308 seating die for...

Big Caliber · March 22, 2016, 06:35 PM

seating bullets into a 30-06 case. Can it be done??? or is there not enough room in the die? I know I need the FL sizing die.

Dufus · March 22, 2016, 07:28 PM

You can do that, but your cartridge concentricity might not be kosher unless you are really careful. I am not sure if the 308 die will hold the case properly unless I tried it myself. Ain't got anything to lose, so why not give it a try?

The 30-06 is some 0.013" narrower at the shoulder.

condor bravo · March 22, 2016, 07:53 PM

Certainly can, even applying a crimp if needed. Works every time. I'm not aware of any objections, such as bullet alignment, to doing that.

emcon5 · March 22, 2016, 08:02 PM

You got me curious, so I just went out and tried it, seems to work OK.

The -06 case is longer, so put the case in the shell holder and run the ram up, then screw down the die until it contacts the shoulder.

Not ideal, but if that is all you have, and I don't know if you can get a consistent crimp.

I was using the seating die from Lee Collet die set.

Big Caliber · March 22, 2016, 11:52 PM

Hmmmmm. 0.013" narrower??? Well, that fact and some discussion w/ friends tells me to stop trying to pinch a penny and just buy the 30-06 dies. Thanks guys!

**Unclenick** · March 23, 2016, 09:23 AM

Yeah, the 30-06 has a greater taper on its sides. However, that won't necessarily make a huge difference. The clearance for the resized case in the die is usually a few thousandths, but that's already enough bullet tilt to affect accuracy adversely. If you are looking to keep your bullets really straight, the Redding Competition Seater die is the best I've found, but it's price is not for the economy-minded.

F. Guffey · March 23, 2016, 10:21 PM

Difference; the 308 W die is shorter by .479”, that is not a problem because the 308 W case is larger in diameter at the shoulder meaning the 30/06 die chamber reamer will not clean the 308 W chamber up. The case body/shoulder juncture will remain after reaming.

I have used other dies for seating by adjusting the die off the shell holder with a feeler gage. Same when forming cases.

F. Guffey

March 22, 2016, 06:35 PM	#1
Big Caliber Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2006 Location: S. CA Posts: 421	308 seating die for... seating bullets into a 30-06 case. Can it be done??? or is there not enough room in the die? I know I need the FL sizing die.

March 22, 2016, 07:53 PM	#3
condor bravo Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2014 Location: Nevada/Ariz/CA Posts: 1,753	Certainly can, even applying a crimp if needed. Works every time. I'm not aware of any objections, such as bullet alignment, to doing that. __________________ Ouch, the dreaded "M-1 thumb", you just know it will happen eventually, so why not do it now and get it over with??

March 23, 2016, 09:23 AM	#6
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,057	Yeah, the 30-06 has a greater taper on its sides. However, that won't necessarily make a huge difference. The clearance for the resized case in the die is usually a few thousandths, but that's already enough bullet tilt to affect accuracy adversely. If you are looking to keep your bullets really straight, the Redding Competition Seater die is the best I've found, but it's price is not for the economy-minded. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

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March 22, 2016, 07:28 PM	#2
Dufus Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2014 Posts: 1,965	You can do that, but your cartridge concentricity might not be kosher unless you are really careful. I am not sure if the 308 die will hold the case properly unless I tried it myself. Ain't got anything to lose, so why not give it a try? The 30-06 is some 0.013" narrower at the shoulder.

March 22, 2016, 08:02 PM	#4
emcon5 Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 1999 Location: High Desert NV Posts: 2,850	You got me curious, so I just went out and tried it, seems to work OK. The -06 case is longer, so put the case in the shell holder and run the ram up, then screw down the die until it contacts the shoulder. Not ideal, but if that is all you have, and I don't know if you can get a consistent crimp. I was using the seating die from Lee Collet die set.

March 22, 2016, 11:52 PM	#5
Big Caliber Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2006 Location: S. CA Posts: 421	Hmmmmm. 0.013" narrower??? Well, that fact and some discussion w/ friends tells me to stop trying to pinch a penny and just buy the 30-06 dies. Thanks guys!

March 23, 2016, 10:21 PM	#7
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	Difference; the 308 W die is shorter by .479”, that is not a problem because the 308 W case is larger in diameter at the shoulder meaning the 30/06 die chamber reamer will not clean the 308 W chamber up. The case body/shoulder juncture will remain after reaming. I have used other dies for seating by adjusting the die off the shell holder with a feeler gage. Same when forming cases. F. Guffey