.308 to 30-06 loads

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P.B.Walsh

P.B.Walsh

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Hello, I have sold my .308 rifles and have a decent amount of .308 left over and I am building a 30-06 rifle. Can I pull the powder and bullet from my FACTORY loaded .308 ones and use the same bullet and power in accordance to the specific factory load (Remington powder with Remington Core-Lock, Federal/Federal, etc.) and load them into a 30-06 case? Obviously I'll need to prime the 30-06 brass, can I safely remove the .308 primers and use those?

Thanks ya'll, if I can't, then I'll have to find a way to sell them.
 
You have no way of knowing what type of powder it is. If undamaged, you can re use the bullets though.

Trying to use the powder would be flirting with disaster....
 
If your taking about taking the powder charge and bullet frome one round and putting it into a 30-06 case as a reduced load it probably will be safe but lowe power. I would not take the powder from the .308 and dump it into a can and use it for 30-06 loads. You don,t know what the buring rate is. Simplest and safest thing to do is sell the .308 ammo and buy some powder and bullets to make a proper 30-06 load. JMHO
 
Yes I will be practically dumping the .308 powder straight into a 30-06 case with the same mated bullet. Bad? Good? Dummest move ever?

Bad thing about selling them is that I don't have the factory cases, just marked Ziploc bags.
 
You may not get full value for your ammo in bags, but realistically, you'll prob end up with another .308. Go ahead and store it in a good environment, you'll use it one day.

I went from 5 or 6 .308s to none. I seem to have accumulated 2 since then.....
 
Bad idea!

With most medium burn rate powders used in both .308 & 30-06?

The Max load in the .308 is less then the Starting load with the same powder in the 30-06.

You can safely re-use the bullets & primers.

But dump the powder in the yard for greener grass.

rc
 
RC, I am not to concerned with actual performance, as these will be for practice. How could I get the primer out without detonating it? I do have a deprimer that came with my Lee Handloader, just don't know if that'll set them off.

If anything, I have some decent bullets I can pull.
 
You can safely de-prime live primers with a reloading press and sizing die de-primer pin that is inside it.
Just slowly push them out with the press.

You cannot safely de-prime them if you only have a Lee Loader hammer type reloading die set.

rc
 
That is what I was thinking, plus I don't have the greatest "touch". Oh well, glad I asked, might just pull the bullets.

Thanks to all! :)
 
I do some odd things when reloading but none that are considered dangerous. I would not do what you are thinking of doing. The bullets and primers are fine but not the powder.

Since the .308 Win ammo is factory ammo I would not do all the labor pulling the bullets and primers when they are probably more valuable as ammo. I would sell off the factory ammo and buy components with the proceeds.
 
Be safe - only reuse the bullets. No way to know what powder was used in the 308 and it could be different than what is safe in a 30/06. Regarding the primers, it is highly likely that you will damage or contaminate them which could easily cause a squib load which could leave a bullet lodged in the barrel.
 
You're probably better off salvaging the bullets, as rifles chambered in .308 Win. and 30-06 both use .308 caliber slugs - but skip the idea of reusing the powder or primers. The marginal savings you'd gain from trying to reuse them wouldn't be worth the risk or the hassle.
 
If you are only going to use the bullet it makes a lot more sense to just sell the ammo. A decent .308 bullet costs about 30-35 cents per round but you could sell the factory ammo for probably $.75 a round and up depending on what it is.
 
All the fine folks who are advising you to sell the .308 ammo and buy some 30-06 with the proceeds are exactly right.

Don't fool around with it.
Breaking them down is labor intensive work.

And you will end up with cases & powder you can't use in one case, and shouldn't use in the other.

Even if you use the bullets & primers, you are flushing good money & time down the drain doing it.

And spending a lot of your time & work flushing it!

rc
 
Me, I'd check WallyWorld pricing. Bag the .308 ammo by brand or use the old box. Sell it at maybe 2/3 the Wally price per round. Carry a sign through a gun show, ".308 ammo, cheap!" Oughta go away in a heartbeat.
 
No, this would be a pretty bad idea, as mentioned by others. I'm not saying it couldn't be done, as I'm sure there have been a few who have tried something like this, but as well, I doubt that very many have ever tried something like this.

By all means salvage the bullets, no issue there, but not the primers, unless you have a press to remove them with.

GS
 
DRYHUMOR said:
You have no way of knowing what type of powder it is. If undamaged, you can re use the bullets though.

Trying to use the powder would be flirting with disaster....
Click to expand...
Why is that? As long as OP takes out powder one at a time and puts it in 30-06 case it will be under loaded. I would shoot them in a bolt though
 
I cringe at the thought of ruining perfectly good (.308) ammo. Just sell or keep for future. Buy components for 30-06.
 
I recommend reading a reloading manual...And then read another one.
You are literally playing with fire here.
 
Yea I ain't going to use the powder, that does sound hazardous. I may see about selling them, course my dumb self cut the boxes up for a project (collage with various ammo box art).

Selling in bags may be possible, maybe local, but the nearest gun show is 50 miles away tomorrow, so the gas really is not worth it.

I do have the latest Hornady and Lee manuals, but they don't cover EVERYTHING. Heck the Hornady one doesn't even have loads for a 208 grain AMAX for a 30-06, which is frustrating because thats the only reason I bought it... oh well.

Ya'll have been great, one of the reasons I love this site, full of great information! :)

God bless, and you dads have a great weekend, and be a good one to your kids and wife.

-P.B.Walsh
 
Definitely agree with selling and getting appropriate ammo. Guess the question that hasn't been asked is just how much ammo are we talking about? Thousands of rounds? Few hundred? Or just a few boxes? There are plenty of avenues to recoup at least half the value of the ammo selling it.

I suppose if the supply was large enough that you would be out significant money and you really wanted to be able to use the 308 ammo, you could always get a chamber insert-broken shell extractor and make you 30-06 into a temporary 308. They do work but aren't as reusable as the manufacturer may claim. Cost about $30 and work pretty good. Clean and dry chamber well. Coat lightly with locktite then insert into chamber with a 308 round. Close bolt and let sit for an hour. Can only fire 308 then. It won't come out without the broken shell extractor. Clean the chamber well to remove any residue and your back to 30-06. Used a couple many years ago in my remington when surplus brass cased south african ball was dirt cheap and 30-06 was decidedly not. Point of impact only changed a few inches when the insert was removed.
 
It must be hard for some people to live when all they think about is that they could die all the time
 
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