I could use some advice on fireforming, if you would be so kind as to offer some. I am having a 338-06 40-degree Ackley Improved rifle built, but have not yet received the rifle. I have no experience with Ackley Improved cartridges or wildcats of any kind. I will be initially preparing the brass by starting with .35 Whelen brass, partially full-length sizing it to neck it down to .338. For proper headspacing of the cartridge at this initial fireforming stage, I plan to leave a small "step" at the very base of the neck, just big enough to create a crush fit when I insert a case in the rifle and close the bolt on the case. (I want to use this method rather than the method of seating the bullet out so far that it is jammed into the lands. Jamming the bullet into the lands makes me a little nervous, in firing a new rifle as to which I have no idea about pressures.) I can use 200-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips for fireforming. Can any of you give me advice about what powder and how much of it I should use, for this initial fireforming? I want to use a load that will fully form the brass; but please keep in mind that I have not fired this new rifle before, and do not yet know anything about what loads would be safe in it.

Thanks,
BigBrass

[ 01-02-2003, 02:51: Message edited by: BigBrass ]

I had tried 35 Whelen brass with the same idea you have, but found that a good number of cases ended with a collapsed neck while running them through the sizer. I've pretty much stuck to 06 cases since then. The smith who made my rifle has it set up so that it has a crush fit even with unformed brass so seating bullets into the lands isn't necessary.

For fire forming, I usually select whatever suitable powder I have the most of at the time and load it with starting to medium power loads. I also tend to use the cheapest bullet I can find at the time.

EDIT: What's the make and model of your rifle? Bbl manufacturer and length? Stock/trigger? Scope?

Mine is a Rem700 ADL with a Douglas premium 24" stainless fluted Bbl. in a #5 contour. I had a shilen hunting trigger put on and set to 2 1/2 lbs. I refinished the stock to a flat brown, had the thing tefloned, and topped off with a Leupold fixed 6x42 scope.

Turok

[ 01-02-2003, 02:52: Message edited by: Turok ]

Turok: thanks for the information. To answer your question, the rifle will have a Model 70 action (with the original factory trigger, which was a pretty good one), rebarreled with a 24" Pac-Nor barrel, #4 contour, with 1-in-10" twist. Barrel and action are blued chrome-moly. I will use the same Leupold Vari-X II scope that I had used on the rifle in its previous incarnation as a 30-06. It is going into a traditional-design laminated wood stock from Richards Microfit with ebony forend and grip caps; I will finish the stock myself with Tung oil.

BigBrass,
I've got a .338-'06AI too. Only it's on a Rem 700 action. 24" Hart stainless barrel.
Here's part of another thread I answered:

"...Yes, fireforming is a must. I suggest you only use new cases rather than previously fired ones.
Dan's use of max loads also means using jacketed bullets. That's too expensive for me, cause even though they fit the chamber at this stage, they're not accurate enough for hunting. My gunsmith said to use about 10 grains of Bullseye, fill the case to the neck with cornmeal and stuff in a little pillow ticking(toilet paper works fine) to hold all in place. Hold the muzzle to the sky and fire. That worked OK but it doesn't keep the case against the boltface when the firing pin hits the primer. Also the shoulder isn't perfectly angled--it's kind of like the Weatherby rounded radius shoulder. I called the Sierra bullets hotline and got some hints from one of their techs. My new way leaves a perfectly formed case ready to use with any accurate deer load, with only one procedure.
I bought a Lee lead bullet mold in .338 caliber. It's 220 grains. I cast them out of wheelweights, and tumble them in liquid Alox.
I use CCI 200 primers, 28.3 grains of SR4759 powder and seat that lead bullet out far enough to
hit the rifling--which is pretty long in my gun as it's throated for the 250 grain Nosler partition. The case stays up against the boltface and the shoulder gets perfectly formed all in one go. Pretty accurate, too. 50 shots at 50 yards freehand, all stayed on a piece of tablet paper. Sometime in the future I'd like to perfect a cast bullet load to use in the field. Loading your own ammo is one thing, making your own bullets is like icing on the cake!
RL-15 is good, so is IMR4320. I'm working up a load using VV N550 with a Barnes 'X' FB at 225 grains. So far 2565 fps with a 10 round extreme spread of 20 fps at 58 degrees F. in a 24" barrel.
My Rem 700 started out as a 25-06. As far a I know there wasn't anything done to the feed rails. It feeds slicker than, well you know what.
I haven't used 225 grain bullets on deer cause 200 Speer soft points tear them up pretty well.
Hope this helps."

BTW, those Barnes X 225's worked just great. Midway sells them in bulk right now for $33.48 a hundred. 56.0 grains of VV N550 yielded 2 inch group at 300 yards @ 37 degrees F.

If you just gotta use up those Noslers, use a midrange load of IMR4895. In fact, that powder is recommended for most all fireforming bottleneck cases according to the techs at Sierra.

You didn't say who's making your reloading dies. May I suggest Redding #80437 full length die set. It has a tapered inside neck expander. Doesn't mean much going down from 35 Whelen, but works pretty slick going up from 270, 280 or 30-06 cases. I've probably tried them all. So far the Lapua 30-06 are by far the best. I don't shoot wussy loads and they seem to last forever using only the collet die. Case length growth is amazingly minimal. I also had Lee make me a custom collet neck sizing die set. Send two fired cases and about $30. Took two weeks.

Any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck!