Low cost 6.5mm Bullet to use for fireforming.

[FEENIX]

Will grits work? True Southerners don't have COW in the cupboard.

You just made me crave some shrimp and grits.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Why waste bullets and barrel life? Use the cream of wheat method and pack the top with tissue paper. Here in Tasmania I could find cream of wheat so I blended up some rolled oats. Worked perfectly once I find the optimim charge weight.
Doing it this way you fireform the cases, harden up the bases and zero barrel life. If you want the barrel to be easier to clean, top off every second case with lard as it coats the bore and a tight patch will push all the crud out easily.

Cream of wheat is called Semolina here in Australia. That's why you couldn't find it.

Cheers.

 

[Wl652]

How fun is shooting COW?
How far can you ring steel or take a game animal with COW loads?

My fire forming loads, 5 round groups at 100 yards. 130 TMK @ 2895fps. Used to bang steel out to 1400 too. Way more fun than shooting COW.
View attachment 338043
View attachment 338044

I've only ever shot one COW after I tailed her up she decided to chase me around the pick-up a couple times i got far enough ahead of her on the second pass to reach through the open window and grab my 7 1/2" 44 magnum super blackhawk off the dash and just as she was blowing mad COW snot all over the seat of my pants I shot her in the head with a 300 gr. LBT backed by a full charge of h-110 she endo'd and crashed into the side of my pickup, DRT. Those groups are impressive but you'll not be needin that kind of accuracy to shoot a COW.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Even if I were to get groups like that while forming brass, not that I have ever tried, I prefer to have formed brass AND barrel life left.
The only time I have used bullets fire forming was with 375H&H cheap Kynoch rounds firing in my 375 Weatherby on water buff, because my ammo was lost in transit, it saved the hunt, but heck was it a learning curve. Those rounds, I kept a few to put over the chrony, were doing less than 2300fps at the muzzle and we're hitting a good 6" low and about the same left.
So, how does your fire forming load differ from your full power load in regard to POI?
Because I wouldn't want to be twirling knobs all time switching between the 2.

Cheers.

POI change is not drastic. It was about 1" left and 1.5" down correction if I remember correctly. But, I used the fire forming loads for the first 200 rounds down the barrel, then quickly worked up my full power load after. So the barrel was fully broken in, and no more change to velocity or barrel harmonic changes as the round sped up. And no virgin brass variations. No dialing back and forth between fire forming and full power loads.

 

[wasskeet]

Not exactly cheap, but not bad, available and they shoot pretty well:

Lapua 6.5mm 139gr Scenar OTM

Product Information Caliber: 6.5mm Bullet Diameter: 0.264" Bullet Weight: 139 Grains OAL: 1.364" Bullet Style: Scenar OTM Boat Tail G1 BC: 0.578 G7 BC: 0.290 Part Number: 4PL6018 or 4HL6018 Quantity: 100 or 1000

www.bluecollarreloading.com

 

[okie man]

Midway has Hornady match 140gr for 39.99 r9ight now. About as cheap as your gonna find now days

Hornady Match Bullets 264 Cal, 6.5mm (264 Diameter) 140 Grain Hollow

Hornady has taken their match bullet engineering to the next level. All of their match bullets now feature their AMP (Advanced Manufacturing Process)...

www.midwayusa.com

I bought 400 of those bullets just for fire forming a bunch of brass and found a 1/2 moa load for my creedmoor. I pick up a box or 2 every time I see them in the store now.

 

[QuietTexan]

Isn't is amazing how the "crappy" bullets work so well for so many people?

 

[chucknut]

Where can I find a couple hundred low cost bullets to use for fireforming cases in a 264 Win Mag? I have plenty of .264 projectiles but they aren't cheap and are hard to c9me by so I'd rather not burn up too many of the good stuff.

I believe I have a box of Sierra 150gr smk. The weren't working too well in my sako a7 6.5 creed. Might have needed a little faster twist. Very willing to part with.
Text 5707937498
Chucknut

 

[chucknut]

How fun is shooting COW?
How far can you ring steel or take a game animal with COW loads?

My fire forming loads, 5 round groups at 100 yards. 130 TMK @ 2895fps. Used to bang steel out to 1400 too. Way more fun than shooting COW.
View attachment 338043
View attachment 338044

I used 130tmk's in both sako & Savage both in 6.5 Creedmoor. Works great.

 

[choprzrul]

I bought 400 of those bullets just for fire forming a bunch of brass and found a 1/2 moa load for my creedmoor. I pick up a box or 2 every time I see them in the store now.

Here's 10 groups of 20 each I did a week ago to fire form new brass and break in a new barrel. I don't shoot lightweight rifles very good....and this kinda became work after a bit...