Small Based Dies

[M1CHAZZ]

Going to start reloading all the LC/HXP 30-06 brass I have. Going to be shot through my 1903a3/ Garand in matches.
was told maybe to use small based dies. Have regular full length dies. Was told small based are better for feeding? Also told to watch the length&
trim the cases. How far can I let these cases go before I trim? Picked up a Gracey trimmer years ago set up for .223; Can it be easily converted to 30-06? Never did receive instructions with it. Anyone have experience with one? Also told to reduce powder by 1 gr. because of This Mil. brass???

Thanx
Chuck

[joem]

I use a Dillon power trimmer and I trim my .30-06 cases to min data dims. I have only used FL sizing dies so I can't comment on sm based dies.

[PhillipM]

I have never used small based dies and have never had a problem.

I now use RCBS X dies which only require one trimming, which is good, because I hate trimming.

[BudT]

I reload for my M1 and have always used a standard FL die and without any feeding problems. If your convinced that you need to use a small base then by all means use it.

[psteinmayer]

I've been reloading M2 Ball brass (LC, HXP, PS, IK, etc.) for many years with standard Lee 30-06 dies and never experienced a problem. I also use the Lee case length trimmer with great success.

One good piece of advice I can give you is to get a set of RCBS Swaging dies. The LC brass has crimped primers, and the HXP has staked primers. You must swage these crimps or you can't properly seat new primers without damaging the primer cup. Some loaders will use a reamer to remove the crimps, but you must be very careful doing this or you'll remove too much metal and the integrity of the primer cup could be compromised. The RCBS swaging die is used in your press like any other die, and takes all of the guess work out of removing the crimps!

[Timberwolf]

SB dies in an autoloader is a good idea for guaranteed feeding. I use SM dies for my bolt guns too.

[swede49]

IMHO. Seems like you would not need to small base or full length resize rounds fired in your O3A3, but only neck size if those cases are to be reloaded for firing again only in that rifle. For the Garand resizing to factory specs is probably best for feeding reliability, and I have used RCBS FL for years without a glitch.

Small base resizing seemed to be a necessity for my S&W M&P 15 and my 300 Savage Remington Model 81.

As far as trimming goes, if I do it I go to min trim length, but if a case is still shorter than max length I do not trim. Use LE Wilson Case trimmer, simple and consistent/accurate.

[fguffey]

Going to start reloading all the LC/HXP 30-06 brass I have. Going to be shot through my 1903a3/ Garand in matches.


Thanx
Chuck

You are going to shoot your reloading ammo in a 1903A3 or you are going to shoot your reloaded ammo in a Garand? Then when it comes to the Garand it had three different chambers. In the beginning 30/06 ammo was designed to be shot in everything with a 30/06 chamber. It was understood from the beginning the Garand was a semi autoloader; meaning the 30/06 Garand chamber was larger in diameter at the base by as little as .000025", most claim the old guys could not hold tolerances that close.

I have small base dies, I have BAR dies for Browning Automatic Rifles, I do not use them but I have them just in case. And then there was the 'match chamber'. I would measure the diameter of the chamber first and then I would measure the length of the chamber from the shoulder to the bolt face before starting.

F. Guffey

[NuJudge]

I have found a Small Base die necessary for HXP brass in a aftermarket NM conditioned Garand. If I did not use a Small Base die, I did not get free chambering, and risked out-of-battery explosion. I have never found a Small Base die necessary for any other .30-'06 brass.

Your reloading manual will tell you how long your brass can get before you need trimming. Virtually always, .30-'06 brass needs trimming after the first firing, as it will be well over maximum. You mention you have a Gracey trimmer, and ask if it is convertible to caliber .30, and I believe the answer is "yes", and while you are converting calibers think about buying a cutter for it from Giraud, such that it will not just trim to length, but also chamfer inside & outside at the same time.

I have the RCBS X-Die for several calibers, but have not used them yet. The responses I have seen in discussions are that they do eliminate every trimming after the first one.

[Jim in Salt Lake]

I full length size my brass, it's all HXP 68 and LC 68. I shoot it in two different 1903s and an M1. I've got about 800 rounds of brass and process it all at once by headstamp. I"ve never used small based dies and don't have any feeding issues. All of these rifles have military chambers, no tight match chambers. Since you already have a FL size die, why don't you load up a bunch, go to the range and see what happens? You can always buy small base dies if you need to. To get rid of the military primer crimp, I used an RCBS swaging tool for the LC brass. For the HXP, I used a case mouth reamer to remove the three little stake marks, very easy and seating primers was like new brass. For trimming, I just got a Giraud tri way trimmer: http://www.giraudtool.com/Tri%20Way%20Trimmer.htm You chuck the trimmer in your electric drill, insert each case mouth into the tool and hold it there until the bearing stops moving. It not only trims, but also chamfers and deburrs. I think it took me an hour to hour and a half to trim 800 cases.

As for loads and military brass, like any other load, start low and work up. For my bolt guns, I've been using Sierra 125gr Matchkings with light loads at around 2300fps. Recoil is way down and those flat based bullets are very accurate at 100 or 200 yards. They don't move you around in rapid fire either. For your Garand, I'd stick to proven Garand loads, they don't like loads lighter or heavier.