Fireforming 6 Dasher methods

I have a Hornady

I tried a hydro form die for the first time this week. I decided to start forming brass so I would have something to shoot next year if I decide to go to a match.
My hydroform die is not a Whidden die but I had the same problem. I clamped the die in a vice and used a brass drift to drive the punch out of the die then chucked in my lathe and polished it a while with some 400 grit sand paper at 1400 rpm. I did this about 6 times to form 50 cases and figured out it is a good idea to take it apart and lube everything every 5 cases to stopper from siezing up on me.
Got another 50 cases loaded up with cream of wheat ready to pop em off tomorrow, its so easy and the weather is nice and I don't wanna be be inside swinging a dead blow hammer any way. Might be OK at -20° and snow balls blowing 40 knots but not right now.
I use 10 grains Unique and a case full of cream of wheat and a 1" square of bounty packed into the case mouth with an Allen wrench. I do this to pack the C.O.W. tight. Makes good cases. I false shoulder my brass after expanding, this time with a 257 mandrel. I have used a 6.5 mandrel and don't know that it gains anything to stretch the neck that far.
I use a a dedicated fireform barrel for the C.O.W. fireforming.

Hydraulic die that works fine in a Rockchucker or the old Lyman that we modified. Lonny H. made mine so that it works with unturned brass. I then full length size the body and fire it in a dedicated no turn chamber. Don't remember what powder it was, (just have it in a jar with the instructions).Powder, cream of wheat and a spud plug. Nice square case in a chamber made with my reamer. Did lots and lots of em without loosing a case. Some fellers around here turn the neck to the required thickness down to the case/shoulder junction on unformed brass. Use load couple grains short what they normally shoot when tuned. Enough neck tension to hold the bullet against the lead. Bang. Takes them two times. They loose some but not many. Wish my die was set up for turned necks as the long turn totally eliminated the donuts. I shoot a 269 neck since Lapua changed their brass. Don't but take a little off when I turn anyhow. I do not know if going to 262 would be problematic or not.

LASER
 
Do you push a piece of paper towel down over the powder or just a wad in the neck?

The only thing its for is keeping the powder from spilling. You dont even really need it if you keep the muzzle up. Just put a 6br load in it and shoot a match. All these other methods are just a pain
 
Just put a 6br load in it and shoot a match.

That's what I was planning, then I started reading more. There are so many guys solidly on one side of the fence or the other it's impossible to figure out which way is best. I'll start simple with a hard jam and go from there if need be.
Thanks!
 
If one is not overly concerned to the consistency from one formed case to the the next, about any method and process will work.
If we are after consistent volumes, then we need to pay attention to process error, take procedure care, and pay close attention to blow dimensions.

For instance, say you fire-form 3 cases with what ever method, and say all 3 started out at 1.555" give or take prior to forming.
After forming they "blew" to say .010" variance at say 1.538, 1.543, and 1.548.
What do we end up with for a final product?

My answer and from my own experience, they will be inconsistent to each other by volume, and will not grow consistently to each other in the future cycles.
Where the short one at 1.438" will have less capacity and will be sluggish to growth (neck) and hardly grow any longer.
The 1.543" middle blow length case will have the medium capacity and will out grow the shorter sluggish case, and may catch up to the longer 1.548" case, but maybe not.
The longest 1.548" will hold the most and will continue to grow in length a few more thousands before it settles down.

Barrel heat, chamber fouling, to hot of load, to light of load, etc., etc., are the causes to such inconsistent blow lengths, hence volume inconsistencies.
Personally, I strive for blow lengths of 1.545" to 1.550" and strive for consistencies of sub-.005" spread in blow lengths (.004" ES better yet).
If they end up blowing shorter, as long as they all do to a consistent length to each other, is fine, but they will act on the "sluggish" side to neck growth.
If they blow longer, again fine as long as they all blow long and to consistent blow lengths of each other.

My 2-Cents for 6Dasher's from Lapua brass
Donovan
 
My method with the hydraulic

die yields perfect cases. Every now and again I will get a wonky case. Chuck it in the bin and proceed. I have custom dies that match my reamer. I also have several ways to measure cases. My cases all measure and perform (I guess) as well as can be expected. I shoot pretty small and get wood sometimes. I have cases that are busted seven or eight times, annealed, shot again and all measured good. I monitor my neck tension, case size at every loading. When I do not shoot well I do NOT blame my brass. Never thought about the false shoulder yielding a better(less crooked) case than the jammed bullet attack. 'course Al makes more sense to me than anyone else on this forum.
LASER
 
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