30/06 to 8x57

[PAT303]

Whats the best way to make 06 cases into 8mm ones?. Pat

[JeffinNZ]

Lube them well but not too much and run them into your FL 8x57 die. I used to do it heaps. Great source of free brass if you don't mind trimming a looooong neck.

[bruce drake]

I use a brass pipe cutter to reform 30-06/270 Win Brass to feed my Mausers. I spin the cutter at a pre-measured mark for the case length and then reform it in my 8x57 Full length size die and then do a final trim if needed with a LEE Case Length Guage and Cutter.

[higgins]

It would be a good idea to obliterate the 30/06 part of the headstamp with a grinder to make sure someone takes a second look before they chamber it in a .30/06.

[fredj338]

You can kitchen sink it by using the 8x57 dies, but the best way is to get a case forming die from RCBS. Run the case in, cut off & file smooth, chmafer & done. IMO, unless you want to shoot a **** load of rounds, just buy brass. It's not that expensive & w/ mid range loads, it will last 10 firings or more.

[Char-Gar]

Get an 8 X 57 file trim die from either Redding or RCBS. They don't cost that much and they are handy to have come case triming time. The RCBS will also full length size your cases and the Redding won't. So, if you get a Redding, you will need to FL size your cases as a final step. Here is how you use them.

Screw the die in your press like any other until it contacts the shell holder and takes the slack out of the linkage.

Now back it off 1/4 turn.

Lube and run the 30-06 cases into the die and take a hacksaw with a fine tooth blade and cut off everything that sticks above the die. Do this until all of your cases are processed.

Now screw the die back down again and trim off the ragged end with a double cut file. Don't worry, the die is hardned and you won't hurt it. Deburr and you now have a good 8X 57 case.

[Larry Gibson]

Concur on the form/trim die. It makes doing it a whole lot easier. Using the 8mm form die is also a great first step in forming 6.5 Swede, 7x57 and 7.65 Argentine from '06 cases. First formed in the form dies and then all is needed for the others is to run into a FL die and trim; same as with the 8x57.

If one is just going to use the 8x57 FL die it is best to FL the '06 cases (if the are milsurp once fired) in and '06 die first. Take the decap expander out of the 8mm FL die for the forming operation. Then, to save cases from wrinkled or dimpled necks and shoulders, I adjut the Die to do about 1/3 of the forming. After all the cases are thus sized I adust the die for 2/3 forming. At this stage I cut the excess neck off at the right length with a tube cutter as mentioned or with a cut off wheel in the Dremel. The decapping/expander is put back into the FL 8mm die and the final 1/3 of the case is formed. The cases are then final trimmed to length with a case trimer and camfered. I've not found annealing necessary with US milsurp cases when cases are formed to 8x57. However, if formed to theother cases annealing after forming gives longer case life before the necks split.

Larry Gibson

[StarMetal]

Larry does his just about the same as I do even down to cutting the excess neck length off with a dremel. No sense in wearing your case trimmer cutter out. Reforming will harden the necks just as Larry said. It's important to keep case lube off the neck and the portion of the body on the 06 brass that will get reformed in the 8mm die. This includes actually cleaning the die from time to time, depending on how cases you are forming because the lube will migrate up into the neck area of the die. Dimples are very discouraging. Don't forget to inside/outside deburr the cases and on that last step that Larry mentioned when putting the expander back into the 8mm die and finishing off the case....don't forget to inside neck lube.

Joe

[Hardcast416taylor]

I used to do the procedures listed above. Now I call around the suppliers to who has brass and just order the brass on hand. I found that even being retired, I had other things to do.Robert

[zomby woof]

Check your e-mail

[PAT303]

Thanks everyone,the only reason I'm doing it is because I have a lot of once fired 30/06 cases and no one around my area has any 8mm to swap with so it's going to waste.Thanks Larry and Joe,your way is the go. Pat

[Ben-WSU]

I agree with higgins, but would go one step futher and suggest not doing this. To me this isn't worth the risk of an ammo miss-match.

The 8x57 and 30-06 look very similar. The 8x57 cases will chamber in a 30-06 and if the rifle is controlled round fed the extractor will hold the case against the firing pin allowing the round to go off. At that point you have an 8mm obstruction in the 30 cal barrel. I saw a picture of a 1903 springfield in pieces because of an 8x57 round.

Granted, you would probably never have this problem, but you might be setting up someone else down the road to make a big mistake. Just think about if you don't fire all of the rounds, and someone ten years from now grabs a 30-06 and an old box of "30-06" reloads...

You could sell your 30-06 on gunbroker and use that to get 8x57 factory cases.

I'll get off the soap box now.

If you were going to do this, then consider Lee dies. First step is to take out the expansion pin and run the cases through with lots of case lube. Then trim to length. The FL size again. Lee uses a tapered expansion pin that will expand the case mouth nicely if that didn't happen on the first FL sizing. I have sized 7mm-08 up to 308 with no problems using this method. And have toyed around with forming 308 from 30-06 (never used it because of the same issues as described above).

[StarMetal]

I agree with higgins, but would go one step futher and suggest not doing this. To me this isn't worth the risk of an ammo miss-match.

The 8x57 and 30-06 look very similar. The 8x57 cases will chamber in a 30-06 and if the rifle is controlled round fed the extractor will hold the case against the firing pin allowing the round to go off. At that point you have an 8mm obstruction in the 30 cal barrel. I saw a picture of a 1903 springfield in pieces because of an 8x57 round.

Granted, you would probably never have this problem, but you might be setting up someone else down the road to make a big mistake. Just think about if you don't fire all of the rounds, and someone ten years from now grabs a 30-06 and an old box of "30-06" reloads...

You could sell your 30-06 on gunbroker and use that to get 8x57 factory cases.

I'll get off the soap box now.

If you were going to do this, then consider Lee dies. First step is to take out the expansion pin and run the cases through with lots of case lube. Then trim to length. The FL size again. Lee uses a tapered expansion pin that will expand the case mouth nicely if that didn't happen on the first FL sizing. I have sized 7mm-08 up to 308 with no problems using this method. And have toyed around with forming 308 from 30-06 (never used it because of the same issues as described above).

One of my friend's son killed a nice buck with an 8x57 Mauser.......using 35 Remingtons!!!!!!!!!!!! Didn't phase the rifle one bit, although the boy said it kicked pretty hard.

Sorry but I don't agree with you.

Joe

[Hardcast416taylor]

Star Metal. Where was the boy`s father when the boy was getting ammo for the hunt? Another case of "Well it looks about what I need"? To this day I look at the headstamp to verify the caliber of the round as to the firearm it is to be used in. The boy was VERY LUCKY - THIS TIME!!!Robert

[Beekeeper]

I have always formed my 8mm from 30/06 military brass.
When I was in the military I collected all of the 06 brass I could get.
If you take the time to do it right and box it in such a manner that it can not be mistaken (ie: label the boxes correctly) there is no reason not to do it.
I have some 8mm brass I reformed from 06 brass that is 40 years old and maybe 50 reloads on it and never had a failure.
For my money the military brass is by far the best and safest there is.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I have salvaged hundreds of '06 cases for my Mauser 98/22. Then I rebarreled that action into a 6.5 x 55 Sweede. Now I am looking for another old mauser to utilize all those cases and boolits. Will it ever stop?

[Storydude]

I've been making .308 from my gallons of -06 brass I have. Being that I"m broke, time is available, money is not.

[GabbyM]

Whats the best way to make 06 cases into 8mm ones?. Pat

Reaming the rifle chamber to 8mm-06. Makes for a big stick.
Used to be very common in the post war years here in the USA. Load data abounds for this cartridge.
Reloading dies are standard price sets from RCBS and others.

[PAT303]

Thats not a bad idea!!. Pat

[1874Sharps]

Pat,

Might I offer a slight twist on your original question? What about the prospects of rechambering your 8X57 Mauser into a 8mm-06? A friend of mine had a sporterized Mauser that he did this for and it gave him a ballistically superior rifle (I know, not that superior) and he was able to use widely available '06 brass.

[prickett]

Here's a video of the process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqBLPGbmXS4

[HangFireW8]

Lube them well but not too much and run them into your FL 8x57 die.

Thats how I make them. Lube carefully all over, but not thick at all. Chamfer the inside to a bevel and lube the inside of the case neck as well as the outside. Ram them through the size die. Trim off excess with a tiny copper pipe cutter. Debur, chamfer like crazy, resize one more time, trim to final length, debur and chamfer (very lightly this time) once again. Then clean off the lube, burnish slightly with steel wool (to get the die to take), and die the bases black with Birchwood Casey Brass Black.

Why? Currently my 8mm's are all beaters and cast bullet projects, while my .30-06's are a combination of hi tech, hi dollar fancies and cheap beaters. So, I resolved to spend as little money as possible on the 8mm's. This led me into casting my own. As a result, I have the very best groups with my best '06's, and more fun with my 8mm beaters. :smile:

It started with some Mil Surplus, had no 30 or 06 on the headstamp, felt OK doing those. With no caliber on the headstamp, you had to figure out what they were anyway. Then I bought a whole bunch of shiny new Brand B cases, and retired all my Brand A 30-06. I didn't like the idea of selling them at auction as part twice, part thrice, and part I-don't-know-how-many-times-fired. I can sort out incipient case head separations and other issues, but I don't know about the other guy. I also didn't feel right about making them into 8mm without marking them in some obvious way, so I went with the BC Brass Black.

Here is a picture. The ones on the right haven't been polished yet. The corrosion may look awful but it is strictly cosmetic, no depth to it.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=272&pictureid=1800
Dummies at the bottom of pic are reformed 30-06 into 8x57 with 8mm Karabiner, and a .30-06 with a 311041.

There's more. I got busy doing a light neck shave on my shiny new Brand B 30-06. Did about 1/3 of them. Later, I found out my RCBS case neck shaver had a little problem. The necks were .0015 inches thicker on one side then the other. I thought I was "cleaning up" lousy factory uneven-thickness-neck brass, when in fact I was making good brass uneven. Lesson learned: don't improve what you can't measure.

So, that sub-batch of shaved Brand B ended up becoming 8mm Mauser as well. Only the tip of the neck is is unevenly trimmed, and my cast boolit reloads don't seem to care.

-HF

[mpmarty]

3006 brass makes great x57 stuff 8mm, 7mm and even 6.5.
just remember after all the other stuff to check neck thickness and ream or outside turn as necessary.[smilie=2:

[jonk]

I went the easy way and got a file trim die.

1. Lube case. Run into trim die.
2. Cut off protruding part and touch up with a file.
3. FL size and double check length. Final trim if needed.
4. Chamfer and de-burr.

You can do it without the trim die. Some use pipe cutters, others use cut off wheels, whatever, to take the roughly 6mm off the case. Then just size final trim and chamfer.

[higgins]

While neck thickness should always be checked after forming, I think the slightly thicker necks in the 8mm I have formed from .30/06 military brass makes for a better fit in the usually generous chambers of milsurp 8mms.