270 cases reduced to 6.5x55 can it be done, well im gonna try.

antibiotic · February 16, 2009, 09:14 PM

im going to the 270 case and i'm ramming it in a 6,5x55 die with a little trimming off the OAL from the 270 case.knowing it will produce a longer neck colapsing the shoulder to 6.5.
i know the base (rim) of the 270 is just a wee bit smaller than the base of the 6.5x55 only by a 4to6 thousands. but it might work. some time ago i did it with a 30-06 case. just for the heck of it. only because i have a lot of them. what i do remember is that it did work, but only got one good one out of about 6 or 7 cases. the others just folded over or collapsed at the neck and shoulder. i cant remember if put some heat on the necks first with a torch to soften the brass up a little. I guess i have the winter blues to think up this stuff. oh the wheels are turning. then again anybody have some 6.5 brass?

Wildalaska · February 16, 2009, 09:24 PM

Hi, besides the difficulty in reading your post, lets add the difficulty in doing what you are doing when you can just buy the correct brass.

WildcapitalizationandsentencestructureareyourfriendsAlaska TM

FrankenMauser · February 17, 2009, 02:48 AM

The SAAMI specifications for these two cartridges give you a difference of .010" at the base of the case body and about .011" at the web. That is huge. That difference means the web of the case will have to stretch .005"+ in every direction. One of the most critical parts of your case has just been compromised.

If your chamber is over-sized, things can be much worse.

I won't tell say you can't do it. However, it's not the best idea. Even if you get the cases to form, and fire-form properly.... You'll probably see total case head separation within 3 loadings.

antibiotic · March 12, 2009, 09:27 PM

it worked.. i used a 308 die to start the neck and shoulder reduction. till i reached the proper length to shoulder to match the length of 55 case. then i used a 6.5X55 die to finish it off. will have to trim the very long neck off. so how do you cut it off clean? any tricks out there?
the one thing i noticed is that you will have to use a brass case that has no imperfections on the neck or shoulder area. cuts or dings, because they really shows up worse after forming. making the reformed case, scrap.

antibiotic · March 12, 2009, 09:29 PM

actually it was a 30-06 case i used not the 270

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · March 12, 2009, 09:33 PM

why why why???

IllinoisdontmakeithardonyourselfCoyoteiknowyoucanfindbetterthingstodowithyourtimeHunter

Horseman · March 12, 2009, 09:57 PM

Quote:

IllinoisdontmakeithardonyourselfCoyoteiknowyoucanfindbetterthingstodowithyourtimeHunter

Has Wildalaska signed off on the signature statements? You know that's patented right?

Antibiotic
Buy the proper brass. If you're gonna put in all the time and money in bullets, powder, etc., it's worth getting the right brass. 6.5x55 uses a unique base diameter that will fight you every step of the way. That's precisely the part of the case you don't want stretching.

Wildalaska · March 12, 2009, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Has Wildalaska signed off on the signature statements? You know that's patented right?

Trademarked actually...but everybody gets two or three chances before the lawsuits start

WildmakeitcountAlaska TM

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · March 12, 2009, 10:19 PM

LOL

IllinoisohmygoshCoyoteigottacallmylawyerinthemorningHunter

rn22723 · March 13, 2009, 12:05 AM

Man some people have way too much time on their hands....there is Win, Lapua, PP, Norma, and RP brass, what waste of time effort and resources!
Use the right stuff for the gun! Sheesh!

6.5BR · March 13, 2009, 06:34 PM

I re-formed some hornady 25-06 and 270 brass once, using a form die for the 6.5x55 back in the early 90s before Swede brass was very plentiful.

First, of the two above cases, they varied DRASTICALLY in powder capacity even though both stamped Hornady.

BUT, most importantly, I had one round fired that FROZE up the gun, the headstamp was imprinted on the bolt and I had to BEAT the action open. Worse yet, the 1896 mauser luckily did not blow up as there is no 3rd lug as a safety as the 98 mauser.

The case head blew/cracked as did the primer blew. My guess, pressure way above 60-70PSI, likely MUCH higher.

Problem I reasoned: Loaded 6.5x55 ammo should Max Outside Diameter of
.297 with bullet seated. MY reformed brass, Neck OD was .310.

I am going off memory but believe all numbers correct. That meant I was CRIMPING the brass.

When you FORM brass, as much as people talk about the head size being incorrect, ALSO you'd dang better check your OD on the loaded round in the neck, or you are setting yourself up to possibly get killed!

I registered just to post to your OP here to save your head.

I NEARLY had a bolt/striker assembly end my life and go thru my head. The bolt body threads on the rear of the bolt were cracked one end to the next as the firing pin/striker assembly SLAMMED rearward when the gas escaped from the blown case. It BOTTOMED out the parts inside the bolt and LUCKLY it did not Shear off those threads or I'd been dead.

Dude, SERIOUSLY you are playing with fire if you reform brass and DON'T neck turn cases and pay attention to all variables.

I would NEVER do that again.

BUY STAMPED FACTORY MADE 6.5x55 brass if you don't want to be a statistic!

It's been a long while since I recapped my story, but your post deserved it.

antibiotic · March 13, 2009, 11:25 PM

well just so you know, im not going to use these or make any more. hell i just made a few. i just had to see if it could be done. thanks to all for input and safety concerns. i will just have to sell off some of the 30-06 brass i have.,and purchase 6.5 brass. never did cut off the long necks. i ran out of too much time. thanks again

Scorch · March 13, 2009, 11:58 PM

When you reform brass by moving the shoulder back and necking it down, you will have to either neck ream or neck turn the brass to get the proper thickness at the neck. This is critical! If your brass is too thick, it can cause a serious overpressure.

As far as "see if it can be done", you can reform brass much more drastically than you have done, but it is near impossible to enlarge the case head to the proper size.

Wildalaska · March 14, 2009, 03:41 AM

Quote:

I registered just to post to your OP here to save your head.

Welcome...hope you stick around

WidwriteswellseemsknowledgeableandhisfirstpostwasntlooneyAlaska TM

6.5BR · March 14, 2009, 08:36 AM

Scorch, correct. I knew a BR shooter long ago, gave me some 308 Federal brass necked down and turned necks for 7/08, many do that, and if I recall he may have done some with 30/06, but those cases all mike the same at the base to my recollection.

The form die a man had let me use back then left the neck long thru the top of the brass and you simply cut with hack saw blade and/or filed it down with a file. It was alot of work to put my neck on the line.

None the less, thankfully I survived that learning lesson and hopefully can prevent someone from having a catastrophic event....esp. a deadly one.

The 6.5x55 is a truly great round, using high BC/SD bullets with target grade accuracy, it's a formidable round in competition, and in the field.

10 shots, 4.4" group at 1000 yds, always got my attention, in a factory rifle yet!

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m..._95680073/pg_4

Enjoy your 6.5 Anti-Biotic. FWIW, I use Lapua brass, but Rem, WW also are decent, usually preferring Win over RP but some Swede users like RP better than WW in that round, something to do with more correct base/rim diameters per Euro ctg. specs.

Do you have a load now, or if not what bullet and powder combos are you considering?

Wildalaska, thanks, hope to hang out here some, time permitting.

GaCop · March 16, 2009, 09:31 AM

Lately, 6.5 brass has been hard to find on line. I settled on 40 Norma cases from Graf and Sons. Very nice brass to work with (like Lapua). I tried the 30-06 trhink way back in 1990 when 6.5 reloadable was non exiatant. I anealed all the necks before I sized and didn't loose but one case. I used that brass for approximately five years w/o problems. With easy brass now, not worth it.

Tom

February 16, 2009, 09:14 PM	#1
antibiotic Member Join Date: March 18, 2008 Location: cleveland ohio Posts: 37	270 cases reduced to 6.5x55 can it be done, well im gonna try. im going to the 270 case and i'm ramming it in a 6,5x55 die with a little trimming off the OAL from the 270 case.knowing it will produce a longer neck colapsing the shoulder to 6.5. i know the base (rim) of the 270 is just a wee bit smaller than the base of the 6.5x55 only by a 4to6 thousands. but it might work. some time ago i did it with a 30-06 case. just for the heck of it. only because i have a lot of them. what i do remember is that it did work, but only got one good one out of about 6 or 7 cases. the others just folded over or collapsed at the neck and shoulder. i cant remember if put some heat on the necks first with a torch to soften the brass up a little. I guess i have the winter blues to think up this stuff. oh the wheels are turning. then again anybody have some 6.5 brass? Last edited by antibiotic; February 17, 2009 at 12:34 AM.

March 12, 2009, 09:27 PM	#4
antibiotic Member Join Date: March 18, 2008 Location: cleveland ohio Posts: 37	cutting off extra long neck, how? it worked.. i used a 308 die to start the neck and shoulder reduction. till i reached the proper length to shoulder to match the length of 55 case. then i used a 6.5X55 die to finish it off. will have to trim the very long neck off. so how do you cut it off clean? any tricks out there? the one thing i noticed is that you will have to use a brass case that has no imperfections on the neck or shoulder area. cuts or dings, because they really shows up worse after forming. making the reformed case, scrap.

March 12, 2009, 09:33 PM	#6
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	why why why??? IllinoisdontmakeithardonyourselfCoyoteiknowyoucanfindbetterthingstodowithyourtimeHunter __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

March 12, 2009, 10:19 PM	#9
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	LOL IllinoisohmygoshCoyoteigottacallmylawyerinthemorningHunter __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

March 13, 2009, 06:34 PM	#11
6.5BR Junior Member Join Date: March 13, 2009 Posts: 14	HOLD on if you value your safety I re-formed some hornady 25-06 and 270 brass once, using a form die for the 6.5x55 back in the early 90s before Swede brass was very plentiful. First, of the two above cases, they varied DRASTICALLY in powder capacity even though both stamped Hornady. BUT, most importantly, I had one round fired that FROZE up the gun, the headstamp was imprinted on the bolt and I had to BEAT the action open. Worse yet, the 1896 mauser luckily did not blow up as there is no 3rd lug as a safety as the 98 mauser. The case head blew/cracked as did the primer blew. My guess, pressure way above 60-70PSI, likely MUCH higher. Problem I reasoned: Loaded 6.5x55 ammo should Max Outside Diameter of .297 with bullet seated. MY reformed brass, Neck OD was .310. I am going off memory but believe all numbers correct. That meant I was CRIMPING the brass. When you FORM brass, as much as people talk about the head size being incorrect, ALSO you'd dang better check your OD on the loaded round in the neck, or you are setting yourself up to possibly get killed! I registered just to post to your OP here to save your head. I NEARLY had a bolt/striker assembly end my life and go thru my head. The bolt body threads on the rear of the bolt were cracked one end to the next as the firing pin/striker assembly SLAMMED rearward when the gas escaped from the blown case. It BOTTOMED out the parts inside the bolt and LUCKLY it did not Shear off those threads or I'd been dead. Dude, SERIOUSLY you are playing with fire if you reform brass and DON'T neck turn cases and pay attention to all variables. I would NEVER do that again. BUY STAMPED FACTORY MADE 6.5x55 brass if you don't want to be a statistic! It's been a long while since I recapped my story, but your post deserved it.

February 16, 2009, 09:24 PM	#2
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	Hi, besides the difficulty in reading your post, lets add the difficulty in doing what you are doing when you can just buy the correct brass. WildcapitalizationandsentencestructureareyourfriendsAlaska TM

February 17, 2009, 02:48 AM	#3
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	The SAAMI specifications for these two cartridges give you a difference of .010" at the base of the case body and about .011" at the web. That is huge. That difference means the web of the case will have to stretch .005"+ in every direction. One of the most critical parts of your case has just been compromised. If your chamber is over-sized, things can be much worse. I won't tell say you can't do it. However, it's not the best idea. Even if you get the cases to form, and fire-form properly.... You'll probably see total case head separation within 3 loadings.

March 12, 2009, 09:29 PM	#5
antibiotic Member Join Date: March 18, 2008 Location: cleveland ohio Posts: 37	actually it was a 30-06 case i used not the 270

March 13, 2009, 12:05 AM	#10
rn22723 Junior member Join Date: December 10, 2001 Location: Burbs of Minneapolis Posts: 676	Man some people have way too much time on their hands....there is Win, Lapua, PP, Norma, and RP brass, what waste of time effort and resources! Use the right stuff for the gun! Sheesh!

March 13, 2009, 11:25 PM	#12
antibiotic Member Join Date: March 18, 2008 Location: cleveland ohio Posts: 37	well just so you know, im not going to use these or make any more. hell i just made a few. i just had to see if it could be done. thanks to all for input and safety concerns. i will just have to sell off some of the 30-06 brass i have.,and purchase 6.5 brass. never did cut off the long necks. i ran out of too much time. thanks again

March 13, 2009, 11:58 PM	#13
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	When you reform brass by moving the shoulder back and necking it down, you will have to either neck ream or neck turn the brass to get the proper thickness at the neck. This is critical! If your brass is too thick, it can cause a serious overpressure. As far as "see if it can be done", you can reform brass much more drastically than you have done, but it is near impossible to enlarge the case head to the proper size. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

March 14, 2009, 08:36 AM	#15
6.5BR Junior Member Join Date: March 13, 2009 Posts: 14	6.55 reformed Scorch, correct. I knew a BR shooter long ago, gave me some 308 Federal brass necked down and turned necks for 7/08, many do that, and if I recall he may have done some with 30/06, but those cases all mike the same at the base to my recollection. The form die a man had let me use back then left the neck long thru the top of the brass and you simply cut with hack saw blade and/or filed it down with a file. It was alot of work to put my neck on the line. None the less, thankfully I survived that learning lesson and hopefully can prevent someone from having a catastrophic event....esp. a deadly one. The 6.5x55 is a truly great round, using high BC/SD bullets with target grade accuracy, it's a formidable round in competition, and in the field. 10 shots, 4.4" group at 1000 yds, always got my attention, in a factory rifle yet! http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m..._95680073/pg_4 Enjoy your 6.5 Anti-Biotic. FWIW, I use Lapua brass, but Rem, WW also are decent, usually preferring Win over RP but some Swede users like RP better than WW in that round, something to do with more correct base/rim diameters per Euro ctg. specs. Do you have a load now, or if not what bullet and powder combos are you considering? Wildalaska, thanks, hope to hang out here some, time permitting.

March 16, 2009, 09:31 AM	#16
GaCop Junior Member Join Date: November 4, 2005 Location: Warner Robins GA Posts: 7	Lately, 6.5 brass has been hard to find on line. I settled on 40 Norma cases from Graf and Sons. Very nice brass to work with (like Lapua). I tried the 30-06 trhink way back in 1990 when 6.5 reloadable was non exiatant. I anealed all the necks before I sized and didn't loose but one case. I used that brass for approximately five years w/o problems. With easy brass now, not worth it. Tom