Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 30-06 snap caps in a 35 Whelen?

I like to use snap caps when I adjust my triggers. Will the 06 snap caps work in the Whelen? I can look it up later, but figured someone here already knows.

Thanks,

JCM

Yes - but - why? Unless you have a double or similar rifle that can be damaged by dry firing, dry firing is harmless.

Thanks GF1. As for the why.....well, just my preference. Just an old habit of not dry firing..even if it causes no damage.

Thanks again,

JCM

If you do lots of dry firing with nothing for the firing pin to hit, it can go too far through the aperture and eventually it may cause a problem. Snap caps are good, and the '06 caps ought to work fine. The 35-06 and the 30-06 and the 284-06 and the 27-06 all headspace on the shoulder. Have at it!

I use snap caps for all dry firing (OK, I'm OCD). I certainly agreee with "the shootist" as the 30-06 and 35 Whelen share the same headspace (as to the 25-06, 270 Winchester and the 338-06). However, the caps I use are machined from aluminum and the forward section of the cartridge (the "bullet") will probably be too large for the 25-06 and 270 Win. chambers.

If 284-06 means 28o Rem. then it has a different headspace measurement than the 30/06,25/06,270 and 35 whelen. The shoulder is a bit farther forward.

Thanks for the correction, Stillhuntin. Guy's gotta be wrong once in a while.

27-06 has a certain "ring" to it. Now, just neck it up 31 thousandths and you've got a winner.

Wayne

Given a Mauser style extractor to hold the case against the bolt .45 Auto snap caps will work - and a fair number of .45 Auto cartridges have been fired in '03 Springfields and such.

What do you mean by this? I get the extractor part, but .45 Auto cartridges fired in '03s? I don't understand.

Shlemer,

He should have explained himself. The named cartridges all share a common head size. Firing a 45 in a 06 chamber is dangerous and foolhardy. Putting anything that does not match the name on the barrel is STUPID.

Len

Yeah, I get the common .473" head diameter idea. What I don't get is even the consideration of suggesting that a .45 Auto shell can be fired in an '03 Springfield, or any other gun other than a .45 Auto for that matter. I guarantee this - you'll only do it once!

I have made a few snap caps, I take a used case, deprimed and force in a pencil erasure.

Cheap and easy!

Amazing how some of the old traditions just won't go away..In 75 years I have never seen or heard of a proven case of damage by dry firing a modern bolt action rifle..Maybe their are some rare cases but I would challange as to why the damage occured..Just my opine on the subject and to each his own for sure.

Ray,
I agree with you on centerfires. I've alway heard that dry-firing a rimfire bolt will damage it. Any truth to that? I don't dry-fire rimfires or shotgun without snap caps or empties in the chamber. What do you think?

I am by no means suggesting you try this at home but a .45 Auto ball ammo fired in a rifle with a Mauser style extractor will swage down nicely into a long lead bullet with a copper cap sort of mushroom style. Time was there were a fair number of othewise idle hands with access to Springfields and .45 Auto ammunition and some curiosity. It's even been written up in American Rifleman, Dopebag IIRC, and likely other places from time to time.

Clark, that might have worked out, but is seriously bad business and is an invitation to disaster.

Maybe the reason we don't hear of such exploits today is that the gene pool was properly thinned as a result of these little tricks.

Akin to "hold my beer and watch this."

I do the same, but fill the primer pocket with a hot glue gun.


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