I've been going fireforming brss as I go along.

I'd like to get all my brass converted at once.

I tried fireforming brass w/out bullets so I may do 200+ cases in one sitting (on a rainy day).

I couldn't get the pressure high enough to blow out the case, even though I thought I plugged up the mouth enough. I tried 7gr of AA 2400 powder (extra, which I don't use), filled the case with walnut media and plugged the mouth with candle wax, then I filled the entire case with 2400 and plugged it with wax.

Still no go.

I've got two Ks, one is an old Kimber I had converted, the other is my nice one, a Cooper Westerner tricked up to the tits- case colered etc.

Any suggestions? Do I just say fuck it and shoot a couple of hundred rounds in one sitting through the old Kimber? Or do I really want to fireform in the Cooper?

The firefroming powder you are using is a normal burn rate powder in the Hornet. Try something a lot faster. Like a tiny charge of bulleye and a wax plug.
Put a very light film of oil on the outside of the case to enable it to slide back against the bolt face without gripping the chamber as it expands.

In my 30-06 Ackley, I've been using lg pistol primers, 12 gr Bullseye, 1/4 sheet toilet paper, cream of wheat, 1/4 sheet of TP.

In the "K", I would lower the Bullseye charge, but I'm not sure what to.

I have a factory Kimber 22 K hornet. I found 3.5 grains of bullseye, 1/4 sheet of toilet paper on top of that and fill the case to the neck with cornmeal worked for me. I then use canning wax to top it off and hold everything in place.

A few years ago I ran across an RCBS forming die for forming K hornet cases from hornet cases. It basically makes the case a straight case using a stepped expander and then you run it into a k hornet full length die and you have a K hornet without even having to fireform. Works pretty slick but I have never seen another one and RCBS doesn't show a listing for it.

FMC There are several methods which will get you the desired results, and faster powder without a bullet is the most accepted. My experience with the K Hornet was to just shoot some loads which the bullet had been set to engage the rifling for practice and light field work. Then after a reasonable amount of shooting I had a nice pile of uniform brass. Specificaly the Nosler 40 gr BT worked superbly for me when matched against woodchucks under 200 yards..

I guess the bottom line is to use the appropriate powder for the job rather than using up whatever scraps I have on hand.

Thanks.........

"Unbulleted" fireforming is a waste of time, primer, powder, and effort. My K-Hornet is virtually as accurate shooting unfired regular Hornet ammunition as it is once the case if fireformed. Load your Hornet cases with a regular Hornet load and go to the field to have a blast with your "blasting" ammo. Besides, a case fireformed in one rifle's chamber is likely no better match for the other rifle's chamber than a regular unfired Hornet case.

I've probably killed about as many prairie dogs with fireforming loads as with fireformed loads in my K-Hornet. The same applies to a friend's .243 AI.

By the way, you really should keep your brass for your two K-Hornets separated. I would suggest using one headstamp for one, and another brand of brass for the other. Or maybe regular brass for one and nickeled brass for the other (I do this with two .22-250's that I have). Mixing the brass between two different chambers largely negates the purpose of fireforming to begin with.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
By the way, you really should keep your brass for your two K-Hornets separated. I would suggest using one headstamp for one, and another brand of brass for the other. Or maybe regular brass for one and nickeled brass for the other (I do this with two .22-250's that I have). Mixing the brass between two different chambers largely negates the purpose of fireforming to begin with.

That is really why I wanted to fireform w/out bullets. Just spend the day, load up a couple hundred and shoot, w/out screwing up my barrel.