Ok so I have all the stuff I need but my first attempt was a compelete failure. I tried resizing two pieces of virgin .225 Winchester brass, and they both were crushed.

I set the dies according to the directions Hornady specifies (I think) lubed the inside and outside of the cases, and then ran them in. My press is an old RCBS with no mechanical advantage so I think this might be some of my problem. It took a ton of force to get them up into the die.

Somebody help! I'm really excited about the possibilities, but so far my attempts have been a complete failure!!!

Instead of trying to form your .225 cases in a die, have you considered just fire-forming them in your barrel?

Ricciardelli-
That is asking for trouble and incipient case head separation. Also, you cannot "form" a 6.5 JDJ in a die. You can only neck up .225 brass to 6.5mm. You then fireform to minimum body taper/max capacity.

The preferred (and best) method is to load a 140 grain bullet to engage the rifling and also to use a powder bulky enough (and the appropriate burn rate for this case) to give a compressed load. H4350 and Re-19 work well here. The combination of bullet in the rifling and compressed load tend to support the case long enough to allow proper fireforming without undue stretching and, consequently, thinning of the brass in the critical web area. The problem is less pronounced in a case like the .225 but can be quite noticeable in forming something like a 6x47 IMP from a .222 Rem Mag case.

Biathalonman-If you are having difficulty getting the case into the die, first make sure the die is the correct one -- and also that the brass is properly lubed. For smaller cases, I use Hornady One-Shot on the exterior of the cases and a neck brush to apply powdered mica to the inside of the necks.

Also make certain that the expander is a tapered version.

Your press should not be the problem.

[ 02-16-2003, 21:34: Message edited by: Bobby Tomek ]

I have a brand spanking new set of Hornady dies. Necking up is definetly the problem. I have also been thinking that maybe the inside of the case needs to be lubed better. I just used regular case lube on a cue-tip and that doesn't seem to have worked.

I know about the fireforming procedures, just can't seem to get there yet!

"That is asking for trouble and incipient case head separation."

The .225 Winchester case is a rimmed case. As such, headspace is determined on the rim. If a "fireforming" load is used, and proper filler is used, there should be no problem in forming the case to the chamber of a 6.5 JDJ.

A Q-Tip is very absorbtive and would only allow you to get sufficient lube on perhaps 3-4 cases. You'd then have to apply more to the Q-Tip.
What type of case lube are you using?

Well I have yet to get any case forming to be successful and I have only tried 3. I have been using Frankfort Aresenal's Spray on case lube, then dipped the Q-tip in the stuff and tried to do the inside of the neck. It seems as if the expander makes it in about half way and then stops. Then since its not fixed when you lower the casing back down it just pulls the expander rod down still stuck in the case.

I really don't know what to try at this point.

Now I think I can help you as that last sentence of yours solved the mystery.

First, make sure the interior of the die is perfectly clean of the factory lube. Then tighten down the expander assembly (requires a good bit of force). But if any factory lube remains, you'll get slippage every time.

I just ordered up a case neck luber and some mica. Add this to a good heavy thightening on the resizing die, and I will report back with what I come up with. Should know something by the end of the week.

Any perferred fireforming loads? Hopefully I will be doing this next weekend .

Mica is not all that great an idea...I have found it inferior to "liquid" lubes...

You might want to use Imperial Sizing wax and a tapered expander.

SUCCESS!!!

Ok well I haven't recieve3d the Mica yet but I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to give it another try tonight. So I took the sizing die apart and degreased once again Then when I put it back together I tightened it down so it would stay put. We are talking two grunts and three cusses here folks! Things worked like a charm from there with liberal amounts of the Frankfort Arsenal Case Lube.

So now trim before fire forming or after? Both make some sort of sense in my head, but as I wasn't smart enough to figure out the dies...go figure!

Thank you all so much for the help, and please forgive all the questions, this wildcat business is all new to me!

I trim before and after fire forming to remove the possibility of brass jamming into the rifling and causing excessive pressure.

Good luck

I am glad it worked out for you. And I want to address something brought up by Ricciardelli. He is right on the money in that mica is inferior to conventional lube, but is is all that you need for the inside of the case neck for such minimal forming operations -- and it is much less messy (not to mention it won't contaminate the powder or primer).

If the truth be known, on such cases as the 6x45, 6x47 and the JDJs based on the .225 case, I simply spray the case with Hornady One Shot and then take a bit of an angle to make certain some makes its way into the case necks. I wouldn't recommend it for larger cases, but it does fine on the small ones when combined with a tapered expander.

Anyone here tried Imperial Sizing Die wax? It worked where the spray-on lude didn't, when going straight from .308 commercial case to .358 Winchester. Pak