[bearhunter]

hey guys and gals, new to this forum stuff, never did anything like this before, so hoping to do this right. I need to get some info on forming brass for a rifle that i am having re-chambered. it is being re-chambered to 6.5x06. i read on another blog that you could just run a 25 06 round thru a 6.5x06 die and have a round that will fire in the rifle. is this correct? thanks for and information that you can give me.

 

[stand watie]

bearhunter,

fyi, when i hear back from my brother-of-the-heart, C.E. Harris, who is in Italy this week, i'll ask him.

Ed has forgotten more than most "experts" know about reloading/rechambering/etc.

yours, sw

 

[stand watie]

bearhunter,

the answer is: YEP. 25/06 necks right down to 6.5, W/O problem.

otoh, if it was my rifle, i'd been busily "picking up" FREE 30.06 brass at the range & necking that down.
(i think of Jack Benny as a spendthrift.- when i can get FREE brass, that's what i go with. = the last trip that i made to the local range, i picked up over 500 30.06 cases that were "just laying there, waiting to be scrounged".)

ONE reason that i'm so fond of the .35 Whelen, .375 Whelen Improved and .400Brown-Whelen Improved is that they are POWERHOUSES & CHEAP to shoot a LOT.
(my next project is a 30.06 Browning BAR, converted to a .400B-WI, with all the "recoil-reducing improvements" that i can think of, including muzzle-brake. - SHOULDER PROBLEMS!)

for example, the .400B-WI is the exact ballistic equivilent of the (well-regarded in Africa) .404 Jeffery & it can be formed from FREE/range pick-up 30.06 brass & loaded for about 55 cents each. - otoh, a box of 20soft-point or solids in .404Jeffery is 112.00 +S&H.

 

[spwenger]

I've Got No Experience...

...necking down cases in this manner but my theoretical knowledge tells me that I would verify the case length after doing so. When the neck is narrowed, the displaced metal has to flow somewhere and that would be forward. You may find that you need to trim just a bit off the neck.

 

[stand watie]

bearhunter; spwenger,

spwenger: as i'm a fan of IMPROVED wildcats, "brass flowing" isn't usually a big deal as fireforming USUALLY "uses up" the extra brass BUT "checking for OAL" is a GOOD idea.
(in some cases, "improved" is the ONLY way to go. - for example, the .400B-W will NOT "headspace" safely W/O being an "improved case", with 60 degree shoulder.)

fwiw, i have a friend that generally get about TEN reloads from each .400BWI case, before problems "show up". - he is MOSTLY shooting "moderate loads" (about 2000FPS) with hard-cast lead bullets of 350+ grains.
(fwiw, that long RNL is A KILLER!)

bearhunter: i'm a "heavy bullet guy" & the SOLE under-.30 caliber (other than .22LR) rifle i own is a .243Winchester semi-auto for our LITTLE/numerous TX whitetails/coyotes/"medium critters".

BEST WISHES with your 6.5/06.

yours, sw

 

[stand watie]

to all,

IF you like cheap POWERHOUSE loads, as i do, check out the 280grain GC "homebrew" lead bullet in semi-spitzer form at @2000FPS for the .35Whelen.

that bullet is an ELK & MOOSE KILLER for sure w/o stressing you or the rifle.

yours, sw