Does anyone form .30-30 brass from .38-55 (edit: I meant .375Win but pretty much the same for our purpose)? How many dies doe you use?

I'm thinking of having Lee make a .358 and .323 sizer and will do the final pass in a .30-30IMP die.

Thanks for any help.

Is the 30-30 IMP different than a 30-30 Ackley Improved?

No, not really. I tend to just label them as IMP because not all of them were Ackley's children.

The one I'm doing is Improved 40 degrees.

I have formed the 30-30AI from many different cases. I found no real value in the effort required to form the cases from the 375 Winchester. In spite of what it would appear you are not handicapped by fire forming your cases from NEW 30-30 cases and then loading them as higher pressure Improved loads.
Here is a link to a discussion on the Beartooth board. Assasin is gunsmith David White from D&T custom guns. David has a foum on his site too and a lot of 30-30AI stuff.
On the Beartooth Shooters forum use the advanced search with .30-30AI and William iorg and you will find many discussions of the 30-30AI and brass.
I like the 30-30AI cartridge but if I were buyinhg a new rifle today it would be a 308 Marlin Express as it pretty well renders the 30-30AI obsolete.
I do not recommend using used 30-30 brass for forming Improved cartridges, particularily if you intend to load to high pressure.

http://www.shootersforum.com/handloading-procedures-practices/38878-30-30ai-cases.html

Broken cases in post 6
http://www.shootersforum.com/wildcat-cartridges/22963-need-hints-advise-fire-forming-cases.html

If I am understanding correctly you are saying only use virgin brass for fireforming. For me, prudence dictates only using virgin brass for any improved or wildcat cartridge. I am only doing a .30-30IMP over the .308ME because I already have the gun and it needs to be refurbished.

I'll use .30-30WIN cases for Lever Action Silhouette and .375WIN cases for heavy 150gr TSX-FN.

Thanks for the help.

You will have no trouble reaching mid range 307 Winchester performance in the 30-30AI using 30-30 brass.
I shoot the older smooth side 150-grain Barnes X bullet at 2,350 fps + with no difficulty � Alliant Reloder 15 works well.
If you want to fool around with 375 cases as a fun project hunt up a set of 357 Herrett dies to use as an intermediate step. These dies are low cost on the used market, At one time Redding made a form die for this but I have never seen one.
Why do you want to go with the Improved case? The standard 30-30 is a lot of fun.

William,

I want to do it because I don't have the strength to own a gun and leave it as is.....USUALLY. I inherited this gun from a great uncle (who I never knew but is the only other servicemember in our family) and it needs some love. I always do a gun project when I get home and I'll be home from the Ghan next month. It has a cracked stock (which I Gorilla Glued so I could shoot it some) and needs some metal clean-up. I'll fit the stock then ship it out for rechambering and refinishing. I'll finish the stock while the metal is out. When it gets home I'll put a receiver sight on, load it up, and shoot the piss out of it. It's going to be my retro hot-rod.

Thanks for the help.

"I want to do it because I don't have the strength to own a gun and leave it as is....."


That bout sums it up right there!