I am trying to form 30 Newton from 375 Ruger. The cases are once fired and annealed. I do have some 375 Ruger basic brass, but wanted to get the kinks worked out first.

My guess is lube dents.

Those look like pinch folds to me.

Too much sizing lubricant or are trying to size in all one step. You might need an intermediate step

Too much lube

Too much in one step.

Other than custom dies, what are my options?

I'm thinking a step to 8mm using a 325 WSM die, but the WSM die has a pretty sharp shoulder angle.
Is there any other common die that I could use? Maybe a 348 die??

That looks just like the time I ran a 300 Win mag case through a 264 die.

I would try to do the sizing with two intermediate steps, first to 35 cal and then 32 cal before running through the 30 Newton die.

I am not familiar enough with the large capacity intermediate calibers to suggest the proper dies.

I know some guys use handgun dies for such conversions.

Call Bullberry and see if they can make you a double ended forming die. I have three of them and make 20VT cases from 223 a breeze.

As the above posters have advised, too big a reduction in one step, too much lube on the case or an accumulation in the die. If you can reduce to .35 caliber prior to final forming may help. take your die apart and clean thoroughly especially the neck area. I don't know what lube you are using but when I experienced oil dents on the shoulders I switched to a sizing wax. I use a product called Imperial Sizing Die Wax, it is applied with the fingers. Wipe your fingers across the wax and apply to the neck shoulder and first third of the case. Just a light application is all that is needed, I lube 3-4 cases before wiping my fingers in the wax again. I lube the inside of the necks with Motor Mica which is a white graphite, Forster makes a brush set-up to apply this.

I have "The Handloader's Manual of Cartridge Conversions" by Donnelly and Towsley, and I found a case drawing for the .375 Ruger on Ammoguide.com.

The first reference recommends making the .30 Newton from 8x68S.

My comparison of the case dimensions (.30 Newton and .375 Ruger) flagged a couple of concerns:

*The Ruger case is longer, which wouldn't present a problem as long as you shorten the Ruger case before re-sizing.

*The Ruger case's "Rim" diameter is larger and may require reduction depending on your bolt face.

*The Ruger case's diameter just forward of the extraction grove is larger, which is going to be hard to compress...though you can probably do it.

I agree with the others that you need to reduce the neck in stages. I faced that problem when converting .30-30 cases to .219 Donaldson Wasp. Even when using two steps I had a lot of failures. Excessive case lube CAN cause the wrinkles you're seeing, but its more likely the radical change in dimensions.

Anneal them to dead soft and try at least two reduction steps.
Jerry/AK

If I were you I'd just buy the 8x68S brass: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/505442/norma-usa-reloading-brass-8x68s-box-of-25

Here's another thought: converting .375 Ruger cases to .30 Newton will likely mean you'll have to turn the necks down in thickness.

Those are not lube dents, they are pinch folds, from sizing down too much at once.

Annealing makes it worse, unfortunately for you. Anneal after sizing down, not before. I've encountered this when forming 6.5 Creedmoor from 308; maybe 1 or 2 in 100 when sizing once fired brass, but if they are annealed first, every single one does it.

I haven't looked at the case dimensions - could you use a 338 WM die for an intermediate step?

A while back I made some 30/375 brass from 375 Ruger brass. Here is what worked for me:

375 Ruger FL die without expander
338 RCM seater die
338 RCM FL die without sizer ball
300 RCM seater die
300 RCM FL sizer with sizer ball

Perhaps you would substitute the 30 newton for the 300 RCM dies?
Use 30 Newton seater first then the 30 Newton FL die.

(The RCM cartridges share the same shoulder angle and shoulder diameter as the 375 Ruger.)


Hope this helps

use a bushing die and change your bushings out to step it down might work.

If you have to buy new dies to form the cases it may be worthwhile to just buy ready made cases from buffalo arms:

http://www.buffaloarms.com/30_Newton_Cases_it-160039.aspx

I've formed 219 Wasp (original "short" version) from 30-30 using a 4 die set since the 1970's. So I know laborious.
You can buy more dies and do it right, or just buy formed brass and have at reloading. Pricewise it might be a convenient wash considering the cost of parent cases plus the cost of dies.