Starting to Reload for 30.06

[Rambler42]

I have been reloading for my revolvers for about a year and it seems to be going well. I think my reloads are as accurate as any store bought ammo I have. Now I am thinking of reloading 30.06 for my rifle too. Other than the fact that everything is bigger, is there anything different, or that I should pay special attention to, when loading 30.06?

 

[tominboise]

Case length, powder charge, seating depth, full length or neck resizing, powder choice, etc. etc. I presume you have a good reloading manual - it should have a section on how to reload bottleneck cartridges.

But the mechanics, at 50000 feet, are the same. Decap the case, resize the case, prime the case, charge the case, seat the bullet. Usually no belling or crimping on rifle cartridges.

But again, read the book. Dies, a caliper and a case trimmer will be needed.

To get something that will go bang isn't that hard. Getting something that shoots well in your rifle will take more brainpower, but that's all part of the fun.

 

[cmj8591]

The 06 is pretty straight forward and easy to reload. There is a huge amount of bullets and powders available. The biggest difference is that you will need to lube the cases to size them as they don't generally make carbide dies for bottleneck rifle cases. I like Hornady one shot because it dries and and doesn't cause dents in the case shoulder. Try to go easy on the amount of lube as too much will cause dents in the case shoulder. If you do get dents, they are mostly cosmetic and will come out when you fire the round. The other thing I do is I do the crimp in a separate operation. I seat the bullets then back off the seating stem and do the crimp. It helps to keep the bullet from shaving it's jacket during the crimping/seating. I'm sure you already have a reloading manual but if you don't, they really are indispensable for rifle reloading. I can't remember the last time I bought factory loaded 30-06. I use reloads almost exclusively for target shooting and hunting. Good luck!

 

[GypsmJim]

30-06 was my very first reloading job, for an old surplus 03-A3, long before I ever even owned a handgun. The $9.95 Lee Loader was slow, but made awesome ammo.

My incentive was to stop using corrosive surplus ammo, which was all I could afford as a poor college kid. My Dad was a printer and had access to a ton of lead to dispose of, and he suggested casting my own. I gradually shifted to gas checked lead bullets and have been happy with the results.

If you only have 1 rifle, I would suggest neck sizing only. I did that for years. Now, with several 06's I full length resize them all.

Tom said it all. The only thing to add would be that the cases need to be lubed, unlike pistol cases, since rifle dies are not carbide.

 

[biku324]

I started rifle reloading with the 30'06 back in the 70s. It's easier than handgun cartridges.

Every '06 I used to own shot exceptionally well with 165 grain BT bullets and 48.5 grains of IMR 4064, anf standard primer.

 

[78bagger]

Good luck in your new endeavor. I have been loading handgun loads for a few years now and just took up loading for a 6.5 creedmoor. After studying the Lyman, Hornady and Sierra manuals and reading online articles, I was convinced that I needn't use a full length resize as long as I use the cartridges in just that one rifle. Perfect! Less lubing and easier on the brass. So I worked up my first load using Hornady ELD bullets. Really got in the swing of things. They were beautiful! But only half of them would chamber. Talked to Hornady and was told that the ELD and VLD projectiles were problematic as to getting the seating plug to keep them concentric. So I ordered the recommended plug. Still no go. They kept putting a burr on the side of the bullet. Some would chamber fine but many would have a scuff on the side where they entered the chamber. As luck would have it, I had inadvertently ordered a full length die by mistake at some point. I tried that just to gather empirical data and low and behold, it worked great. Haven't figured out the mechanics of the situation, but I've got rounds to go downrange and a collet type bullet puller coming in the mail. Be skeptical of all info and have fun!

 

[arjay]

30-06 was one of my first calibers to reload and boy did it shoot nice groups. IMR 4350,Speer 180 gr bullet for elk. Loaded so many I haven’t reloaded for it in 30 yrs

 

[4thAlabama]

The biggest difference between handgun and rifle reloading is lubing the cases and trimming the cases when they grow in length, which they will. When I first started loading rifle cartridges, too long cases were my biggest problem. Soon learned to at least check the length with a caliper and then started using the Lee Case Trimmers. Good luck with your 30-06.

 

[SMSgt]

I've hunted ground squirrels to moose with my -06, 130-grain HPs to 200-grain BTSPs. My fav all around load is Sierra 165-grain BTSPs over IMR 4064. Great load.

Lubing cases is something of a evil necessity, and if I don't lube down to the base, I can stick a case for sure. Imperial sizing wax is what I use now and haven't stuck a case since.

I recommend a Hornady head space comparator and resizing the case just enough to bump the shoulder about .002. That will help prevent case stretching a lot and increase case life.

 

[rwsmith]

Thinning cases....

As cases grow in length they also THIN near the case head. Especially if you shoot heavy loads. (I shoot mostly light loads). Seeing a bright 'ring' at the site of the thinning is a good indicator and you can 'feel' the thin spot with a length of stiff wire with a slight bend at the end. Thin cases need to be discarded as they are likely to blow out.

There are some things about rimless, bottleneck cases that are a little different from straight wall cases. I'd definitely read up before you do any actual reloading.

 

[ggibson511960]

Hearty endorsement for neck sizing only. Lee collet neck sizing dies are a tremendous time saver and produce very good ammunition. The only exception would be if you plan to feed .30-06 to an autoloader, pump or lever gun. Bolt actions and single shots are way better served with neck sized only ammunition. Works great for one rifle. If you plan to use neck sized reloads for hunting, make sure they will cycle easily.

 

[brucev]

Have been reloading .30-06 ammo for almost 40 years. Read your reloading manual. Follow the instructions specifically. You will end up with good ammunition that will very likely give you excellent on target results as well as excellent performance in the fields and woods. Good luck! Sincerely. bruce.

 

[Rambler42]

The 06 is pretty straight forward and easy to reload. There is a huge amount of bullets and powders available. The biggest difference is that you will need to lube the cases to size them as they don't generally make carbide dies for bottleneck rifle cases. I like Hornady one shot because it dries and and doesn't cause dents in the case shoulder. Try to go easy on the amount of lube as too much will cause dents in the case shoulder. If you do get dents, they are mostly cosmetic and will come out when you fire the round. The other thing I do is I do the crimp in a separate operation. I seat the bullets then back off the seating stem and do the crimp. It helps to keep the bullet from shaving it's jacket during the crimping/seating. I'm sure you already have a reloading manual but if you don't, they really are indispensable for rifle reloading. I can't remember the last time I bought factory loaded 30-06. I use reloads almost exclusively for target shooting and hunting. Good luck!

Thanks, I do have a couple of manuals but the one I go to the most is the Lyman manual. I currently load .44-40 and .32-20 and crimp in a separate operation on those so I will do the same on my .30-06.

Thanks all for the great advice.

 

[38SPL HV]

First, invest in a current reloading manual (Hornady, Speer, etc). Make sure you have adequate tools...sturdy press, quality dies, powder dispenser, powder scale (mechanical or digital), case length gauge, case trimmer, primer, etc, and read that reloading book a few times before actual loading.

I also recommend H4895 or IMR4895 powders...which I believe were developed for the 30-06. I also prefer the 150 gr bullet weight (Hornady Interlock and Sierra Game King are my personal preferences.).

Greatest all round rifle cartridge in my opinion and many others will agree.

 

[Nevada Ed]

The main thing to check is if the cases are "GI" issue or the
regular civilian Win/Rem etc. cases that you have on hand.

The two different cases differ in wall thickness and volume and can have different pressures with the powders used.

I use "GI" brass for target use and the "Store bought" cases for my high vel. hunting loads, just to keep on the safe side.

The second thing is to make sure the brass is correct for your chamber with its OAL and where the bullet is with the lands, so
there is no high pressures.

Have fun with a great load.

 

[Troystat]

I just reloaded my first 06 ammo this year, used IMR H4350 and both Sierra Game King and Match King ammo, with my S&W 1500 I got 5 shot groups in the 1.5 with the Game Kings and a few groups in the .75 inches for the Match Kings. I think somebody with more practice can do even better. I full length resized the cases and kept the overall length at the amount recommended in the loading manual.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[Lou_NC]

If you don't already have a case trimming set up, I would recommend the Lee system. It's simple and inexpensive.

 

[Nevada Ed]

The 30 cal. is a great weapon for reloading.

Lots of powders and bullet weights to play with.
Have fun and stay safe.

 

[Twoboxer]

30-06 has a wide range of applications, along with a a huge spread of bullet weights and appropriate powders. So the first thing to think of is "What do I want my 06 to do?"

For hunting, choose the bullet weight you've used before. For target with a shorter barrel, a light, flat base bullet might work best. For target out to ~800yds 165-175 is often a sweet spot. If you're going to stretch the 06 further out, even heavier bullets will provide the BC to stay supersonic to that range - if your barrel is long enough.

Cartridge-Base-to-(bullet)Ogive measurement (CBTO) may become more important to accuracy than COL. If you're willing/able to single load, a longer cartridge than will fit in your magazine can give a bullet a "jump" that it prefers but will not fit in your mag.

These, and much more are new considerations. So yes, there are significant differences from pistol.

 

[tjpopkin]

I'VE BEEN RELOADING FOR 60 YEARS......
There are some basic things with rifle brass...and they are different from pistol and important.
1. If you choose to necksize, you can ONLY use the ammo you reload in ONE rifle. If you decide you want a different gun, or shoot with a friend, you likely will not be able to use your reloads. I recommend you full-length resize and buy a CASE GUAGE in 30-06. If it fits in the gauge, it will chamber in 99% of all guns.
2. LUBE cases (spray-on lubes work well) and resize the cases.
3. Measure the length of the SIZED brass with a micrometer tool. Look in reloading guide for case length and minimum case length. If there is a variable, trim all to within .002 of proper length. BE CERTAIN TO USE BRASS WITH THE SAME HEADSTAMP. With rifle brass, you are using a lot of powder and internal capacity varies, sometimes considerable. Therefore accuracy will suffer....more powder capacity changes the pressure, and the impact of the bullet.
4. I found the LYMAN Brass X-Press tool is a good buy (Very accurate, and very fast) if you do not have a trimmer. Otherwise use what you have.
5. Chamfer case mouths inside and out. If you do not, you will score bullets and affect accuracy.
6. Depending on powder measure, choose the powder by shape. Sticks (Varget) do not meter well in a Dillon Press, so use spherical powder (AA 2520). I love Varget in the 30-06 and use an RCBS electronic powder dispenser. In the Dillon, AA2520 is terrific.
7. Use Federal or Blackhills Match as a standard compared to YOUR load in terms of accuracy.
8. Start with a known accurate bullet, like 168gr. Sierra MatchKing, for accuracy determination.
9. Seat to a known OAL and use a seating plug that is appropriate for your bullet. If you use a std. seating stem(plug) with Hornady ELD bullets, you will damage the surface and thus, the accuracy.
10. If you use a rifle magazine, be sure to apply a very shallow taper crimp. I use two dies, one to seat, one to crimp.
Check OAL in a good quality case gauge.