I would like to fire form some .30-06 brass to .30-06AI.

I know that regular .30-06 rounds will work.

I also understand that cases can be formed with loads using pistol powders and wads. These loads will save bullets and rifle powder and a trip to the range.

Would someone please post thier loads for this?

Thanks,

Grizzly

A rule of Thumb Is around 25% case capacity of pistol powder filled with Cream of wheat and a touch of wax or even crisco to hold it in place. So on an 06 case that would be approximately 17.5 grs. The exact amount will depend on which pistol powder and the thickness of your brass. Like anything else start low and work up until you get your shoulder formed.

I stop short of trying for a perfect SHARP shoulder. I want the shoulder formed and will live with a rounded corner. The volumes is the same and it takes several extra grs of powder to make it sharp.

Buy 30-06 Remington 150 grn core-loc factory or Winchester 150 grn power point factory ammo (The cheap stuff on sale now for deer season at your local Big-Mart)for just under $15....this is a great way to get perfect brass for loading a fire formed round....and about the same price as a handload with new brass.

i have done a bunch of fireforming lately, experimenting with old brass, 244, and fired brass. use new brass, use new brass. i wanted to see what happens with this old brass i had no other use for. 1 of 5 forms properly . 1 group of 5 is accurate. 3 rds. 1/10 th inch. the 4 groups were good to terrible.6mm AI. use new brass.load was...38.0 h335 , mag primers, 75g sierra. 6mm AI. i dont anneal brass but need to.

I formed some for the 280AI as follows appr 16gr bulleye fill case to bottom of neck with COW then cut up cotton ball just need to place cotton to top of neck tip barrel up alittle chamber case then fire.

Don't pack or tamp COW as you can wind up with some packed under the shoulders after firing. I clean after appr 8/10 rd fired. If your shoulder are alittle round I wouldn't worry about that as the body will blow out to the Ackley. Well good luck.

Albert,
Just load up a max 30/06 load and go hunting. 4350 works well.I'd start around 57grs.
You'll be amazed at how well they shoot!
You want a stout load for the first firing.
I've killed Deer, Antelope, and 1 Elk while fireforming(.257AI.)

Stepchild

Stepchild 2, your suggestion for a stout load makes sense to me but my Nosler manual recommends a relatively light load of a fast powder (4895) with a long bullet for my 257 AI.

I really agree with the hunting part, I hate wasting components on FF, if not hunting then certainly at the range for practice.

You won't loose much velocity firing standard 30-06 ammo in your 30-06 improved chamber. I've done it many times, no one i was shooting prairie dogs with new any different, the accuracy was there just like normal.

Abob,
I'm not disagreeing with Nosler's info, just passing on some info that I learned the hard way. And this is directed at not fireforming as a seperate operation.
Merry Christmas to all, you too Don.

Stepchild

Stepchield 2, Merry Christmas to you

I sure would like to get some of your 257 AI receipts if thats ok

Cheap primer

New 30-06 case

12-13 gr Bullseye

1/4 to 1/2 square of toilet paper packed in on top of the powder

Cream of Wheat filled to base of neck.

Another 1/4 to 1/2 square of TP packed in top of COW.

Eye/hearing protection, make noise.

Tumble to clean

Lee collet neck die

Load, shoot

Redding body die to ward off shoulder creeping too far forward.

1/2 MOA groups.

Start w/ Nosler 180 BT/AB and LOTS of Reloader 25.

Alan

GSSP,

Thanks for the detailed instructions, I'll get some cream-of-wheat and go to it next week.

I've been using 165 gr. Ballistic tips on a heavy load of 4350 but I might try some R-25, your groups are pretty good.

Grizzly

Cornmeal works well, too.

Grizzly,

For a 165 BT try upto 66 gr of Rel 19. Should net you somewhere in the neighborhood of 3200 fps in a 26" barrel.

I like to push 68.5 gr of Rel 25 for 3000 fps w/ the 180.

For a 200 Part, I push 68.4 gr of H1000 for 2850.

I can go faster with the last two but get the best accuracy with what I stated.

These are very compressed loads and you need a drop tube, a slow trickly and a tight enough neck to hold the bullets.

Don't waste time and components on "throw-away" rounds. I've always found that full-power fireforming loads shoot with similar accuracy to fireformed loads in improved chambers. Use the fireforming loads for sighting-in, coyotes, varmints, and closer range deer huntiong. Then you can move to AI loads tailored to your chamber for more serious elk and longer range big game loads.

As to "squib" recipies for fireforming, well some of them might work. Then again, some of them don't work that well. And others have the potential to be dangerous. Besides, do you want charred Cream of Wheat or cornmeal lining the grooves of your barrel? Yucch!

Hey Griz, I've tried a lot of this stuff and decided the same as Stepchild and Stonecreek, that a near Full Power Load works the best for me. I prefer the Bullet Seated 0.010" Into-the-Lands to hold the Case against the Bolt Face during Ignition.

I also don't want to Ring a Chamber with any Kapok, Dacron, Toilet Paper, or Cotton. And the Cream of Wheat, Cornmeal Fillers are a bit to messy for me.

Best of luck to you with whichever Method you settle on.

quote:

I prefer the Bullet Seated 0.010" Into-the-Lands to hold the Case against the Bolt Face during Ignition.

An excellent tip which works well.

An alternative to ensuring perfect headspacing and minimal brass stretching is to run an 8mm expander through your new '06 cases, then resize them with your '06 die just enough to allow them to chamber with the slightest resistance. This will create a "false shoulder" at the neck-shoulder junction which on which the case can positively headspace, thus minimizing case stretching and wall thinning near the web.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
...create a "false shoulder" at the neck-shoulder junction which on which the case can positively headspace, thus minimizing case stretching and wall thinning near the web.

That is even better than what I mentioned. Just takes a bit more effort, but Insipient Case Head Separation is avoided.