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17 Fireball from Lapua??????

Phil

Phil

Gold $$ Contributor
OK......

I have 3 different projects here from the fireball case and a friend drops by to tell me that he wants some cases made from Lapua brass for his 17 fireball to shoot the 30r. Kindlers at yotes......:confused:.....sounds kinda fun actually.......:rolleyes:

Anyhoo, i remember talking with a member that had done this exact same thing, i just can`t remember who he was, or find the thread or conversation we had.....:mad:

So i`m thinking about trying to turn the necks, then 20 VT die, then either 17 Fireball F/L die OR 17M4 F/L die to finish them up.......

Does ANY of this sound like the right road?????????????

Suggestions from those of us who have done this without failure would be great.....

Thanks,

Phil.
 
Nice..........

He wanted me to use his fireball brass to go from .22 to .17, thus my die selection, though tentative.
 
It will work. I use 221 Lapua to make 17 Mach IV almost same as 17 fb. I have a Redding form die and it brings it down to around .20 then run it in your 17 Fireball die. Use Imperial and go slow
 
Oh..I have been dealing with this and have spent alot of money on dies to make lapua 221 fireball brass into 17 fireball brass with out the need to turn necks...
Here is my method..and the dies I had to use.. perhaps some one has a cheaper way but I couldn't figure one out...
I have a Redding T-7 press, so once everything is set up it was no big deal..
1) 221 fireball die- full length size with decaping assembly removed. Die set to contact shell holder.
2) 17 fireball body die- set to contact shell holder
3) Redding 17 mach lV trim die- set to size 1/2 the neck. ( I found more neck sizing would deform or crush the case)
4) 221 fireball bushing die- with 17 fireball decaping assembly installed ( I used a .195" bushing) set to only size neck.
5) 17 fireball full length side die- set to size case( not bump shoulder)...
6) anneal
Sized cases came out at 1.40" load books say 1.410" ..they get a little longer after fire forming but not much..
I shoot alot of 221, and 17 fireball so the die investment was done over time not all at once..the method I used above finally gave me great looking brass that had square neck, shoulder juncture, and square case mouth with out the need to turn necks..I think I wasted alot of good expensive lapua brass to figure out this method and at 70-80$ per 100pc. It was not cheap..
They say a smart man learns from his mistakes, but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others....this is my 17 fireball ball all loaded up ready to fire form.
 
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This is what I was getting trying to use just the 2 Redding form dies..and they were not cheap..I was not happy..it would work ok if I turned necks.. perhaps some cheap Lee dies 221 fireball, 20 tartarg, 17 fireball would work..but I tried using a 221 bushing die with 3 or 4 different bushing and stepping down in size but always ended up with a deformed neck, and then a crush case..if you need part numbers for the dies I used , feel free to PM. Or we can chat on the phone..hope it helps..

 
All I use for mine is a chopped off 204 ruger fl die, then fl 17fb die. The fireform loads can touch 5 at 100 so I use them for hunting and trigger time. Also, I anneal after forming
 
vmaxpro said:
All I use for mine is a chopped off 204 ruger fl die, then fl 17fb die. The fireform loads can touch 5 at 100 so I use them for hunting and trigger time. Also, I anneal after forming
Click to expand...
Can you post pics of your cut down die, and what your cases look like before fire forming..
Thanks
 
image.jpeg Nothin fancy at all. I use hornady spray lube, after their formed I anneal and run them through the 17 fireball fl die one more time, if I dont the bolt wont close. I run a light crush fit and theres too much spring in the brass. This was another 300 yard group today with the 20 grain vmax.
 
And fyi for anyone shooting a fireball, Im not about to claim I can do this "all day long". Im just showing how superior the lapua brass is to remington. This is shot with wind flags waiting for perfect conditions. I shot it at 300 in windy conditions, that was a challenge!
 
Looks like you were having the same issue I was ..by your pics the necks were all lopsided , and had that build up of brass at the end of the case neck..I had to turn necks in order to remove that..I just found that when the neck and shoulder juncture, and the end of the case neck is out of square, neck turning was not the answer for me..I was getting poor results.. especially at the neck shoulder juncture..the cuts would not be consistent..then after fire forming the shoulder thickness would be inconsistent...how does this translate on the target?..for me it was open inconsistent groups..
Just my observation..I'm no pro ..this is what I found for me..now with the use of a few more dies..the 70-80$ I was spending on a box of 221 lapua brass is better spent..
It was driving me crazy..I have about 400 cases I sized, turned, fire formed..put a lot of work into ..and feel I should throw it away and buy 400 new cases just to use my new method..that is consistent, with no neck turning..but I'm anal like that..the one thing I love about reloading..in my crazy day..I can sit down at the reloading bench and produce perfection....( I'd like to think) it's the one place to me where it all make sense..I can relax take my time .. research an area , then put it into practice... is it an art form ..I would like to think so..a symphony if you will..ok maybe I've gone overboard...but I like to remove as many negatives in the equation before I pull my trigger..sorry I just wanted to chat..
 
That flared ridge on the neck goes away on mine after annealing and fl sizing. Ive made 500 now and havent lost one yet. Ive had a few fireballs and this one by far is the most accurate.
 
vmaxpro said:
That flared ridge on the neck goes away on mine after annealing and fl sizing. Ive made 500 now and havent lost one yet. Ive had a few fireballs and this one by far is the most accurate.
Click to expand...


Do you anneal after you form to .17 Fireball????
 
Got it.........

The annealing i understand,it was the sequence i was fuzzy on....
 
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