Forming Ackley Cases - With or without bullet?

[L.Sherm]

I'm in the camp if its a new barrel do exactly what Lance said.
Fireforming loads can be very accurate.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

A primer shot is a primer lost these days. It's hard for me to set off a primer without making a hole in something down range. If your chamber is set up correctly you should have some crush on standard dimension ammo so jamming bullets shouldn't be necessary. Develop a good 250sav load with the 117's you have that shoots well in your improved chamber and go shoot. Speer also makes some cheap 257 bullets.

I think the COW method is best reserved for the "barrel burner" cartridges and I use used coffee grounds that I dry out in the oven on a sheet tray. Burnt coffee smells way better than burnt COW.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I used COW to save components and barrel life.

COW Fireforming recipe

I thought I posted this somewhere else, but I did not. First: The formal instructions https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2017/02/how-to-fire-form-brass-without-bullets/ Found this reference for starting charge weight...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[FEENIX]

For my .270 AI, I developed a load for .270 Win and then for .270 AI.

For my .30 LARA, I used Whidden custom hydraulic forming die.



For my .30 Gibbs, I used the COW method, except with cotton balls,

 

[L.Sherm]

I used COW to save components and barrel life.

COW Fireforming recipe

I thought I posted this somewhere else, but I did not. First: The formal instructions https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2017/02/how-to-fire-form-brass-without-bullets/ Found this reference for starting charge weight...

www.longrangehunting.com

Do you do load development on a brand new barrel?

 

[nksmfamjp]

Do you do load development on a brand new barrel?

Well, that is an issue….Up to this point, I have not. I have fireformed with a false shoulder. I ruined 100 Peterson brass doing that, so I used COW for the next round.

 

[L.Sherm]

Well, that is an issue….Up to this point, I have not. I have fireformed with a false shoulder. I ruined 100 Peterson brass doing that, so I used COW for the next round.

There is only 1 way to get rounds down a barrel to get it consistent. As stated above with a AI chamber there should be about a .004 crush fit so no false shoulder or jamming "should" be needed
but I do it anyway and its worked very well for me.

 

[Harry Knutz]

don't need anything between the powder & cow, load cases with powder then cow directly on top, 1/4" lower than top of case mouth then push soap bar or paraffin candle directly into case mouth to fill that void and compress contents so they don't mix, clean off excess on neck & square off with top of case mouth...... recommend firing as soon as you can, if traveling to range or out of town sandpit etc. keep cases upright in ammo box & load & fire with rifle pointed up, plan to load & shoot on same day or load in the evening & shoot next day...

This is the method I have been using for years, I have found that 10 grs of Unique or Herco in 308 sized cases and 12 grs in anything larger seems to work the best, You will never get sharp shoulders using this method, But it doesn't matter, I have experimented with more powder until it pierced primers and still didn't get sharp shoulders. I light a large candle and let it melt a lot of wax, Then pour it into a jar lid about 1/4 thick, Once cooled you hold it upside down and push the loaded case neck up into it, It forms a perfect seal to hold everything in place till you get to the range.

I use a Lee dipper to throw the charge, And then figure out what size Lee dipper will throw the right amount of Cream of Wheat, It goes very quickly.

I forgot to mention, I use Large pistol primers.

 

[Harry Knutz]

Can't find any reference for Liz on ES or having anything to do with Ivory Soap. She did pimp Lux Toilet Soap, but that was in her early years. WTH is "Toilet Soap?"

I really can't tell you what "Toilet Soap" is, It would be cause for a Ban!

 

[SEGARE]

I really can't tell you what "Toilet Soap" is, It would be cause for a Ban!

I looked it up. It has a higher fat content for better moisturizing.

 

[Zen Archery]

Depending on how much case forming needs to be done. I like to build a mild starter load if there is nominal case forming just because hogs are always roaming around.

Once I get about 50 cases fire formed I'll do a full load development.

If the case has a lot of forming to be done. I'll COW method but use soap.

 

[marchboom]

I'm from the other camp - I fireformed all of my AI case by loading bullets jammed into the rifling so that case heads were firmly against the bolt face. I use starting loads from the manual and worked up a bit. Good loads were often found while forming cases. As a matter of fact, I killed many groundhogs while forming 6mmAI cases in a custom heavy varmint rig.

I ate the COW before heading to the range in the morning.

I have gotten great groups when fireforming my 22-250 brass. From what I understand, when a parent case is chambered it is a slight crush fit (by design) and the case head is in contact with the bolt face. I do not jam the bullets into the lands. I have no hesitation using fire forming loads for varmint hunting.