[F. Guffey]

Forming 308 W from 30/06: Forming 308 from 30/06 cases is a bad habit if the 308 Winchester full length sizer die is used. There is nothing about the 308 W full length sizer die that resembles a forming die. My favorite forming die is the 308 Winchester forming/trim ide because it is short, I use the 308 Winchester forming die when forming 7.7 japanese, 8mm57, 7mm57 etc.. All that is required for the reloader to keep up with is adjusting the die off the shell holder to compensate for the short forming die.



The next best favorite forming die is the 243 Winchester forming die for all the same reasons, then there is the 350 Remington forming die.



My forming die was paid for after I formed 100 cases, then there is trimming, when trimming 30/06 cases to 308 Winchester it is required to trim .375"+ from each case, that is 37.5" (inches) per 100 cases, the form/trim die is designed to be used with the man-tool, the hack saw, then finished with a file. The hack saw makes short work of trimming.



As always the formed case must be sized with the full length sizer die after forming. Then there is off setting the length of the chamber with the length of the formed case, avoid mindlessly adjusting the die to the shell holder until the length of the chamber has been determined, length of the chamber? as it applies to the chamber from the shoulder/datum to the bolt face. If you are familiar with making do with what you have in the way of tools, the datum, circle, round hole is .400", If you are not politically correct the datum for the 30/06 chamber works, the datum round hole, circle is .375 for the datum measure from the plaine.



F. Guffey