Fireforming question...

[243LPR]

Got a 6mm AI on the way and am new to fireforming. Is it better to use a fast powder/light bullet or heavy bullet/slow powder load? Does it matter? I realize this isn't a full blown wildcat but just looking for what others do. I picked up some new Remington brass(only thing I could find)and out of a bag of 50 I have 30 that weigh within a grain of each other. I'll use the others for break-in.

[bootsmcguire]

I run a 243AI, and to fireform it I am running a charge just below max for the 243Win for my chosen bullet. fireforms great and performs nearly as good as my chosen load with my bullet in 243AI formed brass.

[Westcliffe01]

I agree. If you are wearing the barrel, you might as well make it count. My fireforming loads are driving 95gr Berger VLD's at 3400fps with a maximum charge (for a 243 Win chamber) of H100V powder in new 243 brass. Groups 1/2" at 100 yards and 100-285 yard drop was measured at 6". Mine is a 26" varmint contour 1:8 twist Shilen barrel.

[JCalhoun]

Look at the thread about .260AI fire forming.

[243LPR]

Finally got the barrel and started forming brass. What is the max case length for 6 AI,same as std. 6mm?

[scope eye]

They are the same length 6mm or AI, fire forming is a good chance to use bullets and powder that you do not care for, and still get to enjoy shooting, and if I use my good stuff I use the same load I intend on using when the brass is formed, the higher the pressure the truer the case will be formed to the chamber first firing, I love my 6mm06 AI It shoots 55gr Noslers all the way through 115 Dtac,s speaking of 55gr Noslers they look a little funny topping off what is basically a 30-06 cartridge.

Dean

[243LPR]

I'm using up some old Speer 105's for forming w/RP brass and 4350.Brass looks good w/sharp shoulders,no splits yet.Once I get all my brass formed I can get serious about load development.

[scope eye]

That's exactly what I'm talking about.

Dean

[TC260]

Is it better to use a fast powder/light bullet or heavy bullet/slow powder load? Does it matter? I realize this isn't a full blown wildcat but just looking for what others do.

I usually start my load development during fireforming with the powder and bullets I'm going to use to cut down on wasted time and barrel life. You'll probably still have to fine tune your loads when your finished but at least you've got it narrowed down significantly as opposed to starting all over again from scratch.

[bootsmcguire]

Something I did last year, I have been shooting the same 50 brass over and over again since I never go through more than 50 at a range trip ( too many different toys to play with to shoot any one more than 50 ) and I just loaded up a couple hundred new brass with my chosen AI load and took them out west for a pdog shoot. Fireformed all my brass in the field, kinda killing 2 birds with one stone. Accuracy was good enough I didn't notice the difference, and saved a little barrel life and 200+ rounds of components.

[308law]

Dean, what velocity do you get from those 55's, and what brass do you start with, 25-06? I've been looking at an ackley 6mm for a while, I had been thinking about the 6mm Remington but the "06" case sounds interesting too.

[243LPR]

Maybe once I have this throat shot out I'll have it punched out to the 6-06.

[scope eye]

Dean, what velocity do you get from those 55's, and what brass do you start with, 25-06? I've been looking at an ackley 6mm for a while, I had been thinking about the 6mm Remington but the "06" case sounds interesting too.

Well I am almost reluctant to post it due to the fact that, I have to take a double take at the chrono, every time I fire one off to check the speed, well here it goes 4700FPS yes that's right not a typo that's done with full case of Varget 60gr+, don't you just love it when you have more powder weight than bullet weight, it almost seems surreal, 25-06 brass is the way to go, and if you don't have any dies use 243 WIN die to resize the neck, it's easy you can't go further than the neck even if you want to it stops abruptly, I have both 6-06 and 6-06 AI dies they sent the wrong ones, and I never sent them back for a credit, I always end up selling to a forum member it's better than returning stuff.

Tanks Dean

[TC260]

How far out do you set up your chrony? Too close will give false high velocity readings because close-in, gases move faster than the bullet.

[scope eye]

How far out do you set up your chrony? Too close will give false high velocity readings because close-in, gases move faster than the bullet.

10 feet give or take.
just for comparison a full case of RL17 will get you 4500FPS

Dean

[scope eye]

According to Hogdons load data from there web site, a 243 win with 45gr of Varget a 55gr pill will exit the barrel at 4000 FPS, so I geuss 15 more grains of powder for 700 more fps is not a stretch, I didn't say it was efficient.

Dean

[308law]

what kind of barrel life do you think you are getting, 500 rnds?

[scope eye]

what kind of barrel life do you think you are getting, 500 rnds?

I only have 50 rounds at best out it so I can't say, but every thing else I shoot with that style of loading seems last, from my observation I would say it is costing me 10% barrel life at best, the secret is not to let the barrel get to hot so when I go to the range I always bring 2 to 3 rigs with me and rotate them to let them cool off some calibers are just hard on barrels no matter how you load, but I have never got less than 1000 rounds in any of my rigs, then worst case I set the barrel back which costs me $50.00 to rent a reamer, and the I am good to go with a fresh chamber. If there was that much attrition to my barrels I could not afford to pursue this style of loading, but comes out to only pennies per shot, a small price to pay if you figure what it cost to enjoy this sport, one things for sure, it sure is exhilarating to shoot that type of load, and you never get bored with what ever caliber your shooting.

Tanks Dean

[scope eye]

Maybe once I have this throat shot out I'll have it punched out to the 6-06.

That's exactly what I do I either set back the barrel or rechamber it, to the next bigger case in that caliber it is also a good time to covert to an AI chamber, if you have an aftermarket barrel if you send it back to the MFG or gunsmith they will usually reset or rechamber for about $100.00, and believe it or not it shoots better than a new barrel because the rifling part of the barrel is already broken in," that part never wears out" it's the best of both worlds fresh chamber broken in barrel ya can't beat that, and it is a lot cheaper than a new barrel.

Dean