Forming .240 Weatherby Magnum Cases.

[Patocazador]

I have enough .240 mag brass to last a long time but the price of cases when available is ridiculously high. So, with nothing to do this morning. I decided to try to make my own from picked up .270 cases.
After an hour and a half I produced one case that worked ... after a fashion. The rifle will cam the case in but I needed a rubber hammer to open the action after firing an underpowered test load.

All in all I wouldn't recommend it unless there were no cases available for less than $3/each.

FWIW, the case looks just like a Norma Weatherby case but has interferences that make extraction difficult. The OAL is right as is the diameter and I polished the belt edges with a rubber abrasive wheel.

Has anyone else formed belted magnum brass from easy to come by brass?

 

[Riomouse911]

The .240 is so odd. A standard cartridge head size (.472) but with an added belt? Roy must’ve been in mental decline when he sent that one out.

J/K!

I don’t know how you would create a “working” belt for a .240 case without either turning one down on a lathe from a larger case (Case walls would still probably be too wide for the chamber), or by folding/forming the standard case’s wall into the belt shape (thereby probably weakening the walls).

You can always headspace a standard case on the shoulder, but you will still have the firing pressures cause brass expansion into the void in the chamber where the belt would sit.

I kinda wanted a .240 WM once a few years back, but the extra-proprietary cases and future availability turned me away from the idea (As you obviously know about!).

Good luck with your quest!

Stay safe.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

What if you put brass shim around the base of it?

 

[Bfh_auto]

I have enough .240 mag brass to last a long time but the price of cases when available is ridiculously high. So, with nothing to do this morning. I decided to try to make my own from picked up .270 cases.
After an hour and a half I produced one case that worked ... after a fashion. The rifle will cam the case in but I needed a rubber hammer to open the action after firing an underpowered test load.

All in all I wouldn't recommend it unless there were no cases available for less than $3/each.

FWIW, the case looks just like a Norma Weatherby case but has interferences that make extraction difficult. The OAL is right as is the diameter and I polished the belt edges with a rubber abrasive wheel.

Has anyone else formed belted magnum brass from easy to come by brass?

I have one. But I happened on 6 boxes of factory ammo for 35 per box.
Before that I bought a couple boxes of new brass for 40 dollars.
I looked into making brass and decided to suck it up and buy some. There's no good way of forming it without the factory tooling.

 

[Patocazador]

I have one. But I happened on 6 boxes of factory ammo for 35 per box.
Before that I bought a couple boxes of new brass for 40 dollars.
I looked into making brass and decided to suck it up and buy some. There's no good way of forming it without the factory tooling.

That is my conclusion too. If things got real bad (like now), I would use it as a single shot but I already have a Ruger #1 in .257 Roberts if I want a single shot.

I traded for this rifle and dies in 1973. The rifle was made in West Germany and is ACCURATE. I killed a 15 1/8" pronghorn with it in '75 at 625 yds. with a Weatherby factory 95 gr. Nosler Partition. I have not used it much in the last 35 years but I'm breaking out the older rifles to use before I give up the ghost.

 

[DM~]

There used to be a set of form dies that would shave a 30-06 case as it was Fl. sized to push enough brass ahead of it to form the belt.

It worked fairly well, but I'd just rather use factory brass in mine, as it's fairly easy to get...

DM

 

[Patocazador]

There used to be a set of form dies that would shave a 30-06 case as it was Fl. sized to push enough brass ahead of it to form the belt.

It worked fairly well, but I'd just rather use factory brass in mine, as it's fairly easy to get...
DM

I have the Weatherby (Pacific) die set that I got with the rifle. It seems to be slightly smaller in diameter than a .270 case. As i levered it down in short strokes it made a slight bump below it. This eventually became the belt.

 

[243winxb]

Has anyone else formed belted magnum brass from easy to come by brass?

http://www.huntingtons.com/dies_caseform.html

Old form die list. RCBS.

 

[Patocazador]

http://www.huntingtons.com/dies_caseform.html

Old form die list. RCBS.

unfortunately, none of these addresses my problem.

 

[243winxb]

Cheaper then hospital bills. In stock. https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....-magnum-unprimed-rifle-brass-20-count?Tk=DFBR

But you have planty of brass, use it.

 

[DM~]

unfortunately, none of these addresses my problem.

NOTHING can fix being too cheeeep! LOL

DM

 

[Mauser fan]

I have enough .240 mag brass to last a long time but the price of cases when available is ridiculously high. So, with nothing to do this morning. I decided to try to make my own from picked up .270 cases.
After an hour and a half I produced one case that worked ... after a fashion. The rifle will cam the case in but I needed a rubber hammer to open the action after firing an underpowered test load.

All in all I wouldn't recommend it unless there were no cases available for less than $3/each.

FWIW, the case looks just like a Norma Weatherby case but has interferences that make extraction difficult. The OAL is right as is the diameter and I polished the belt edges with a rubber abrasive wheel.

Has anyone else formed belted magnum brass from easy to come by brass?

Thanks for sharing the topic. I was wondering exactly how you created the belt. You gave us the answer in post #7. This is a fascinating topic.

 

[Bcwitt]

Sounds like driving a Lamborgini & trying to save gas.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Sounds like driving a Lamborgini & trying to save gas.

That's spot on. My 240 load uses 60 grains of powder. There's really no pinching pennies with it.
When I feel cheap I look at my 300 mag load and feel good about the 240.

 

[Patocazador]

Has anyone else formed belted magnum brass from easy to come by brass?

This 'experiment' was more about creating a belted case from a non-belted one. I satisfied my doubts.