Barrel break and fire forming with non benchrest bullets

[6mmbra Dan]

I'm in the process of building a 6bra on a trued 700 action, Krieger 1-8 twist with Alex wheelers #1 reamer. Bullets are difficult to find these days but managed to get 600 Berger 105 hybrid's. Kind of hate to shoot them up fire forming cases. I have several hundred 6mm 95 and 100 gr nosler partitions a no longer use. I though I read nosler jackets were harder than bench rest jackets and not suitable for barrel break and hard on bench grade barrels. If anyone could give me there thoughts on being able to shoot up these just for fire forming. I'm a new member to shooters forum but have been reading forums for quite sometime and would like to thank all the members and shooters out there who contribute there time and knowledge to promote the sport. I have been reloading ammo for over 50 years but your contributions has made me a much better informed reloader and shooter

 

[jimmymac]

I’d just shoot them and save your best stuff for when it matters.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Listen to jimmymac, is is correct.

 

[Bc'z]

I look at it a lil differently.
Starting with a fresh barrel and components you should have a tuned load by time you reach 100 rounds, testing everything from neck tension to primer.
Or you can screw around fire forming brass and putting a 100 shots on your barrel before starting load work.

 

[Bill Norris]

I look at it a lil differently.
Starting with a fresh barrel and components you should have a tuned load by time you reach 100 rounds, testing everything from neck tension to primer.
Or you can screw around fire forming brass and putting a 100 shots on your barrel before starting load work.

I believe some aspects of the load can be achieved early on as well.

 

[jimmymac]

I look at it a lil differently.
Starting with a fresh barrel and components you should have a tuned load by time you reach 100 rounds, testing everything from neck tension to primer.
Or you can screw around fire forming brass and putting a 100 shots on your barrel before starting load work.

Maybe I was speaking out of line then. My experience is with a PPC and a 30BR...not a 6 Improved that the OP has.

In the case of the PPC, my fire forming loads aren’t anything like my normal loads so the FF doesn’t tell me much. Powder capacity is greatly diminished in the parent case from what I use in the finished case.

For the the 30BR, the new brass typically has pretty crooked necks from taking 6BR brass and expanding to 30 caliber. The fire form rounds don’t shoot very good. Once the cases are blown out after that first firing, then the gun will really hammer.

In both of my instances, I use cheap bullets because the first firing doesn’t tell me anything for the most part. I also use FF barrels to accomplish my fire forming.

I should stay out of threads where I don’t have experience.

 

[Bc'z]

I should stay out of threads where I don’t have experience.

Me too!
After reading your post I see where you guys use mules for fire forming, saving on components and barrel life.
I completely understand the difference.

 

[fultonbig9]

That barrel is going to speed up after hundred rounds, every barrel I’ve ever had has done that, you can find things out within hundred rounds for sure, but I’ve never really trusted it per say till after hundred or so rounds, IMO.

joey

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Form with the scraps

 

[6mmbra Dan]

Bc'z said:
I look at it a lil differently.
Starting with a fresh barrel and components you should have a tuned load by time you reach 100 rounds, testing everything from neck tension to primer.
Or you can screw around fire forming brass and putting a 100 shots on your barrel before starting load work.

 

[farmerjohn]

I fire form all my BRA brass for the year each spring on prairie dogs. My dog gun is an old right bolt, left port Panda with no ejector. Use one of my used short range barrels and Mike Davis just uses my BRA reamer to clean up the ppc chamber and leaves it .002 short for a light crush on new BR brass. When I get home all I have to do is knock out the primers and neck size and it's ready to go. If I find a lot of dogs and run out of new brass I switch barrels and put the my straight 0 throat BR back on and use my regular pd ammo for the rest of the hunt... John

 

[LCazador]

I'm in the process of building a 6bra on a trued 700 action, Krieger 1-8 twist with Alex wheelers #1 reamer. Bullets are difficult to find these days but managed to get 600 Berger 105 hybrid's. Kind of hate to shoot them up fire forming cases. I have several hundred 6mm 95 and 100 gr nosler partitions a no longer use. I though I read nosler jackets were harder than bench rest jackets and not suitable for barrel break and hard on bench grade barrels. If anyone could give me there thoughts on being able to shoot up these just for fire forming. I'm a new member to shooters forum but have been reading forums for quite sometime and would like to thank all the members and shooters out there who contribute there time and knowledge to promote the sport. I have been reloading ammo for over 50 years but your contributions has made me a much better informed reloader and shooter

I've been shooting 6BRA and Dasher since early 90s. Several things that I do to fireform brass are: seat the bullet well into the lands so the case is held against the face of the bolt for a good fireform. Because you are seated into the lands use a moderate load. You want a good fireform but not a load that's going to stretch the brass excessively. So the load that works well for fireforming is pretty much worthless for any actual precision shooting. Thirdly I'd like to add one of my primary goals while fireforming is to keep the barrel cool so I don't get alot of fire cracking going early. Doing this is not going to contribute to any great groups because it could be 5 minutes before you shoot your next shot. Use the junk stuff to fireform and don't do more than 20 at a time. Fireforming just 20 rounds can make for a long day at the range!

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

Like some guys have stated that first 80/100 rounds isnt gonne tell you much. Just FireF your brass the cheapest way

 

[Fast14riot]

I'll typically do a coarse seating depth test when fire forming my AI brass, then have a good starting point to fine tune formed brass, but I will do the rest of my brass with cheap bullets.

 

[Bc'z]

Bc'z said:
I look at it a lil differently.
Starting with a fresh barrel and components you should have a tuned load by time you reach 100 rounds, testing everything from neck tension to primer.
Or you can screw around fire forming brass and putting a 100 shots on your barrel before starting load work.

I guess I should add you'll have a lil fine tuning to do once barrel settles down.
But aren't shooters constantly tuning away?
Sooooo to quote @Hntndad "Let'r Eat!"

 

[Hntndad]

I guess I should add you'll have a lil fine tuning to do once barrel settles down.
But aren't shooters constantly tuning away?
Sooooo to quote @Hntndad "Let'r Eat!"

Yes sir! Watched Zack set a local club record last week @ 600 with a rifle we just put together a couple days prior.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Many shooters, myself included, think the whole thing of “barrel break in” is a waste of time. it’s not that fine lapped barrel you are breaking in, but the throat, which can possibly have very minute tool marks left by the reamer.

On my 30 BR, 6BR , and 6PPC barrels, I put about 5 rounds down them, cleaning after each shot, and then start load development.

But then, I never use my competition barrels for fire forming. I have a dedicated fire forming barrel for each chambering.

 

[dkhunt14]

Many shooters, myself included, think the whole thing of “barrel break in” is a waste of time. it’s not that fine lapped barrel you are breaking in, but the throat, which can possibly have very minute tool marks left by the reamer.

On my 30 BR, 6BR , and 6PPC barrels, I put about 5 rounds down them, cleaning after each shot, and then start load development.

But then, I never use my competition barrels for fire forming. I have a dedicated fire forming barrel for each chambering.

I agree with this. That is why I warp a patch around a brush and Iosso the first couple of inches real hard before i shoot them. It helps stop the coppering and seems to settle the barrel quicker. Matt

 

[jimmymac]

I agree with this. That is why I warp a patch around a brush and Iosso the first couple of inches real hard before i shoot them. It helps stop the coppering and seems to settle the barrel quicker. Matt

I never thought of doing that, but it makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for the tip. I'm going to try that or a version of that on my next new barrel.

 

[rjtfroggy]

I'm from the school of thought that barrel break in is a marketing ploy of barrel makers. More shots = more barrels.( see McMillans thoughts.)
I start load development with the first shot and carry through the last shot.