Light Loads with 30-06 Blank Cases

[Ben]

Using 30-06 Blank cases

Recently, I decided to reload some of the 1,000 30-06 blank cases that I have on hand. ( I paid $10 per 1,000 about 40 years ago and they have just been sitting in a box since that day )​

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Some reloaders have loaded them to full potential in the 30-06 with absolutely zero problems . Some of this brass is 60 - 70 years old and I chose not to load this brass to those pressures and will use all this brass for low intensity, cast loads. Let me point out that some say blanks were relegated to that status because of the metallurgy of a particular lot of brass that was deemed inappropriate for use in standard GI ball loadings. Others say that if B grade brass was not available and blanks were needed , # 1 grade brass was used. Where is the truth ? ? I have no idea ?​

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If I err, it will be on the side of safety. Use only low intensity cast bullet loads and wear safety glasses when firing loads like this.​

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I used a # 30 wire gauge drill bit to open the flash holes ( this brass will be loaded from this day forward with light cast loads only )​

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I'll include a test target fired at 50 yards , 5 shots. While I've seen my Tikka shoot much better than this, it is comforting to know if obtaining 06' brass someday for my 30-06 rifles becomes a problem, I can always fall back on this stash of 1,000 empty cases. If required, these loads could put meat on the table or keep a bad guy(s) at bay.​

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This load - - 20 ea. military blank 30-06 cases with 11.5 grains of Russian Salute ( Russian Unique ) with a Lyman 311466 sized .310 with a Hornady g/c and a Winchester large pistol primer. ( The flash holes were drilled out with the # 30 drill bit ) The cast bullet was lightly engraving the rifling when the bolt closed.​

https://imgur.com/Vi4bmny

I don't plan on loading hundreds of rounds of this. I loaded 20 rounds " to test the waters " with this concept.

I basically wanted to see what results were possible and use this stash of 1,000 pieces of brass as a " reserve " in the event it was needed someday in the future.

We don't know the future, I wouldn't have believed that there would be a day when I couldn't buy .22 LR ammo, I wouldn't have believed that there would be a day when primers and powder were not available. What does the future hold , .......I don't know ?

Ben

 

[JonB]

I'd like to ask why you drilled out the primer flash holes?

 

[Ben]

Drilling the flash hole with a # 28 or a # 30 drill bit can help minimize head space problems that can and will occur with multiple firings using very light loads . Shoulders do in fact get set back with light loads in an 06' case. With many cast loads that use normal weight bullets in the 1600 to 2000 fps range there is little setback.

In my opinion, flash holes should not be drilled out unless you have brass that will be assigned to use with very light loads ( ONLY ).
Never fire brass with a drilled out flash hole with loads above 20,000 psi.

Ben

 

[35 shooter]

Okay, I learned something here! I knew about drilling flash holes for light loads to prevent setback with light loads, but did not know about the 20,000 psi limit on such drilled out cases.
I would have never used a case with drilled out flash holes for heavy loads, but still good to know exactly where the “cut off” line is.

 

[Ben]

I have fired loads at 20,000 psi with a drilled out flash hole without consequences. Is that the true limit ? I don't know.

That is still fairly mild in an 06' rifle. Keep in mind that some 38 Spec. +P rounds will break 20,000 psi.

Ben

 

[RicinYakima]

Where is the truth ? ? I have no idea ?
Gen Julian Hatcher wrote that blank cartridges were made from cases that did not meet specifications and these were mostly loaded for "salute" blank loads. If a bad cases was found, a certain number before and after to sent with it until the machinery was checked. During the use of grenades being shot from '03's, those were made from first quality cases. And if they needed 100,000 blanks and there were no seconds, they used firsts.

Using light loads in '03's is not a headspace issue because the case can only shorten the tolerances of the claw extractor to bolt face. Modern guns with plunger ejectors are the issue.

I used these for "gallery" loads; de-prime (with a hand punch or nail) , re-prime (put primer on anvil and press home with drift punch) and add 4.0 grains of Bullseye (heaping 22 LR case). Then finger seat a Lyman #311241 so the base rests on the cannelure. My first varmint load as a boy in Ohio.

 

[Uncle Grinch]

I believe drilling out the flash holes also help prevent primer setback on light loads since the brass case does not expand enough to “grab” the chamber wall.

Looks like you’ve got another winner there Ben!

 

[Ben]

For most all of us, " If there is a will, there is a way."

 

[RicinYakima]

Ben, I had just started reloading for my .36 Navy on the War of Northern Aggression reproduction in 1961. I literally did not know that there were reloading presses and dies. People from KY and WV that I lived with either shot factory ammo or muzzle loaders. I could get free '06 blanks from the VFW and had an Ideal mould for .30 given too me. The .22 case was used as a booster for the big bore muzzle loaders for matches so you didn't have to clean between shots. Ric

 

[Spindrift]

Interesting post, and good shooting!
I realize this is a question probably nobody can give an exact answer to; but could you estimate at which load level you consider drilled flash holes no longer necessary/beneficial?

 

[Ben]

Interesting post, and good shooting!
I realize this is a question probably nobody can give an exact answer to; but could you estimate at which load level you consider drilled flash holes no longer necessary/beneficial?

You will not get much benefit unless the load for and 06' with a light weight cast bullet is in the 3 - 4 grs. of Bullseye range. Without drilling the flash hole with these loads, you can experience primers that back out and H/S problems.

Ben

 

[Ian]

If you fill a fired case with WW alloy up to the base of the neck and drill out the inside to the depth of the flash hole with a 1/4" drill, you can solve all of the above problems, though you may have to decap in a separate step and use a bushing neck-only die for resizing just enough to hold the bullet.

 

[RBHarter]

Drill it .323 or close and you have a 30-30 volume or very close to it , and no special steps .

 

[Ben]

Like I said earlier.
I have only loaded 20 rounds .
It worked 101%, but I did not chose to take the experiment any further.
At my death, someone will look in this box and say......." Gee, I wonder what could be done with all these 30-06 Blank empty cases ? ? "

Ben

 

[KHornet]

Probably 25-30 years ago I screwed around with some blank 06 brass.
It (to me) was a big pain in the tush, much varied weights, etc., and more
bother than it was worth. Had beaucoup o6 brass on hand, so the blank
brass went to the salvage yd in trade for lead.

Paul