Determining When Cases Are Fully Formed

[Wild Bill IV]

I’m taking a poll..

How many fellas hit new brass with a full charge?

I size the neck up 3 calibers, neck back down and keep the FL Die high!! Start adjusting the die down till the last inch of bolt drop is tight!! This sets the case to full headspace on the shoulder adjacent to the neck and centers the neck to the chamber while the base is squared up by the bolt face!! May loss a few firing from this extreme neck stretch, but precision comes at a cost!!
Eliminating case body stretch is my goal!! Keeping the parabolic internal shape smooth and consistent!! Seat the bullet at 0.001/0.002 jump!!! Fire with enough charge to flatten the primer without having a FP crater!!! Then comes the case prep! Adjust the FL Die down till complete free downward bolt lock!! That is a half a thou bump!!! That half thou forces case/bullet to chamber/landings alignment!!

Aim small, hit BIG!!!
BILL

 

[6BRA]

I’m taking a poll..

How many fellas hit new brass with a full charge?

Yes..hit them hard.

 

[JFrank]

Yes..hit them hard.

I agree, as long as I’m not making Ackley cases, why not.

 

[Wild Bill IV]

Yes..hit them hard.

I agree, as long as I’m not making Ackley cases, why not.

Right on!!! I tried making 280AI out of once fired REM 30-06 last year!!! Opened neck with 337 mandrel, ran short stoke FL 30-06 die, then FL 280AI die down to snug bolt drop for full head space contact at the should/neck junction!! What a funky looking case!!! Two angles on the shoulder (40°/17.5°)!! Plus, it looked like a dangerous ordeal to blow out the body for minimum taper and finish making the 40° shoulder!!! Not worth my life or time!!! I was tying to use up some of my once fired extra surplus 06 brass!!! Using the longer 280 Rem brass would still be some what intimidating!! Bought new 280AI brass and HARD fire formed them with less case expansion!! Much safer method!!!

There is one type of rifle that you can not hit hard for one shot full fire form!!!! That is the small ring Mauser rifles in the Swedish 6.5x55!!! You could put a world of hurt on yourself if you try it!!!! They are rated in the plus mid 40,000psi!!!! 46k something comes to mind!!! I have a Swedish 96B Mauser (1917 reciever stamp) and a RARE CG-63 (German made Swede 1900 receiver stamp, 1965 mod date)!!! The CG-63 is a dream to shoot with the 29.5" NORMA BBL!!

Aim small, hit BIG!!!
BILL

 

[6.5 forever]

Full charge.... but I'm never on the ragged edge.

Same here.