Brass Question - Resize 30-06 to .280 Remington

[countertop]

Just got myself a .280 Remington and want to start loading for it this week. While I have a bucket of .30-06, I don't have any .280 Rem brass. I know the .280 was developed off the .30-06, and I know there is a way to convert the brass but I dont know what it is or how to do it.

Anyone have links or suggestions on good resources for learning how to do this???

 

[suemarkp]

You should just be able to feed it into a 280 resizing die and you're done if the case length is OK. Since 280 brass is easy to find, you'd be better off to get factory sized brass with a proper headstamp.

 

[cdrt]

When you resize the .30-06 in your .280 die, the shoulder will crush a little. Once you resize them, they'll need to be fire-formed before you load them with any kind of regular .280 load. They will also be slightly shorter than SAAMI specs, but they will work. I've done it, but now have a whole lot of .280 brass and don't need to any more.

 

[countertop]

Thanks

Any direction on what fire forming is?

 

[cdrt]

What I did was load a light load with a cheap bullet and shoot them. The shoulder will push back out to factory specs.

Some guys load powder and plug the end of the case and shoot them that way, but I've never tried it and you would need to talk to someone who has done it that way.

I should have said that the shoulder will dimple, not be crushed when you size them down. It just puts some dents in it which reduces the case capacity slightly. With a starting load, they work just fine.

 

[countertop]

Hey thanks - so the steps would be -

1. Resize in the .280 die
2. Load and fire a light load (either with a bullet of some other plug at the end)
3. Reload as normal

Is that correct?

This isn't really covered in my Speer Manual. Is there a source for more information on this process?? It sounds real simple, but I suspect there is more to be aware of than just this.

 

[cdrt]

Yep, you got it.

Hopefully someone will explain what they use to plug the case. At least it would save you wasting a bullet. They are getting expensive.

And just remember to mark the end of the case with something like a sharpie, so you remember it is now .280 brass and not aught 6.

 

[cdrt]

I found this doing a search for "fire forming". I've never tried this, but it does sound reasonable. In this case they were fire forming .223 Rem in to something else.

From there the old standard was a couple grains of Bullseye, fill with Cream of Wheat, fire. If you are way low, you can do it again... I used corn meal. Be a greenie. Fire it into soil or sand or paper and scatter on your lawn. Nice organic fertilizer. Unique is o.k. I used HS6 but seemed a trifle slow. If you are going to carry the rounds you plug the mouth with any number of things. Soap has been mentioned. Small squares of toilet tissue is mentioned. Candle wax or canning wax will work. (Messy if you use alot). Kapok used to be popular. No idea about availability today. Little need for a plug...

It just appears if you are going to plug the case with wax or whatever, that you can use a really small charge of Bullseye or Unique, rather than a light load of a regular rifle powder with a bullet.

Again, all I've ever done is use a bullet and starting load, which works just fine in this case going from aught 6 to .280.

 

[Ol` Joe]

Keep in mind if you do reform `06 to 280 the difference in the two is very small, 0.024". They can be easily mistaken for each other if not well marked. I doubt a 280 is a problem in a `06, or that a 30-06 will chamber in a 280 but it would wreck your day if you got to the range and found you have the wrong ammo.

 

[rcmodel]

Dimples in the shoulder are caused by excess sizing lube.

I have resized a ton of GI 30-06 brass to 25-06 with never a dented shoulder.

The problem lies in the fact the 30-06 is approx. .009 shorter from head to shoulder then the .280.

The .280 was made longer then the 30-06 - .270 so it would be impossible to chamber a .280 in a .270 rifle.

You need to long seat your bullets the first time to hold the shorter case back against the bolt-face so you can blow the shoulder foreword.

An alternet method might be to only partially size the 30-06, and leave a step-down in the case neck.

By adjusting the sizing die just so, the .30 to .280 step in the neck will prevent the case from fully chambering without feeling stiff bolt resistance.

That will hold the case tightly against the bolt face and allow the shoulder to blow forward to fit the chamber on the first firing.

If you try to fire-form by other methods, the firing pin will drive the case fully into the chamber, then pressure will hold it there.
The case will then stretch .009" to fill the available space.

Not good!

rcmodel

 

[WNTFW]

PM me your address & I will send you my .280 brass. I'm not sure how much I have but I'll let you know. I got a bunch of range pickup & there is some .280.
You will need to inspect it though. I remember it was decent. Let me know if you have a tumbler. I can tumble it 1st if you don't.
Thanks,
WNTFW

 

[280shooter]

I resided 30-06 and 270 to 280.they work fine,and no problems sticking the wrong case in a dif gun,I dont own a 30-06 or 270,so they all work well in my 280,Just load to a starting load and have a ball shooting,

 

[Ol` Joe]

My post wasn`t on the danger of fireing the wrong cartridge as I noted they likely won`t fit the wrong chamber. My concern is with grabbing the wrong ammo or mixing them and finding out later you now have the wrong stuff for your rifle.
I reformed 308 to make 7-08 brass back when it wasn`t available commercially. Once, I was unloading my range bag and found my plastic ammo boxes had come opened in transit and I`d dumped both 308 and 708s. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to determine which was what, as both were stamped 308 and had bullet styles that appeared identical. I made it a point after that to color mark my case heads with magic marker on reformed brass to help keep them seperate.

 

[countertop]

My post wasn`t on the danger of fireing the wrong cartridge as I noted they likely won`t fit the wrong chamber. My concern is with grabbing the wrong ammo or mixing them and finding out later you now have the wrong stuff for your rifle.

Been there, done that

WNTFW - sending you a PM. Thanks!

Dare I ask - - whats the benefit of tumbling (other than shiny cases)???
Have never done it - but then most of my reloading is for handgun cartridges.

 

[strat81]

Dare I ask - - whats the benefit of tumbling (other than shiny cases)???
Have never done it - but then most of my reloading is for handgun cartridges.

Clean brass won't be covered in crud that could scratch your dies, possibly ruining them.

Clean brass is easier to inspect for defects (cracks, dents, splits, etc.).

Clean brass, in my experience, feeds and extracts more smoothly.

Clean brass is... cleaner (!). There's less nasty stuff on your hands.

 

[lgbloader]

Quote:
Dare I ask - - whats the benefit of tumbling (other than shiny cases)???
Have never done it - but then most of my reloading is for handgun cartridges.

Clean brass won't be covered in crud that could scratch your dies, possibly ruining them.

Clean brass is easier to inspect for defects (cracks, dents, splits, etc.).

Clean brass, in my experience, feeds and extracts more smoothly.

Clean brass is... cleaner (!). There's less nasty stuff on your hands.

LOL - Strat81, You shot it right between the eyes.