Hydro forming brass

[Longone1]

To the folks that are using this method to form either Dasher or BRX brass what are your thoughts on this method? Are there any pointers you might like to share? Was there anything you added to make the process better ? Is it 100% or do you get some split necks or shoulders? Should fired brass be annealed prior to forming?

Thinking about going this route rather than just fire forming, if I had a 600 range close I would try shooting (forming) some at a match but it's 2 1/2 hour ride and much of winter remains.

Longone

 

[CatShooter]

I would anneal all of it before forming. It'll make it easier for the cases to form out in the shoulders to an accurate shape.

 

[fredhorace77]

cant explain it any better than this
Making 6 Dasher brass: http://youtu.be/ptOf_zjo1HA

 

[dkhunt14]

If I was making Dasher case I would start with new brass. Many reasons for this. My buddy told me it worked better with more lighter blows then a couple of big ones. I never did it but that is what he said. Matt

 

[fguffey]

http://riflemansjournal.blogspot.com/2011/03/reloading-hornady-hydraulic-forming-die.html

F. Guffey

 

[Longone1]

Would anyone happen to have a part number for a 6BRX set of hydraulic forming dies?

I will probably take the 6mmBR brass apart just to save the components, anneal the brass and give it a go. If I start to see that it's not going well I can always break out some new brass and go from there. The fired brass is once and twice fired.

Longone

 

[michaelnel]

The Hornady hydraulic dies are not a stock item. Contact Ben Syring (bsyring@hornady.com) at Hornady's Custom Shop for details. I have one for 6BR on order, and it was supposed to have shipped last week.

 

[michaelnel]

Uhh, nothing, I am an idiot. The one I have on order is to hydroform 6BR into 6 Dasher. Sorry for the "senior moment".

 

[Longone1]

How long was the wait once you placed the order? Did you have to send a case or did they work from a reamer drawing?

Longone

 

[michaelnel]

Well the wait isn't over yet, so I cannot nail that down for you. It's been about a month since I ordered it. When I called Ben, he said he thought they might have some Dasher ones they made on the last run, and if they did, it would be about a month. Otherwise, 3-4 months.

Last week I checked on it and Ben said it was on the shop floor for honing, and that it should ship out by the end of the week. However, Hornady's order tracking system does not show that it shipped.

The Dasher is pretty common these days, so I guess they made some extra. For less commonly-used cartridges though, they will not be in stock, and you have to send them either 3 fired cases from your rifle or a reamer print, and you will have to pay the $180 up front and wait the 3-4 months. One friend told me it took 5 months to get his Dasher one.

 

[Longone1]

Well it's good for them to be busy, bad for me I didn't get started with this sooner. Maybe FF will be the way to go.

Thanks for the reply.

Longone

 

[Rustystud]

I had Hornady make ma a 6mmBRX Hydro Forming die. I followed Lonnie Hummel's exact instructions.

I ruined 300 pieces of virgin Lapua 6mmBR brass (blue box). I had repeated case head separations.

Brass is a ductile metal, It forms relatively easily. Fire forming adds heat and pressure to the process.

I fire form Lapua 6mm BR brass into 6mmBRX all the time. I can often get 20 reloadings from a piece of fire formed brass.

I would like to hear others how many reloading are being achieved from the Hydro formed brass.

A load of 30.5 grains of Varget with the bullets jammed .035" into the lands will both fire form and provide ammo for practice and matches out to 600 yds.

I sold my Hyro Forming die to someone in Texas.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Jay Christopherson]

I had Hornady make ma a 6mmBRX Hydro Forming die. I followed Lonnie Hummel's exact instructions.

I ruined 300 pieces of virgin Lapua 6mmBR brass (blue box). I had repeated case head separations.

Brass is a ductile metal, It forms relatively easily. Fire forming adds heat and pressure to the process.

I fire form Lapua 6mm BR brass into 6mmBRX all the time. I can often get 20 reloadings from a piece of fire formed brass.

I would like to hear others how many reloading are being achieved from the Hydro formed brass.

A load of 30.5 grains of Varget with the bullets jammed .035" into the lands will both fire form and provide ammo for practice and matches out to 600 yds.

Nat Lambeth

To date, I have 8 reloads on 500 pieces of hydro-formed Dasher brass. Aside from a few early split necks due to using too much force, I have not had any issues with my brass. I am running a load at 3042 fps.

 

[CatShooter]

I had Hornady make ma a 6mmBRX Hydro Forming die. I followed Lonnie Hummel's exact instructions.

I ruined 300 pieces of virgin Lapua 6mmBR brass (blue box). I had repeated case head separations.

Brass is a ductile metal, It forms relatively easily. Fire forming adds heat and pressure to the process.

I fire form Lapua 6mm BR brass into 6mmBRX all the time. I can often get 20 reloadings from a piece of fire formed brass.

I would like to hear others how many reloading are being achieved from the Hydro formed brass.

A load of 30.5 grains of Varget with the bullets jammed .035" into the lands will both fire form and provide ammo for practice and matches out to 600 yds.

Nat Lambeth

Nat...

Could it be that the die was a few thou short so the shell holder needed to be a bit off the bottom of the die?

When I am making cases, I set it up so the new cases have a fair amount of crush to keep cases from stretching on the first firing.... after that, all is good.

 

[michaelnel]

I just got shipping confirmation from Hornady, my 6 Dasher hydroforming die has shipped. I have about 250 new Lapua 6mm BR cases, 2 quarts of rubbing alcohol, a syringe, a new 4lb dead blow hammer, and a not-in-use Rockchucker.

Ready on the left? Ready on the right? Ready on the poundin' line? You may commence poundin'!

 

[Longone1]

Well I guess I'll just have a barrel chambered with my reamer and do the fire forming at the range. I will need to pull the bullets and then re-seat them once I have a length to the lands. We'll have to see if the once and twice fired brass holds up to the FF, if not, I'll just pull them and anneal before FF or save them if I ever go back to a straight BR.

Good luck with your pounding michael, hope it works out better than the results Nat had.

Longone

 

[michaelnel]

hope it works out better than the results Nat had.

I'm sure it will. I can't imagine what Nat did wrong. His is the only report I have read of bad results.

All of the Dasher brass I have now was hydroformed by the previous owner of my rifle, using the Hornady tool. It's shooting great with quite a few reloads on it.

He even posted videos about his process:

Part 1: http://youtu.be/NcUTbYzmVRY

Part 2: http://youtu.be/WurfzX6ARLc