Fireforming using shotgun powder

[qwk]

I searched and couldn’t find many answers. When fireforming using shotgun powder without COW, just a TP plug, what shotgun powders do you guys use?

Powder of any kind is scarce, and I have some Winchester AA super handicap. It falls within the right burn rate range for fireforming, but can’t find anyone who has used it.

 

[JSH]

What is the cartridge.

 

[qwk]

260 to 260AI

 

[Walt Krafft]

Just load with your normal load and go shoot. May be the most accurate ammo you ever load.

 

[6MMsteve]

just load a 260 load and bullet and fireform that way, much easier

 

[6MMsteve]

Just load with your normal load and go shoot. May be the most accurate ammo you ever load.

this^^^^^^^^^

 

[qwk]

Guys, that’s not what I asked. Of course I could load, and waste barrel life, and ammo. However, this is not for a plinking gun.

 

[jelenko]

But, isn't shotgun powder much quicker than rifle powders? I think it would be dangerous.
You certainly, absolutely positively would not use the same amount of powder.

 

[46and2]

They're telling you what to do but I'll tell you why.

Forming without a bullet will only get you less than 90% formed on Ackley cartridges. Then you'll need to fire again to get fully formed cases...thats wasting primers. Your barrel needs probably 100 rounds or so to "settle in/break-in".

You could use this break in period to test seating depth or try a couple of powders.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I frequently "plink" and clean the 600 yard hipower target in competition while fireforming 22-250 brass to 6XC.

 

[AckleymanII]

I use bullseye/Cream of Wheat to fire form Lapua 30/06 brass to 280 and AI

 

[Brians356]

just load a 260 load and bullet and fireform that way, much easier

Also burns up bullets and more valuable rifle powder. And certainly not easier. Bulletless, with a pistol primer and, for me, about 20% case capacity of Bullseye and nothing else, not even a case mouth plug. Fire it straight up. I lightly lube the case body with something like Kroil or Rem Oil.
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[451whitworth]

I searched and couldn’t find many answers. When fireforming using shotgun powder without COW, just a TP plug, what shotgun powders do you guys use?

Powder of any kind is scarce, and I have some Winchester AA super handicap. It falls within the right burn rate range for fireforming, but can’t find anyone who has used it.

My Pop uses 6.0 gr. of Red Dot for initial fire forming .257 Roberts to .257AI. Winchester AA Super Handicap is basically Green Dot in burn speed. I switched to Win Super Handicap from Green Dot after decades of use in shot shell and handgun ammo back during the Sandy Hook panic. As far as wasting primers my Pop doesn't care as he's still shooting up primers from the '80's.

 

[qwk]

I’m not new to this. I have fireformed before with bullseye, no problem. Can’t find bullseye, and don’t really want to burn up H4350 to shoot fireforming loads. Have plenty of pistol primers.

 

[Catfur]

I use green dot & cream of wheat for fire forming (a jug goes a LOOOOOOOONG way, and it's what I could get at the time). I just add more powder until I get a fully formed case.

 

[6MMsteve]

I’m not new to this. I have fireformed before with bullseye, no problem. Can’t find bullseye, and don’t really want to burn up H4350 to shoot fireforming loads. Have plenty of pistol primers.

look at the Powder burn rate chart, should have an answer there, find the shotgun powder burn rate then find a close pistol powder burn rate then go in between, it's all speed of burn I've ran some pretty high pistol powder charges on fire forming when I didn't know better, but I was using cotton balls stuffed in the case which worked cream of wheat will work it's just a mess

 

[6MMsteve]

6 to 9 grs of the faster burnrate powders should be good, your not gonna be pushing nothing but air basically, try 1 case with the SG powder and see how it works, be safe

 

[358WCF]

I use green dot & cream of wheat for fire forming (a jug goes a LOOOOOOOONG way, and it's what I could get at the time). I just add more powder until I get a fully formed case.

This ^^^^^^^^^^ if you must.

To form 30-06 to 338-06 Imp. I vaguely remember working up to about 16 gr of Unique with pistol primers, instant oatmeal filler, & a wad of T.P. outside in back yard pointed straight up seemed to form the best. Shoulders still weren't fully formed & it took another couple of full power loads to sharpen the shoulders. Seems I remember some partial separations using this method after about 2 or 3 full power loads too, but it was over 30 years ago & cant find my notes. Not sure the filler did anything but fill & plain T.P. may work just as poorly. It did smell like breakfast when using this method though.

Do as you like, but I've since moved on to firing with a near book max charge of a med. burn rate powder (3031 to 4064? or anything else in that range I had orphan cans of) listed for the parent case with leftover, scrap, or cheap bullets & the results are vastly superior.

I do this at the range, but absolutely could hunt groundhogs to 200+ yds when forming 22-250 to 22-250 Ackley with Hornady 53s or Sierra 52s & RL12. I could hunt deer to probably 300 yds with 200 gr. .338 Speers & an old lot of IMR 4895 when going from 30-06 to 338-06 Ackley.

 

[Brians356]

I’m not new to this. I have fireformed before with bullseye, no problem. Can’t find bullseye, and don’t really want to burn up H4350 to shoot fireforming loads. Have plenty of pistol primers.

Any powder in the general neighborhood of Bullseye in the burn chart will work fine.
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[Brians356]

I use green dot & cream of wheat for fire forming

I messed around with filler, but it's really a waste of time IMO. I see no function of filler, and it left residue inside some cases I needed to scrape out (I don't bother tumbling brass either.) I find the right Lee powder dipper for the forming load, take it, powder, a funnel, and primed cases to the desert. Set up on my tailgate, dump powder into a case, chamber it with rifle point skyward, and shoot at the nearest cloud. Rinse and repeat.
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