284 Shehane Shooters- Fireforming question

[kyreloader]

Do most shooters fireform with bullets?

I have been told to fireform with pistol powder and corn meal and shoot to fireform the case. My thinking is that when fireforming, I will basically have a 284 Winchester. Just load up some 180g Bergers with about 54g H4831 and shoot like normal. I could at least get some dopes and not loose that much barrel life?

What say you?

 

[Preacher]

Corn meal is for muffins, shoot the darn thing with gun powder and bullets like the good lord wanted ;D

 

[taylor]

shoot with 54 grn to 54.5 grn h4831sc and it will shoot bug holes but vel will be approx 2800 fps ,great for club shoots and practice ,wonce you know your final load just fireform from then on with your match load and shoot in big comps and it will shoot great firefoming,mine done that
my match load - fireform load is 56.5 grn h4831sc- 2925 fps ,
i dont bother wasting brrl life with reduced loads for fireforming ,just get the load it likes and go and shoot comps and it can still win while firforming ;D
all the best
Grant Taylor
scotland

 

[TonyR]

I've had the same experience as Grant. About 54gr H4831SC or 55gr of N165 give me about 2800fps fireforming with Berger 180 VLDs. 2800fps is an accuracy node in my rifles and these fireforming loads are as accurate as any full power load I've fired except for the additonal wind drift at 2800 vs 2900+ for my match loads. I have shot the 2800fps node at 1000 yards with the 180s and have had no problems but mostly I shoot the fireforming loads at 600 yards.

 

[1967spud]

Hi Grant from meory you are using br2 primers for your shehane load, do you still use these for fireformimng as well?

Mark

 

[RDavies]

Another option is to load some rounds with Trail boss, around 14gns with a 175-180gn bullet. This will fireform your case with only 14gns per shot and will be part of the barrel running in as well. These rounds are quiet enough to be shot off into a bunch of rags under the house, giving you some fully formed cases and a run in barrel for your first trip to the range, with very little throat erosion in the process.
Even with cases which dont need fireforming, I run the barrel in with Trail boss loads as I have very limited time to sit on ranges doing load developement/running in/fireforming.