Hello All
Does fireforming with Cream of Wheat or any non-bullet method, cause throat erosion, barrel wear? Or is this mainly for bullets that fly down the barrel?

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Safety & Ethics,Accuracy, Velocity, Energy
Joe M

Joe,

I think barrel wear is caused more by powder burn than by the bullets.

Assuming that is correct, fireforming should not put an due wear on your barrel, as all fireforming loads are with relatively reduced loads.

I am not sure how correct this assumption is, may be some of our more enlightened friends can tell us more.

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

Joe,

I try to use cheap lead bullets and pistol powder for fire forming, as the case pressure can be high and yet the throat barrel get very low wear.

I just can't bring myself to shoot foreign objects down the barrel!

Besides, you can plink with the cast lead bullets and practice offhand shooting.

Don

The method is described at Fred's website http://www.angelfire.com/ma/ZERMEL/index.html
Click on #24, 2nd page. He has done 1000s of cases with no barrel harm. From what I understand cornmeal is too abrasive and so is walnut media. sure-shot

[This message has been edited by sure-shot (edited 01-16-2002).]

[This message has been edited by sure-shot (edited 01-16-2002).]

If this discussion is about fireforming to create a improved cartridge I have found that full charge loads do just fine.

What I mean is to shoot factory loads or handloads with the full charge. More often than not they are just as or more accurate than the fireformed cartridge later on anyway. You can use them for practice at 100 yards and we all all know we need more practice.

You don't need that many cases anyway for a rifle.

But some wildcats like the Gibbs line are nothing but trouble. Some have made hydraulic systems to form them. Forget it.

Hello,
The cartridges in question here fall into the 17 caliber family. There are no cheap lead bullets that I am aware of in this bore diameter. That is why the cream of wheat route?

17 Javeliena
17 Ack or HeBee

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Safety & Ethics,Accuracy, Velocity, Energy
Joe M

When I hunt varmints it seems that a lot of the shots are offhand or at say 100 yards or less. You can use fireforming loads for these shots.

I have a .22 K-Hornet and have found that my fireforming loads, which are pretty well normal Hornet loads, shoot with good accuracy. So I just give up about 200 fps and use them on closer-range targets.

Not all rifles perform well with fireforming loads, however; but if your's does, just go with them.

I just can't bring myself to shoot foreign objects down the barrel!

So skip the grit and use a ltille more red dot. It will work the same.