Discovered A New Unusual Way Of Forming 8.15X46R Cases

  • 741 Views
  • Last Post 24 May 2022
mashburn posted this 19 May 2022

This information probably won't apply to a lot of you, but surely there are a few people out there, like myself, who like to fire unusual firearms.

I stated on the forum a couple of months ago that one of my sons and I had bought a little German, tip up stalking rifle in 8.15X46R caliber. Due to shortages of everything that you need now days, I couldn't find a die set, in this caliber. I started to build a set of forming dies and was looking through my two buckets of odd and mis-matched die sets. I learned years ago that if you were a wildcatter or experimenter that you should never get rid of old junk dies. I couldn't find anything in the junk containers that would help me out, so I started looking through my good stuff. I ran across a 3 die form set, for .22 High Power. I took the form die #1 and ran a 30-30 case through it, and low and behold, it looked like a 8.15 case. I necked the case mouth up to .308, trimmed the length and I had a case that needed very little fire-forming. I necked up to .308 because 8MM is one set of dies that I don't own. I have an old Herte'rs universal die set, but again, I didn't have a 8mm neck sizer. I honed the 308 out, put in a bigger expander ball ,reworked  the seater button and I then had a  8.15X46R reloading die.

I'm still in the market for a good set of dies.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
sluggo posted this 24 May 2022

Let sleeping dogs lie.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • mashburn
mashburn posted this 24 May 2022

One interesting or exciting thing happened to me while cutting up dies to make something else out of them. I was in the process of starting a 6mmX.357 Maximum cartridge. I was looking for a die to neck the.357 mag. case down to 6mm. I found a .243 full length size die and cut the body off and used upper portion to start necking the parent case down. It didn't work to well and I went to other methods.

Shortly after, my brother-in-law called and wanted to know if I was through with the .243 dies that he had loaned me. I thought quickly and said , If you could give me a few more days, I would appreciate it. I went immediately to Ebay and ordered a set of .243 dies, when they arrived I put the full length sizer die in his RCBS die box with his name on it and called my brother-in-law and said, I'm through with your dies so you can come and pick them up any time you wish.

That was years ago and to this day he doesn't know that his real sizer die got cut up Some day I may tell him, What do you think that I should do?

Mashburn.

David a. Cogburn

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • sluggo
mashburn posted this 19 May 2022

Hell delmarskid,

I'm not much of a collet die fan.  I have some .223 collet dies and a set of collet dies that I made for my oddball .17 Mashburn. Back in my prairie dog shooting days, I wore two sets of Lee .223 collet dies out. The collets would lose their elasticity and stick on the case neck when withdrawing the case from the die body. Sometimes they would stick so bad they would pull the case neck up and actually raise the shoulder of the case,

Mashburn

 

David a. Cogburn

Attached Files

mashburn posted this 19 May 2022

I checked Buffalo Arms after receiving you information and they were out of stock as usual. I have a supplier who is supposed to send me an email when they get some in. They had very reasonable prices, the best I have found. I hope to hear from them soon. You also have to be careful , there are two different neck sizes available in these dies being made by Hornady. One is a .321 and the other is .333.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

Attached Files

delmarskid posted this 19 May 2022

Lee will make you a set of their collet dies.

Attached Files

mashburn posted this 19 May 2022

Hello Clod Hopper

Glad to find another do-it-your-self person. Thanks for the info on the dies, I haven't looked at Buffalo Arms as of now, but will shortly. As far as buying pre-formed cases; I would think that I was commiting a sin to buy something already made, that I can do myself. I have an endless supply of 30-30 and 38-55 cases that are just sitting around waiting on something to do. what issue of Handloader has the article, that you mentione?.

Thanks again,

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

Attached Files

Clod Hopper posted this 19 May 2022

https://www.buffaloarms.com/8-15x46r-hornady-die-set-hor546386.html

Dale M. Lock

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • mashburn
Clod Hopper posted this 19 May 2022

Handloader magazine has an article on this very cartridge.  I signed up for the regular subscription just now.  I imagine, you would have to buy that issue or article direct from them.  Your thread is a good one as I find a bunch of different dies can be used to make unusual cases.  A Google search shows some brass made from .30-30 brass 20 for $90.  I did not see any dies, but keep looking.

Dale M. Lock

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • mashburn
Close