Fire Forming - - Help ?

[LibertyArms]

im looking to do a 243AI. new to fireforming as i have never done it before. I have read of different meathods, but it seems alot of people use a light load, with cream of wheat??

Any help would be much appriciated. thanks Bob

 

[balkandom]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

I fireform .375 H&H into .375 Weatherby. It's not much of a modification to the case, so I usually just load one of my comfortable target loads (About 10% under max) and it works just fine. What is the cream of wheat for?

 

[308sako]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

Deleted in protest!

 

[donovan]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

I have done over a 1000 with cream of wheat works fine alot less wear on the barrel in 4 different 243AI's.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

I don't fireform, per se, although I often make up my .260 brass by renecking new .243 and/or 7-08 cases. I just load my customary load and make use of the first loading for customary applications.

Although it may appear counterintuitive, many here have noted that their fireforming loads were the most accurate they've seen from their brass. If I had to guess, I'd say this may be related to work hardening.

Maybe (<span style="font-style: italic">maybe</span>) related, a conversation with G. David Tubb a few years back revealed that he always F/L resizes his brass, and believes it is one of the major points underlying his unique customary performance.

Greg

 

[deadeye]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

Why waste the primer and precious trigger time?

Load 10% under with bullets seated into the lands and shoot.

You'll get perfect cases and extra time behind the trigger.

I've personally shot local matches at 200yds while foreforming 6BR to 6BRX and shot nearly a prefect score.

I would not use ANY lube on a case for any reason. There is no need for lube and if put in the wrong area you are asking for problems. The case uses the friction from expansion on the walls and making that "slippery" is asking for more pressure on the lugs.

just my 2 cents.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

I'm not going to chime in on this subject. The fireforming I do is changing one diameter caliber to another. Specifically 220 Russian to 6PPC. But I have a friend that shoots factory loaded 243 in his 243AI to get the brass.

But to each his own.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

I fully concur w/Deadeye about never firing cases with lube on them.

All my completed ammo gets thoroughly cleaned off with a pink cotton shop cloth dampened in rubbing alcohol and then dried with a soft microfiber cloth. I then handle the ammo with that cloth as it is boxed, to ensure that not even skin oils are on the finished cartridges. I also try to keep my hands clean and dry when handling ammunition during a match, and have sometimes fired matches wearing Mechnics' Wear gloves if the weather suggests it.

For someone like myself, who likes a minimalist approach to ammo preparation, I realize this might appear a tad anal. But I think it's justified, or I wouldnt do it.

Greg

 

[1911fan]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

Never bothered with the whole Cream of Wheat/Dacron thing. I have a .22-250 AI, and my forming load is a little under max of the parent load, with the bullets solidly in the lands. Benefits: fun to shoot, accurate, kills rockchucks dead, brass fireforms nicely. Drawbacks: having a seperate range card for the fireforming loads. That's about all I can think of.
IMHO, and somebody will probably disagree, the whole Cream of Wheat thing sounds like a messy waste of time, primers, and breakfast.

1911fan

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

I like cream of wheat... With butter and sugar with dry toast and coffee.

 

[LibertyArms]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

thanks for your help. as far as accuracy, if i make up a load with factory lapua 243 brass, and set the bullets on the lands. it should shoot good enough to shoot groundhog\chucks and still fireform the cases. I should load a factory 243 load - 10%. and shoot em ??

 

[alf]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

Usually the upper end, but then I work up loads for accuracy and good fireformed brass at the same time.

Keep good notes too.

 

[flashhole]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

My advice is to load a regular load with perviously fired cases that have been neck sized only. The neck/shoulder junction should define the headspace and with a previously fired case it will be properly positioned in the chamber. Shooting will allow the brass to form to the AI chamber. Don't know why you would want to seat the bullet into the lands. Too much unpredictable behavior with pressure spikes.

 

[alf]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

Properly chambered AI's probably don't need to set them into the lands, but I'm a belt and suspenders guy, so I do.

Spikes aren't a problem when you do your load work so seated.

 

[skinnypitt]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

Have to agree on the lube! NEVER load brass with any kind of lube on it. Greg has found out by experience but to explain it what you get is flow gradients in your brass that can not only cause problems with pressure on the lugs but this can cause weak points in the brass that are unseen - maybe until there is a problem.
I am fireforming 7-08 to 260 and get great accuracy with first loads just a little different velocity than formed brass.
I also have to agree that when I tried loading into the lands for forming it gave me very high variability in ESD. Just find your normal load and go.

just my two cents...

 

[rifleman1981]

Re: Fire Forming - - Help ?

here is something to consider with the cream of wheat method, every round that you run down your barrel shortens the life of your rifle barrel, im assuming that if your running an ackley that your doing so to get more powder capacity, witch shortens barrel life also, so by using the cream of wheat method you are actually prolonging the life of your barrel and getting the full potential of your round when you actually send a projectile down the bore