Hunting with Fire Form Loads

[Bw34]

Has anyone hunted with their fire forming load? Specifically for a 6.5 Sherman. I've finally finished my build. I shot my best ever 3 shot group while fire forming this afternoon. Didn't have a tape but a dime easily covered all 3 up. Just debate if I should just hunt with this load this year.

Norma .270 brass
Reloaded 26 58grains
143 eldx

 

[Rich Coyle]

Has anyone hunted with their fire forming load? Specifically for a 6.5 Sherman. I've finally finished my build. I shot my best ever 3 shot group while fire forming this afternoon. Didn't have a tape but a dime easily covered all 3 up. Just debate if I should just hunt with this load this year.

Norma .270 brass
Reloaded 26 58grains
143 eldx

Before there was a 7STW I made one. I used the fire-forming loads even for an out of state hunt.

 

[J E Custom]

Has anyone hunted with their fire forming load? Specifically for a 6.5 Sherman. I've finally finished my build. I shot my best ever 3 shot group while fire forming this afternoon. Didn't have a tape but a dime easily covered all 3 up. Just debate if I should just hunt with this load this year.

Norma .270 brass
Reloaded 26 58grains
143 eldx

Yes, it is very common if the rifle is set up correctly. If you head space the parent cartridge with .002 to .004 thousandths compression the cartridge will be held in place with no case movement during fire forming. this also helps keep the brass from growing in length, thinning it.

Most of the time if loaded this way the brass will only lengthen .004 or .005 thousandths when fire formed. I normally load a good hunting bullet and load a known load that is just less than max in the parent cartridge to get the performance and the best fire form I can.

J E CUSTOM

 

[RevJim]

Yes sir, a 22-250 Ackley. I just shot a wad of prairie dogs and coyotes with the factory 55gr Vmax. Out popped my little jewels!

 

[MudRunner2005]

My fire-form loads, while accurate, are only about 75% powder charge of my formed loads. So, no, I don't use my FF loads for hunting. The reason I use a lighter charge is to prevent blowing out the shoulder when the brass stretches and forms in the chamber.

 

[Bw34]

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Thanks for the input