6.5x50 made from 308

[riceone]

If bulges in your brass is a bother to you there is a way to eliminate it by making a case that fits the oversize 6.5 chamber. Below is a picture showing a Norma 6.5 cartridge on the left, an original Japanese cartridge in the middle and a 6.5 made from 308 brass. The base on the Norma and Japanese cartridge is .447" and the base on the 308 is .456-.457. riceone

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/riceone/RIMG0203_edited.jpg

[TCLouis]

so did you hone out a 6.5X50 die to the larger base. All my chambers are oversize, but not concentric.

[riceone]

No, I have a die that I run it through first and it reduces the base so that it will go in a regular full length sizing die. I use an old Herter dia and a Lee. riceone

[MilSurpFan]

so did you hone out a 6.5X50 die to the larger base. All my chambers are oversize, but not concentric.

Are you saying they are not concentric because the bulge forward of the head is off to one side?

[jonk]

I have some 308 brass that's been reformed. I bought it from someone on gunbroker as loaded ammo. Works fine.

However, some of it, when I went to reload, the die pushed a ring of brass down the case leaving what looked like a belted magnum. Surprisingly in one of my guns, even THIS chambered, leading me to realize just HOW oversized that chamber is. So I left it as is for that gun, and polished it off with a file and drill for the other 2 japs I have.

I have to think the former used some sort of neck and body reduction die but one that didn't go all the way to the base.

[bruce drake]

I bought a set off Riceone last year and they work great! I used commercial 243 brass that other shooters left on the range and a LOT of imperial sizing wax and they just formed up nice.

Bruce

[riceone]

Jonk, most likely the problem with the belt is your die. The inner edge on the mouth needs just a bit of polishing so it will slide over instead of pushing ahead. Had this happen before. You can take some 600 paper on the ball of your index finger and turn till you see a little bevel. riceone

[jonk]

Hmm, they work just fine with norma and Grafs cases so it isn't an issue now, but if and when I need to make any mods for the future, will keep this in mind.

[riceone]

Reason it worked fine with Norma and Grafs is the base on those are .447" and the case you had trouble with is probably .008" larger plus or minus. riceone

[madsenshooter]

Year ago I got a set of dies from C&H to make 6.5 from .308. To begin it pushes the .308 up into a 8x56MS die to reduce the head diameter. The case has to be knocked out with a punch and hammer. I wind up with a .4575 diameter head. There is a little belt-like area at the head, but it disappears at the first firing when the case forward of it blows out. If one is careful not to set the shoulder back too far, the brass is in my opinion, a lot safer than the old Norma brass. I even ran a classified ad in the American Rifleman, to the tune of $300, and sold a few hundred of them. Way too labor intensive to make any money at it. Now I just use .303 Brit or 30/40 Krag to make jap brass. That old Norma stuff is dangerously undersized. I'll bet a lot of fellows thought they had a headspace problem when the problem was the undersized brass. Necksizing the cases, I'd still only get 2 reloads before the brass let go.

[TAWILDCATT]

I have some 7.7 norma and it is undersized.I think they make from 06 or they use
specs that are not the same as the actual chambers.
much easier to buy privi from GRAFS than to form.