This site started it all and I'm enjoying every minute! Now I'm trying to get started with a Savage 6mmbr. I'm getting close to the starting stage and wonder about fire forming cases. I've seen comments that varied from full power loads down to reduced loads with cream of wheat blanks. I'm trying to get started right for best accuracy. What's the real story...???
Fire Forming Cases
- Thread starter TreeRanger
- Start date
Tree Ranger,,,If you are just firing brass for the first time in a normal 6BR chamber, it shouldn't be much of a problem. The way I did mine was to find a load for a certain weight bullet, and lower the powder charge 8 or 10% and seat the bullet into the lands pretty good,,20thou or so). Your brass will then be formed to your chamber, then you can start the process of setting up your dies.
You will enjoy your BR..It's hard to get on NOT to shoot good.
You will enjoy your BR..It's hard to get on NOT to shoot good.
Moderator's NOTE: I believe the following suggestion by Stephen is for fire-forming 6PPC from 220 Russian brass. DO NOT do this with 6mm BR Norma brass.
If you fill a 6mm BR case half-way up the neck with 133 and seat a 107, for example, you will be at HUGE overpressure and it will be VERY UNSAFE. QuickLOAD Estimates 80,000+ PSI.
If you have 133 powder fill you case half way up the neck and load the heaviest bullet you have. First firing forming shot will get the case 95 % there. The case expanding will increase the volume of the case. Fill again with 133 half way up the neck and your regular bullet. Shoot groups with all your cases. Now your cases are fully fire formed. Less powder and they never get there. Run your finger on the almost sharp edge the body makes with the neck. First shot it is almost sharp second shot the edge is sharp that is a sign you properly fire formed.
Stephen Perry
If you fill a 6mm BR case half-way up the neck with 133 and seat a 107, for example, you will be at HUGE overpressure and it will be VERY UNSAFE. QuickLOAD Estimates 80,000+ PSI.
If you have 133 powder fill you case half way up the neck and load the heaviest bullet you have. First firing forming shot will get the case 95 % there. The case expanding will increase the volume of the case. Fill again with 133 half way up the neck and your regular bullet. Shoot groups with all your cases. Now your cases are fully fire formed. Less powder and they never get there. Run your finger on the almost sharp edge the body makes with the neck. First shot it is almost sharp second shot the edge is sharp that is a sign you properly fire formed.
Stephen Perry
Forum Boss
Administrator
I do what waterdog does, i.e. seat a 105 .020"+ into the lands, and fire with 29.5 Varget. This won't give you a super-sharp shoulder in some guns, but given the lot variances in Varget, I don't recommend more to start. Other people can fire-form at 30.0 but I'd start at 29.5.
NOTE: this assumes your gun is throated so the top of the boattail section is at least 40-80 thousandths above the neck-shoulder junction. If you have a short throat, and your 105-107 shank is at the neck-shoulder junction or below, I would start at 28.5 and look for pressure.
NOTE: this assumes your gun is throated so the top of the boattail section is at least 40-80 thousandths above the neck-shoulder junction. If you have a short throat, and your 105-107 shank is at the neck-shoulder junction or below, I would start at 28.5 and look for pressure.
True
I come from a short range BR environment where 6 BR is not there except for someone that doesn't have a PPC to shoot. My premise is medium loads do not properly fire form a case. You need 2 heavy loads to get the job done or the cases will never match the chamber. True.
Stephen Perry
I come from a short range BR environment where 6 BR is not there except for someone that doesn't have a PPC to shoot. My premise is medium loads do not properly fire form a case. You need 2 heavy loads to get the job done or the cases will never match the chamber. True.
Stephen Perry
Fill the case about 3/4 of the way with bullseye and top it off with wax. Then shoot--have done thousands of rounds from 338 Lapua AI to 6ppc and it works like a charm. If you will call around to the barrel makers you can usually find a scrap barrel then get it chambered and fitted and you will always have one to form brass. The last one I bought cost me all of 35 dollars for the tube. Why waste barrel by sending bullets thru it--not a smart thing to do to a really good "hummer"!
One who has not seen this done may question the method but I know of one person who has done hundreds of thousands of pieces of brass this way. Good Luck.
One who has not seen this done may question the method but I know of one person who has done hundreds of thousands of pieces of brass this way. Good Luck.
Thanks guys! I see lots of good information. The bulleyes and wax procedure looks interesting. I've not seen this this method but I'm learning.
Didn't mention earlier but the barrel is to be a Pacnor 1-n-8 3 groove with no trim chamber. From all that I've read in this premier forum, I'm really eager to get all the pieces together and ready to shoot.
If it only hadn't been the article "Guns of the Week" with a savage do-it - yourself I might never have traveled this way. But I'm eagerly waiting for all the parts now. I'm hooked!!!
Thanks again for the education..!
Didn't mention earlier but the barrel is to be a Pacnor 1-n-8 3 groove with no trim chamber. From all that I've read in this premier forum, I'm really eager to get all the pieces together and ready to shoot.
If it only hadn't been the article "Guns of the Week" with a savage do-it - yourself I might never have traveled this way. But I'm eagerly waiting for all the parts now. I'm hooked!!!
Thanks again for the education..!
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