30-06 brass for 280 Ai
- Thread starter 280ruger
- Start date
It can be done. You shouldn’t have any problems with necks being too thick. It’s not really much of a neck reduction. Only problem would be where your shoulder is, headspace issues if too short and won’t chamber if to long. I haven’t looked the specifications up but should be an easy reform.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Using 270 brass is problematic since the 280 shoulders are quite a bit further forward than the 270 shoulders and since the brass headspaces on the shoulder, it cannot be done easily. A Mauser action with a claw extractor that holds the case head tight to the bolt helps but a push feed action is difficult to work with for this.
Also, I prefer necking down instead of up for the simple reason that if someone picks up one of my necked down loads and fires it in the rifle the brass is marked for then there won't be much of a problem other than inacuracy however, if I neck up and someone tries to fire one of my cartridges in a rifle marked for the brass head stamp then there will be very high pressure at the least and a blow up at worst. Of course I'm carefull with where I leave my cartridges laying around but what if I die, there's no telling where my loaded ammo may end up!
- Location
- Western Manitoba
If you are bound and determined to try the 30-06 brass - start with sizing die for 280 AI too far away from shell holder - want to partially reduce the neck - creates a small "false shoulder" - adjust die down in small increments - try that case in your rifle each time - until that "false shoulder" just barely allows the bolt to close - will hold against firing pin strike on the primer - at least for the initial fire-forming load that will blow out the shoulder more or less fully. If false shoulder is too small - then initially run 30-06 over .323, .338 or .358 or whatever larger expander that you have, that creates a "larger" false shoulder.
Can do that first fire form with COW process - do not need to use a bullet, at first. Not likely to get full shoulder formed, or complete case body blow-out, until a subsequent full power load with bullet is fired. Often use a very fast "pistol" or "shotgun" powder for that COW forming - like Unique or similar - maybe 8 or 9 grains - fill rest of the case with Cream of Wheat cereal - top off with dab of hot glue or small square of tissue paper or similar to hold stuff in there from spilling. So far as I know, is sort of "trial and error" to select correct amount of powder for COW - easy enough to start low and add a grain or two until the fire-forming works? There is another poster on CGN who says he uses 14 grains Unique to blow out 300 Win Mag into 458 Win Mag. It was apparently a "thing" to fire your COW loads straight up into the air - alleged that the formed case will be more "centered" in chamber, versus firing it horizontally - like towards a target. I have only fired them straight up - not really sure if it makes a difference or not - but I tend to spill COW if I tried most other ways.
Is a process described elsewhere on Internet that I used to re-form 8x57 into 9.3x57 for a chamber that was unusually long - longer than shoulder on 8x57 brass that I have - so use various dies - 9.3x57, then 41 magnum, etc. (the expander in the Hornady 9.3x57 die seems shaped to open up from 8x57 in one pass) - to make 8x57 case into a "straight wall" case - then back to the 9.3x57 die and re-create / work that shoulder back down - to get to the point that the bolt would just barely close - in my case, I fired with more or less "full power" at that stage - did not do the COW thing. Was only way that I know of to get 9.3x57 brass - never have seen any for sale, anywhere, and this old Husqvarna chamber may have been longer than normal, anyways - but my brass does fit to it.
Can do that first fire form with COW process - do not need to use a bullet, at first. Not likely to get full shoulder formed, or complete case body blow-out, until a subsequent full power load with bullet is fired. Often use a very fast "pistol" or "shotgun" powder for that COW forming - like Unique or similar - maybe 8 or 9 grains - fill rest of the case with Cream of Wheat cereal - top off with dab of hot glue or small square of tissue paper or similar to hold stuff in there from spilling. So far as I know, is sort of "trial and error" to select correct amount of powder for COW - easy enough to start low and add a grain or two until the fire-forming works? There is another poster on CGN who says he uses 14 grains Unique to blow out 300 Win Mag into 458 Win Mag. It was apparently a "thing" to fire your COW loads straight up into the air - alleged that the formed case will be more "centered" in chamber, versus firing it horizontally - like towards a target. I have only fired them straight up - not really sure if it makes a difference or not - but I tend to spill COW if I tried most other ways.
Is a process described elsewhere on Internet that I used to re-form 8x57 into 9.3x57 for a chamber that was unusually long - longer than shoulder on 8x57 brass that I have - so use various dies - 9.3x57, then 41 magnum, etc. (the expander in the Hornady 9.3x57 die seems shaped to open up from 8x57 in one pass) - to make 8x57 case into a "straight wall" case - then back to the 9.3x57 die and re-create / work that shoulder back down - to get to the point that the bolt would just barely close - in my case, I fired with more or less "full power" at that stage - did not do the COW thing. Was only way that I know of to get 9.3x57 brass - never have seen any for sale, anywhere, and this old Husqvarna chamber may have been longer than normal, anyways - but my brass does fit to it.
Last edited:
I've had no issues fire forming 30-06 brass to 280ai, I do this because I like Lapua brass.
Use a 280ai size die and partially run the 30-06 brass into it to create a false shoulder, just enough so the bolt closes with some resistance. Load and fire. After all the brass has been formed then check case length and trim to the shortest one.
A load that runs around 50 000 psi for the forming then full power after that.
Use a 280ai size die and partially run the 30-06 brass into it to create a false shoulder, just enough so the bolt closes with some resistance. Load and fire. After all the brass has been formed then check case length and trim to the shortest one.
A load that runs around 50 000 psi for the forming then full power after that.
You leave a donut in the neck when your resize the neck. This holds the brass back against the bolt face when you fireform the loads and lets the shoulder move out to where you want it to be. - dan
