Accurate 2200 in 30BR

[SVT_Tactical]

Have a jug full of 2200 and thought about using it to fireform / blow out some brass. Anyone used it in the 30BR successfully? Care to share data? Planned on using speer 125gr tnts for this process. Also have some old 130gr match bullets.

This would preserve my other more desired components for loading after formed when i should see it perform better.
I can't find any info on 2200 in 30BR other than this table I found on another thread, but given it's burn rate right it might be viable and wanted to see if anyone had experience.

 

[Jager]

With Lapua brass, 35.5gr of A2200 should put you in the neighborhood of 100% case fill, using a Speer 125gr TNT seated to an OAL of 2.3". Muzzle velocity would be around 2570 out of 23" barrel, and chamber pressure would peak around 41K psi.

Should work.

Alternatively, you could buy some LT-30 and Berger 115gr bullets, both of which are currently available, and use the barrel life you consume while fire forming to get in some bench practice.

 

[AlNyhus]

I've never used the 2200 but given it's burn rate is right there with H4198, there's no reason it wouldn't work well for f-forming cases.

Is this new brass being f-formed for the first time? -Al

 

[SVT_Tactical]

I've never used the 2200 but given it's burn rate is right there with H4198, there's no reason it wouldn't work well for f-forming cases.

Is this new brass being f-formed for the first time? -Al

Yes.

I have 200 cases prepped and ready to form thanks to @Bill Norris who's helping me get all set up.

I just want a good safe load to use of the 2200 with the 125s just to do this initial blow out. Then I'll use more desirable powder for load development and testing.

I don't feel like burning that good stuff for first firing.

 

[AlNyhus]

You get one chance for a great case come out of the chamber...and that's the first time you fire it.

Things that are your friends when f-forming the 30BR's:
1. A solid jam/seat of around .020.
2. A neck bushing .004 under what a case neck measures across the pressure ring.
3. A minimum of .002 neck clearance.
4. A stout powder charge.
5. Stress relieving the neck/shoulder junction before you f.l. size the case prior to the first hit.
6. Shoulders pushed back a couple thou. more than you'll normally set them back.

All these things contribute to the case nicely forming to the chamber when you whap it the first time. Wimpy starting loads will really make you struggle to get good cases. A light film of 3-In-1 oil, Kroil, sewing machine oil, etc. lets the case conform to the chamber easily. You can bring your shoulder bump tool along and compare an unfired case to a fired case (make sure and remove the primer from the fired case as this will add .002-.003). Once the fired cases settle down in that measurement, you know that you are up against the shoulder of the chamber.

But honestly...they can also shoot extremely well right out of the gate with very little need to f-form them. It all depends on the prep. These were 3 shot groups on new cases in my 30BR recently.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[M-61]

Funny (meaning odd) was in fire forming brass for my 30BR’s I used bullets pulled from 30 caliber carbines
I was shocked at the groups I shot. I expected possibly not to even hit the paper. After the the first 2 five shot groups I was shooting as if I were in a match. Meaning fire forming became secondary to actually shooting for pure precision. As a huge believer in practice I now felt I was accomplishing 2 things at once. Now were these fabulous groups… no but 3 of 5 were touching. And I know practice does lead to maybe not perfection but this was twofold as I said. Maybe it’s the 30BR where this applies but it did.
This is not written as well as I would have liked , sorry.

 

[Bill Norris]

You get one chance for a great case come out of the chamber...and that's the first time you fire it.

Things that are you friends when f-forming the 30BR's:
1. A solid jam/seat of around .020.
2. A neck bushing .004 under what a case neck measures across the pressure ring.
3. A minimum of .002 neck clearance.
4. A stout powder charge.
5. Stress relieving the neck/shoulder junction before you f.l. size the case prior to the first hit.
6. Shoulders pushed back a couple thou. more than you'll normally set them back.

All these things contribute to the case nicely forming to the chamber when you whap it the first time. Wimpy starting loads will really make you struggle to get good cases. A light film of 3-In-1 oil, Kroil, sewing machine oil, etc. lets the case conform to the chamber easily. You can bring your shoulder bump tool along and compare an unfired case to a fired case (make sure and remove the primer from the fired case as this will add .002-.003). Once the fired cases settle down in that measurement, you know that you are up against the shoulder of the chamber.

But honestly...they can also shoot extremely well right out of the gate with very little need to f-form them. It all depends on the prep. These were 3 shot groups on new cases in my 30BR recently.

Good shootin' -Al

Thanks for the confimation Al. I believe we have all the bases covered as mentioned. I am anxious to see how this new 30BR is goung to shoot. I did an initial 5 shot group with it and it shot a .121 right out the gate.

 

[SVT_Tactical]

Bill shot this with the gun during initial testing

 

[SVT_Tactical]

Starting to think just load the good stuff and run on.

 

[AlNyhus]

I wouldn't waste a lot of time f-forming 200 cases. A good exercise is to f-form enough to do some load work...say 30-50 cases. Then, once you find a load you like just load that into the virgin cases and see how they group. If the case prep is on the money, you should see little, if any, difference.

As an aside: To accurately measure groups, the bullet diameter is not the subtraction figure to use.

The correct subtraction is the size of the hole that your bullet makes in the paper. This will vary depending on the paper and the backer used, if any.

In the groups I posted above, you can see that .290 is the subtraction, not .308.

Good shootin' -Al