Fire forming and load developement

[Pwhite11798]

I'm new to the wild cats. And while I have been reloading and testing loads for several years now I have never built a wild cat cartridge. My question is. Can you fire form and do load development at the same time on a Ackley type improved cartridge.

 

[jcampbellsmith]

Yes, when I had a 243 Ackley, I worked up a fire forming load for it.

This is what I shot when fireforming -

Regards JCS

 

[Pwhite11798]

Thanks guys. I was thinking it might be possible I have about three diferent powders to try three different bullets and 200 cases. Just was thinking if I could kill 2 birds with one stone it would help. The other option is to chamber one of my take off barrels and fire form the cow method.

 

[Pwhite11798]

Ok looks like I'll just chamber a separate barrel for fire forming.

 

[Sheldon N]

If you are going to fireform with bullets rather than using the COW method, I'd suggest doing some basic load development on your fireforming rounds to find a load that both shoots well and also properly forms the brass. You'll likely be able to find an accurate fireforming load. Then shoot that load until all your cases are formed.

Then once the cases are all fireformed, do load development to find your accurate load with the fully formed brass.

The additional benefit of this approach is that your barrel speed will have stabilized by the time your fireforming is done, so you won't need to tweak your final load as the barrel speeds up.

 

[skiutah02]

If you are going to fireform with bullets rather than using the COW method, I'd suggest doing some basic load development on your fireforming rounds to find a load that both shoots well and also properly forms the brass. You'll likely be able to find an accurate fireforming load. Then shoot that load until all your cases are formed.

Then once the cases are all fireformed, do load development to find your accurate load with the fully formed brass.

The additional benefit of this approach is that your barrel speed will have stabilized by the time your fireforming is done, so you won't need to tweak your final load as the barrel speeds up.

pretty much this^

and

With wildcats I develop a mild fire-forming load, then again for the formed case with the normal or upper loads. Almost always able to achieve good accuracy from the fire-forming loads, just more limited to what I'm all able to test with them, to still achieve consistent "blow lengths and case stretch (which directly reflect on the volume consistency as well).
Donovan

^this.

Some wildcats work very well during FF. I did this fireforming 300 6BRX cases from 6BR. Easily found an accurate, mild load with cheap bullet to use in local matches. Didn't set any National records, but had fun and got some practice on how to shoot from a rest (I normally shoot FTR). Shooting from a rest (well) is definitely NOT as easy as the best shooters make it look.

New case capacity required new load development, but barrel had settled in by then.

Drew

 

[Coolhand]

Fire forming loads in my .220 Ack have been extremely accurate as was predicted by my GS. I used a mid range powder charge with the heaviest projectiles I could find that were cheap. Factory Norma ammo with 50 grain projectiles proved to be hunting accurate to with five shot groups around .75".
Alternatively, a mate had a 22/250 Ack built and had the GS chamber a flogged out barrel with the same reamer used to cut his original chamber. He then had the GS put the flogged out barrel back into the receiver and used it to fire form all his brass, it worked fine, a bit of mucking around but no big deal in the long run.

regards
Mike.

 

[Pwhite11798]

If you are going to fireform with bullets rather than using the COW method, I'd suggest doing some basic load development on your fireforming rounds to find a load that both shoots well and also properly forms the brass. You'll likely be able to find an accurate fireforming load. Then shoot that load until all your cases are formed.

Then once the cases are all fireformed, do load development to find your accurate load with the fully formed brass.

The additional benefit of this approach is that your barrel speed will have stabilized by the time your fireforming is done, so you won't need to tweak your final load as the barrel speeds up.

I like this it's what I'm going to end up doing.