" same case capacity and length as a 445 Super Mag (middle in the pic) , and 44x1.8" out of an AR10/LR308 or modern bolt action it is equal to 444marlin (right in the pic). Left one is 357AR (max rimless from 223 brass)

[nagantguy]

Moleman; love the avatar, and would like more info on that 357ar!

[C. Latch]

would like more info on that 357ar!

Me too!

[Mk42gunner]

Other than onesies just to prove to myself that I could do it if I had to, the only three that I can think of are 7.65 Argentine Mauser, 6.5-06 and .35 Whelen. The last two hardly qualify as they are simple one step necking operations.

Robert

[Harter66]

25,270,280 the 06' sisters .
257 Roberts ,7x57, 8x57 , 9x57
22-250 , 243 , 308 , 358 , 45 Raptor
45 Colts rimless , 45Colts plus to Ruger cylinder length for shot shells.
45 GAP, ACP .

Rowland , mag and rimless Schofield are on deck .
A guy should use up everything he can get out of every piece of brass .

[Josh Smith]

I make 7.92x57js (OK, 8mm) for the Gew88/05.

I've been thinking about doing something for .45acp, but don't know if I want to deal with case walls that start out as too thick.

Josh

[corbinace]

7.7 Jap

[Spooksar]

270, 6.5x55, 35 Whelan, 240 Gibbs, 270 Gibbs 7.65 Argentine, 280 AI

[dh2]

it started with 25-06 and went to .338-06 and 9.3 x 62mm Mauser

[nagantguy]

Well done gents! This is why I'm keeping my mountain of 06!

[alamogunr]

7.65 Argentine. Mostly because I got a trim die with a set of dies purchased from a member. Actually used .270 Win because I can use the .30-06 brass and I don't have a .270.

[Texas by God]

I'm simple. 25-06 and .35 Whelen.
Best, Thomas.

[Mytmousemalibu]

7.65 Argentine / Belgian Mauser

[richmanpoorman]

9.3x62

[bullet maker 57]

7.7 Jap, 8mm, 7.65 Argentine.

[brstevns]

243 win,.308 win,. 358 win,. and 7x57

[Harter66]

I forgot about the 7.7 and 280 AI .

[Moleman-]

Moleman; love the avatar, and would like more info on that 357ar! My son and I have both used them for deer hunting with good success (when we see deer). I've used one of the 44 wildcats the last two years and he has continues to hunt with the 357AR. Here's the case forming thread (I'm aware of a couple guys just modifying standard max cases) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?312306-357AR-(Max-Rimless)-from-223-5-56-cases
And a link to my sons rifle http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?312313-357AR-(Max-Rimless)-AR15 Still looking at a better mold with either a rounded tip or smaller flat tip than the .358"/208gr & .430"/309gr Lee wfn molds.

[RogerDat]

Been making brass sawdust and little brass tubes out of mine. On the way to becoming 8mm.

[nagantguy]

Been making brass sawdust and little brass tubes out of mine. On the way to becoming 8mm.
Didn't you get super duper special ones to start with?

[C. Latch]

My son and I have both used them for deer hunting with good success (when we see deer). I've used one of the 44 wildcats the last two years and he has continues to hunt with the 357AR. Here's the case forming thread (I'm aware of a couple guys just modifying standard max cases) http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?312306-357AR-(Max-Rimless)-from-223-5-56-cases
And a link to my sons rifle http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?312313-357AR-(Max-Rimless)-AR15 Still looking at a better mold with either a rounded tip or smaller flat tip than the .358"/208gr & .430"/309gr Lee wfn molds.

Very interesting.

I really want a .358 MGP or .358 Gremlin, but that is still very, very interesting to me.

[nagantguy]

Thank you for the links and info moleman! Very nice work and good write ups!

[Moleman-]

C. Latch, Those both look like very good rounds and likely better choices for some. The MI DNR hunting regs do not allow for bottle neck cases in the limited firearm zone for deer hunting or I likely would of gone with one of them. Lots of good niche cartridges have been born out of some of these DNR regulations.

[C. Latch]

C. Latch, Those both look like very good rounds and likely better choices for some. The MI DNR hunting regs do not allow for bottle neck cases in the limited firearm zone for deer hunting or I likely would of gone with one of them. Lots of good niche cartridges have been born out of some of these DNR regulations.

Honestly, any of those three would do what I want to do with a semi-auto and a .35 bullet. I'd rather have a shoulder, but I totally understand having to jump through DNR hoops. I can't even hunt squirrels with a centerfire in TN.

[Moleman-]

Thanks nagantguy! They've been fun to work on, especially the rifle for my son. I'm a big bore guy at heart (love my 30-06 also) so I've mostly been shooting the 44's the last couple years. Can't get my son to shoot them yet though. I've really debated rebarreling my 444 marlin to 444x1.8" so I can use it here also, but it shoots so good as is I don't want to mess with it. So I've been looking at rebarreling my 336 to 357Max. Think I've got the carrier mods figured out, and I have a spare .358" 1:16" blank large enough to make an octagon barrel, but that's a story for down the road a bit.

[Moleman-]

Honestly, any of those three would do what I want to do with a semi-auto and a .35 bullet. I'd rather have a shoulder, but I totally understand having to jump through DNR hoops. I can't even hunt squirrels with a centerfire in TN.

I do wish it had a bit more taper to the body. I looked into using 5.45x39 brass as the parent case to gain a few thousands taper, but that would require a special die set as well as loosing common parent brass availability. It ends up doing a good job on deer though. My son has the farthest shot at 142yds laser range finder. Broadside and broke the opposite shoulder on the way out. So far we've only taken deer with the 180gr SSP, but might try the speer 180gr HCFN bullets as they feed and shoot well also.

[ubetcha]

I Also have made 7.7mm Jap from 06 brass. 8mm can also be used to make it

[flint45]

7.65 Arg. and 8x57.

[Geezer in NH]

25/06, 8X57 and 338/06

[nagantguy]

So my hoarding instincts were correct, with this mountain of 06 brass, most once fired and a goodly supply of primers and powder and the ability to cast my own projectiles I can make ammo for an array of rifles; rifles gen a few pistols and continue to have fun!

[RogerDat]

Didn't you get super duper special ones to start with? Well there were some especially nice brass in that first batch yes indeed. Ran the last few through the HF chop saw now that I got the new blade but for now that is all I can really do.

[Sur-shot]

Hum, 7.7, 8x57, 240 Laser, 25x06, 6.5x06, 35 Whelen, and tried a couple of 357 and 44 Auto Mag pieces, but that was way too much sugar for a dime.
Ed

[woodbutcher]

:D Well.I`ve made a whole bunch of full ones into empty ones.:roll::roll:
Good luck.have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[ScotMc]

7X57 then Improve it to Ackley. 25.06 .270. Various powder measures.....

[jjnpg317]

250 Savage 7x57 8x57

[map55b]

I have a pile of .30-06 blanks that I tore down. I've used them for:

6.5 Jap (with a little lathe work, back before you could get it)
7x57
.257 Roberts
6mm Remington
8x57
.35 Whelen
.25-06

[15meter]

I usually try to use 270 Win brass for my .473 head size conversions because I don't own a 270, but I have on occasion made: 6.5x55 swede, 300 savage, (308 works waaay better), 8x57, 257 Roberts, .318 Westley Richards, there's something else too, &*%* geezer memory.


8x60s. Two months later.

Maybe closer to three......

[tygar]

started with 25-06, 270, 06AI, 6.5-06, 338-06. May try something else if the urge strikes

[ulav8r]

25-06, scrap. When I was 17 I scrapped some military brass getting the bullets out.

[ammohead]

7.7 Jap, 338-06, 30-06 AI, 9.3x62. and soon 9.3x57.

[sharps4590]

Good post, lots of stuff can obviously be made from '06 brass. Mine are 9.3 X 57, 9 X 57, 8 X 56 Mannlicher/Schoenauer and a couple I'd have to go look up. I haven't checked but I think I could make 6.5 X 54 M/S from '06 brass but with Hornady brass available it isn't worth the effort to me. For cast bullets in my 9.3 X 57 Husky and 8 X 56 M/S I had to thin the necks a bit. For jacketed bullets nothing was required.

[hicard]

35 Whelen and 8mm-06, might try the 7.65 Argie in the future.

[Shiloh]

8x57 Mauser.

Shiloh

[Pavogrande]

In the early sixties made 7x57, 7.7 jap and 7.5 swiss from GI 06 brass

[shortfal]

7.92X33 (8Kurz) For the Sturmgewehrs. Factory Boxer brass and loaded ammo is available but some things you do just because you can I guess.
Pete

[EDG]

Lots of 8X57, 7.65X53 Mauser, and a few 9X57.
I also made a few sample blanks with integral bullet in the 8X33 Kurz.

[swheeler]

25-06 in 71 or so then on to 7.65 Arg, 8mm,6.5-06, 35 Whelen, 270, and 7.7 jap probably forgot a few too.

[shooterg]

In old AR's, somebody made whistles out of 06 brass, another made fishing lures with multiple treble hooks.
Tried to make a whistle, couldn't make it work. Woulda been great stocking stuffers.

[mortyg]

44 spl, 44 mag and 44 spl & 44 mag shotshells

[knuckleball]

Mostly 30-06 and some 270 Winchester. :D

[Vern Humphrey]

I make .35 Brown-Whelen, the most radical form of the Whelen. This form removes most of the taper from the case, moves the shoulder well forward, and sharpens it considerably.

You cannot shoot .35 Whelens in a .35 B-W chamber -- you'll split the shoulders.

I form mine with a few grains of Bullseye and a little toilet paper to keep the charge back near the primer. You'll know you have the right charge when the report changes from "boom" to BANG!

[kmrra]

6mm06 and 270

[kycrawler]

270 win 338-06. 375 whelen 400 whelen

[Blanket]

22-250,6mm rem, 257 Roberts, 7mm Mauser, 6.5 x55, 25-06, 270, 8mm mauser, 8mm-06, 35 W, 6.5-06, 7.7 jap, 45 acp shot, and am probably missing some. Will not make cases for shorter, larger than 30 cal bullet cases like the 8 mm anymore due to being able to chamber in an 06 which will result in a blown up rifle

[Texas by God]

In the gun less category I made a 22-06 once.

[dirkdiggler]

35 Whelen and 8mm-06, might try the 7.65 Argie in the future.

Love it for the argie and the 7.7 jap

[54bore]

I'm simple. 25-06 and .35 Whelen.
Best, Thomas.

Good friend of mine owned, had built a .35 Brown Whelen, he used 06 brass

[cainttype]

Belted 240 Weatherby basic, as well as most already mentioned.
375-240W and 412-240W (straight-wall) examples are pictured.

[CaptainCrossman]

I've made 6mm Remington, 7mm-08, 308, 35 Whelen, 7x57, 8x57, 9x57, 270 Winchester, 280 Remington. But only onesy twosy cuz this case head family is so darn common. it's kind of a no brainer. the only issue I ran into was military brass being thicker and harder to resize, and primer pockets needing to be reamed/opened up. it's sort of not worth it cuz this brass is plentiful in my area, lots of it being sold used on the bargain shelf in the local gun shops and gun shows, and in the for sale ads in papers. the only one really worth doing in the past was 8x57 9x57 cuz that was sort of rare and harder to find, but now even that is easier to find online at a decent price.

[psweigle]

460 Rowland? Can't you make that from 30-06?

[Savage99]

I have made 200 or so 22-250. I am getting ready for 243, 250 savage and 300 savage and maybe some more 308.
I'm retired and I like to keep my hands busy. This is out of the 500 or so 30-06 military brass I have laying around. I somehow have a mental block with forming a case with another case as the head stamp. I think that will confuse me something fierce.

[nun2kute]

So far, the only thing I've made out of 06 brass is 06 Cartridges. But I got two ideas bouncing around between my ears.
40-06 and 45 Raptor. In that order. I'll get started soon as i figure out where to get an AR barrel chambered in 40-06. And finish all my other projects. Scrud, you guy's are a bad influence on me. I don't need any provocation.

[ascast]

windchimes

[fstreed]

So far just .35 Whelen. And a few powder measures for muzzleloaders.

[saintdel]

Years ago, before boxer primed 303British brass was easliy found, at least by me, I created rimless 303 cases from 06 brass. Part of the process involved lightly filing the bottom third of the 06 case to reduce the diameter sufficiently to chamber in my LE's. These cases were used only for light cb loads and worked surprisingly well, providing a tight seal with these low pressure loads.

[JWT]

A couple of years ago a friend asked for my help in making a flag box for his father's flag (WWII army). The box is made of finger jointed cherry. The lid is held in place with rare earth magnets. The lid has 21 holes that hold the 21 30-06 cases from my friends father's funeral. The 30-06 cases hold the flag centered behind the glass (brass is lacquered to prevent staining the flag). A brass tag goes on the raised potion of the lid at the center of the flag. Tracy did the brass installation and final finishing so I don't have a picture of the completed box.
219986

[richhodg66]

Very nice.

I've recently been making 8x57 Mauser cases from old GI '06 brass, but that isn't hard to do. A trim die makes it a lot easier than it might otherwise be.

[17nut]

In the early sixties made 7x57, 7.7 jap and 7.5 swiss from GI 06 brass

You what?
The 7,5x55 Swiss can be made from .284 brass but -06 is way undersize.
Base diameter is .470" for the -06 case and .500" for the 7,5.

[asmith80]

I'm in the process of making about 100 7.7 Jap rounds from some 30-06. First time I've done anything like this, surprised how easy it is. A harbor freight mini miter saw helps keep my arm from falling off using my hand crank Lyman trimmer

[Tatume]

Rimless 44 Rem Mag, just for grins. Lots of work, requires considerable reaming, gains nothing over standard 44 Rem Mag brass, but works in a Ruger Super Blackhawk when the length is carefully adjusted to headspace on the throat shoulder. Requires taper crimp. Only made one. Wouldn't do it again.

[Randy Bohannon]

338-06 Ackley Improved

[Good Cheer]

22-250

220025

But looking at the top of the pictures, wouldn't a .338 Long Neck be a fine cast boolit cartridge!
I bought bunches of stuff to make one and then had to change my plans.

[Reverend Al]

7x57 Mauser, 8x57 Mauser, 7.65 Argentine, and sometimes I've even just reloaded them as .30-06!

[Krag1902]

I don't know if anyone has said .256 Newton yet, but I have made .256 Newton.

[Tracy]

7x57, 8x57, .35 Whelen, 7.65 Arg, .308. Maybe some others over the years. I seem to remember making a straight case something or other, but don't remember what it was.

[upnorthwis]

Powder and shot measures. Use the rim to attach a wire that's used for a handle.

[NoZombies]

360 nitro express 2 1/4" for one...

[JoeJames]

Years ago I made a few 45 acp shot cartridges; trimmed the 30-06 brass down to where it was a bit longer than standard overall case length of an acp case, used cardboard wads below and above load of no 8 shot, fitted upper wad on top, and then lightly crimped it in place. Of course it was a case of single shot only, and one at a time.

[reivertom]

A key ring.

[Mauser 98K]

8mm mauser. and when that wears out i make .308 out of them..

[texasnative46]

To All,

The once-fired commercial .30.06 cases stay .06 for 200 grain GCCB loads for my pair of Model 760s.
(One of my "quirks" is that I don't like the wrong headstamp on my reloads. = A local shooter/hunter, who doesn't reload saves me his brass & gives it to me in the factory boxes. My last "load" of cases was 14 boxes. = NICE GUY is he!!!)

The Lake City & Greek M2 Ball brass (from a local John C. Garand shooter) becomes 9.3x62mm. = Government .30-06 brass reforms easily to 9.3, too.

Note: My treasured Model 760 (reformatted by JES) in 9.3 Mauser shoots 285 grain GCCB beautifully when loaded to about 2,000FPS. = Over a TON of ME works well on most any critter in the Americas.
(Fwiw, I'm one of Jessie's numerous admirers. = He does GREAT work & at a FAIR price.)

yours, tex

[rubinschmidt]

I've used them to make jackets for 45-70 bullets. (Don't crucify me. I DID use cast 44 mag boolits for the core.) I use 45 ACP small primer cases now because it's much easier and cheaper, and 06 brass is too useful for other things.

I am kicking myself for not thinking to ask for the cases from Dad's and his brothers' funerals. He and 3 uncles were all in various branches of the Army during the war.

Greater men have never lived.

[am44mag]

I make all of my 7.7 Jap, 8mm Mauser, and soon 9.3x57 Mauser from 30-06.

[Went2kck]

just 30-06 reloads. I am good with that.

[eric123]

I've made 8x57 and tons of 7.62x63...

[dale2242]

44 Auto Mag

[Jackpine]

Powder dippers.

[broken arrow]

I once read an article in the Garand Collector's Association journal that in the area where "Combat" was filmed in the 1960's they found many 30-06 cases that had been cut down.
A bit of research found that all the blank firing garands, 1911s, and the thompsons were loaded with cases that were made from 30-06.
Interesting bit of firearms history.

[2152hq]

8x56 Mannlicher Schoenaur & 9.5x56 Mannlicher Schoenaur.
256 Gibbs Magnum
8x57
7x57
9x57
35 Whelen
300 Savage (308 is much easier to use and easy to find!)

9.3x72R (takes a lot of steps to both draw the case out and swage the head of the case down to end up with a rimmed x72R.
Not quick, but doable even with simple home made dies and an arbor or other HD press.
Now with Brass more readily available from a couple sources, it's not needed to go through this, but it's another one you can add to the list of 'yes you can,,if you really have to or want to'.
Haven't done this one in years, Norma brass bought some years back still supplys the need for a pre-war German rifle.

8x57 brass is easy(er) to form into a couple of these calibers above , but with a boat load of 30-06 and some 270 brass available, I still use them to case form what I generally need.
I enjoy the process (most times!) especially when it gets an old and/or odd number up and running again.
It doesn't take a lot of rounds to satisfy my needs in most any caliber either, so I don't get bored doing this stuff.

[fast ronnie]

8x57 and 7x57, but will now use .270 to make 7x57 and .280 remington.

[Jedman]

9.3 X 62. Jedman

[tbx-4]

What have I made from a 30-06 case?

A file cleaner.
https://i.imgur.com/Voqs1fz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cPsMKVh.jpg

An inside thread cleaner. Didn't have a dental pick handy.
https://i.imgur.com/qM0tBTd.jpg

[bjmurata]

8mm mauser. and when that wears out i make .308 out of them..

Just for the heck of it I made up some .308 Win. out of some damaged 30-06 brass, some of the resulting .308 developed minor case mouth cracks after a couple of firings so I re-processed them into 300 Savage brass.
Not that I'm short of brass in either chambering, just wanted to see how it would work out, and they worked out OK.

[dogmower]

7x57, 7.7 jap, 7.65 argentine, 25-06, 8mm mauser, 8mm-06