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Fireforming
- Thread starter Eric H
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std7mag
Well-Known Member
I fire form mine while just a trip to the range, or hunting.
I've seen guys fire form while shooting at a match.
I've seen guys fire form while shooting at a match.
A lot of great info in this thread!
I will adapt some of my fire-forming methods. I have used bullseye & cream of wheat with a piece of paper towel in the case mouth.
I fire form in the garage. I purchased a large plastic trash can, drilled a 1" hole in the bottom, and then purchased some of memory foam for twin size beds The foam, plus the trash can(turned upside down) eliminates all noise.
When I was doing a lot of varmint hunting using 17 Ackley hornet, 223 AI, 22/250 AI, 243 AI, and 6 Rem AI, I always fired formed while hunting. Accuracy is incredible while fire forming cases at a powder charge that would be red line pressure in a parent case chamber, but since the shoulder is being blown out, pressure on the case is lower.
When using cream of wheat in the6 Dasher, 6 BRX, and 280 AI, I did find some cases that had an accumulation of Cream of wheat stuck against the inside of the case's shoulder. A bent paper clip used to scuff the inside of each case shoulder insures that case volume will not be decreased on the next full power load.
I sure appreciate the tip on using Coffee grounds.
I will adapt some of my fire-forming methods. I have used bullseye & cream of wheat with a piece of paper towel in the case mouth.
I fire form in the garage. I purchased a large plastic trash can, drilled a 1" hole in the bottom, and then purchased some of memory foam for twin size beds The foam, plus the trash can(turned upside down) eliminates all noise.
When I was doing a lot of varmint hunting using 17 Ackley hornet, 223 AI, 22/250 AI, 243 AI, and 6 Rem AI, I always fired formed while hunting. Accuracy is incredible while fire forming cases at a powder charge that would be red line pressure in a parent case chamber, but since the shoulder is being blown out, pressure on the case is lower.
When using cream of wheat in the6 Dasher, 6 BRX, and 280 AI, I did find some cases that had an accumulation of Cream of wheat stuck against the inside of the case's shoulder. A bent paper clip used to scuff the inside of each case shoulder insures that case volume will not be decreased on the next full power load.
I sure appreciate the tip on using Coffee grounds.
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I think barrel status is an important consideration here. Old barrel/old chamber - COW makes sense. New barrel/new chamber - might as well load cheap bullets and break the barrel in. It will make subsequent load development a lot easier because you're not chasing the barrel break-in and speed-up cycle.
Nimrodmar10
Well-Known Member
If you can afford custom gunsmith work, I'd think the price of a box of bullets wouldn't be a big deal
bigngreen
Well-Known Member
Your always going to be doing the final forming with a loaded round, no other method really blows the case to the final dimensions.
I hate the mess of any method that blows crap down your barrel, and it's not at a high enough pressure that it's truly formed. Hydro basically the same thing only you get to play in water also and beat a press up.
The best method is to just load it and shoot it, if you find a nice load you just shoot and break everything in and get familiar with the gun and by the time your all formed your ready for serious load development.
I hate the mess of any method that blows crap down your barrel, and it's not at a high enough pressure that it's truly formed. Hydro basically the same thing only you get to play in water also and beat a press up.
The best method is to just load it and shoot it, if you find a nice load you just shoot and break everything in and get familiar with the gun and by the time your all formed your ready for serious load development.
Here you go. https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/3
$0.28 per bullet. You can break in your barrel and probably find a really good load with them as well. These shoot great in my 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 260 Rem.
As with anything else, YMMV. @Justice1327 has an excellent experience with his .243 AI fire-forming, https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/fire-forming-243ai-brass.364809/#post-3158174
Seabeeken
Well-Known Member
If your cases are stretching during forming or you have to use a false shoulder then you aren't headspaced properly. This is why Ackley used a .004' crush fit. Manson ackley headspace gauges have this built in and work perfectly.
As noted in #6, I had an accuracy load for .270 Win and .270 AI, so I never had to establish a false shoulder. However, in my .30 Gibbs, I had to.
(From L-R: .35 Whelen virgin brass, after re-sizing to establish false shoulder, fire-formed with 11g WSF (COW method), and after re-sizing).
Gibbs sure didn't mind gaining capacity at the expense of a short neck.
The neck is no shorter than .264 WM, 7MM RM, 300 WM, STW, etc, or my wildcats (.30 LARA and .338 Thor). Stan Ware's is the shortest neck I know.
@Eric H, my apologies; I did not mean to contribute to hijacking your thread.
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For curiosity sake, what does the neck measure? Seems like caliber is accepted minimum and Litz prefers like 1.09 if I remember right.
I fully realize it's not always necessary for the goal to be achieved tbough.
I fully realize it's not always necessary for the goal to be achieved tbough.
This what I've been saying for many years!
My cases come out perfect every time.
