fire forming brass
- Thread starter Chad280
- Start date
If you are looking for EXCELLENT .280Rem brass to fireform to .280A.I. you could do A LOT worse than Norma brass. It is excellent stuff..
Norma for sure.
L.Sherm
Silver $$ Contributor
Your gonna get some different response's on how to do this but right or wrong this is how I do it before I got an annealer. You can get some templag or do it in a dark room and when the necks get orange your done. It's not hard just time consuming if your doing alot of cases.
Chad280, I would like to help but; I have no clue what receiver you are going to use. Unlike all the other members I do not know how your chamber is reamed. In the perfect world you could purchase new over the counter factory ammo. You could use once fired; I would not suggest you use work hardened brass.
When it comes to what brand of case; if these guys want you to purchase the good/expensive stuff let them pay for it. When it comes to forming I prefer ‘new’. The 280 Remington case is .051” longer than the 30/06 case when measured from the end of the neck to the case head. The parent case shortens when formed; if it doesn’t there is something wrong with the methods and or techniques.
F. Guffey
I've been using Remington brass, mainly because it's been cheap. Can't find it new at the retailers, but there always seems to be some on armslist, either once fired or new. I have no problem with once fired brass since I'm going to be fireforming it anyway. I have a couple hundred cases I'm shooting through now. Currently on 7-8 firings and primer pockets are just starting to get a bit loose, but it might have a few more firings in it. I've also got a couple hundred cases lined up for the next barrel, most of it unfired/new brass. I think I've been paying on average around $0.35/case.
Fireforming is just good practice ammo. I load up a good solid charge of H1000 with 162 amax's and go shooting. I found it very accurate even in the fireforming process.
I do anneal every firing, drill/socket/torch method. Tempilaq can tell you how long to heat the brass, I'm at about 6-7 seconds with the neck held right at the point of the inner blue flame.
Fireforming is just good practice ammo. I load up a good solid charge of H1000 with 162 amax's and go shooting. I found it very accurate even in the fireforming process.
I do anneal every firing, drill/socket/torch method. Tempilaq can tell you how long to heat the brass, I'm at about 6-7 seconds with the neck held right at the point of the inner blue flame.
I dont have any experiance with the 280 but have loaded for 270 and 25-06. I have found that winchester, WW-super and federal brass are the better of the factory stuff but are not without their limitations. If it were me I would pony up for some Lapua or Norma and anneal as needed
I seem to remember that 270 brass is longer than 30-06, just food for thought. E
I seem to remember that 270 brass is longer than 30-06, just food for thought. E
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All new brass was annealed when formed. The differnce is that some companies clean their brass after it's finished in order to give it a uniform "shine" (after all, shooters love shine) and remove the annealing discoloration (uninformed shooters think annealing discoloration is a flaw). Then there are those that anneal after forming to insure that the metallurgy of the case is uniform before it is put in service.
You are correct, the 270 and 280 case is the same length from the end of the neck to the case head. The 270 and 30/06 is the same length from the shoulder to the case head.
F. Guffey
Chad 280
A question,
Which 280 AI chamber do you have?
There are several different 280AI chambers types out there.
I would do a chamber cast, (if you DON'T know which AI chamber you have),
then decide which type/brand of brass to use.
I have the DK 280AI reamer that allows me to use standard 06 brass, (Thanks, Expiper),
and allows me to have numerous brass type options,
and still have the maximum case capacity of 75 grs, H20,
with my Win 06 brass etc.
Tia,
Don
A question,
Which 280 AI chamber do you have?
There are several different 280AI chambers types out there.
I would do a chamber cast, (if you DON'T know which AI chamber you have),
then decide which type/brand of brass to use.
I have the DK 280AI reamer that allows me to use standard 06 brass, (Thanks, Expiper),
and allows me to have numerous brass type options,
and still have the maximum case capacity of 75 grs, H20,
with my Win 06 brass etc.
Tia,
Don
I will be having the nosler 280AI cartridge done on a blue printed Remington 700 stainless drop box mag action.
h20 should be 74 grains if I remember right.
I believe I will buy the nosler 280AI brass, that way im ready to load and go. Fire forming will be pricey with powder,bullets,primers so its probably 6's on cost. All though I do have to break the barrel in and that could be around 20 to 30 rounds, in which fire forming brass will be good to do at that time. Not sure yet on what is the recommended procedure on breaking in the X-Caliber barrel yet. If I fire form I might try the Hornady brass and see how it is. I haven't heard how there brass is though.
h20 should be 74 grains if I remember right.
I believe I will buy the nosler 280AI brass, that way im ready to load and go. Fire forming will be pricey with powder,bullets,primers so its probably 6's on cost. All though I do have to break the barrel in and that could be around 20 to 30 rounds, in which fire forming brass will be good to do at that time. Not sure yet on what is the recommended procedure on breaking in the X-Caliber barrel yet. If I fire form I might try the Hornady brass and see how it is. I haven't heard how there brass is though.
L.Sherm
Silver $$ Contributor
Some guys don't believe in breaking in barrels, and just about every manufacterer has a different method. Take this for what it's worth, I do what I discribed earlier in my post it's worked for me but i'm sure there's other opinion's out there. There's more than one way to skin a cat.
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