making 6.5-06 brass from 25-06

Is it ok to run a expander from a 6.5-06 thru 25-06 brass to make 6.5-05 ackly imp. to keep from mixing up with 270 win around wife and young shooters? Also at what lenght would you trim to for the ack imp.? Also would you trim before or after fireforming to get a more consistant lenght?
Thank You Very much, RW

I Would check the length after sizing and again after fire forming. Usually with the Improved cases...after fireforming...they tend to be pretty stable in terms of not increasing in length. I know when I sized from .30-06 down to .25-06 ( used a .270 in between ) I needed to trim the cases....but they didn't lengthen after fireforming. YMMV. Guess for safety..I'd measure both times.

Good Luck,

Wayne

I would expand to 6.5 and then with a 7mm expander and then size down with the 6.5-06 die to the point were the bolt will close with a medium amout of force to maintain headspace on firerforming.

but .270s are awesome for there longer neck. Nosler makes some nice brass that form easy and once you form them, they sort easy.

Don't trim until formed unless there over max.

If you are worried about case lenght than you shpuld ge one of these chanber lenght gages from Sinclair and find out what the real MAX lenght is. I have found chambers that were as much as 0.100" over published max.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/.aspx/pi...er-Length-Gage

25-06, 270 Win & 30-06 all have a base-to-shoulder length of 1.948 in. and the same shoulder angle. The 280 Remington/7mm Express is 0.050 longer so would not be a good candidate.

I personally think expanding the 25-06 may require checking the neck thickness once you expand some of the (thicker) shoulder metal into the neck - making 260 Rem brass from 243 Win is one example. Necking down the 270 Win. is a better idea IMHO.

I may be dyslexic but don't necks get thinner not thicker when expended? OR am I reading your intent wrong? You said shoulder and I'm not quite following...

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Originally Posted by louielouie

I personally think expanding the 25-06 may require checking the neck thickness once you expand some of the (thicker) shoulder metal into the neck -

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The difference between 25-06 and 6.5-06 is only .007 dia......so slight the neck thickness change just wont matter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ray Gunter

Quote:

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Originally Posted by louielouie

I personally think expanding the 25-06 may require checking the neck thickness once you expand some of the (thicker) shoulder metal into the neck -

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The difference between 25-06 and 6.5-06 is only .007 dia......so slight the neck thickness change just wont matter.

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I think what they mean is that the brass can form a 'doughnut' in the neck where the old shoulder/neck junction was. Necking down doesn't have that effect.
Cheers...
Con

I do it all the time to make 6.5-06AI cases. With a proper AI chamber it retains a slight "crush" when chambering the brass for fireforming just like it should. No fuss, no muss - easy to do.

If you were doing a staight 6.5-06 it might be wise to make a false shoulder etc. but no need to do it with the AI (assuming you have a proper chamber).

25/06 to 6.5/06ai, just seat a boat tail past the shoulder with a full load and shoot. Out pop's your brass ready to trim to length. No expander needed.

Redding makes the proper dies and neck reamers for it.

I have found that most Ackley cases will shrink about 10 - 15 thousandths after fire forming due to the case blowing out. The chamber length gauge is a good suggestion but I would just fire form my brass and then set my trim to length to the finished length of the fire formed brass.