30br question

L

leadfarmer

New member
New to benchrest, and the forum. so forgive me on some of these questions. I had a 30BR built to participate in local club matches at 1-200 yards. I plan on fire forming and and maybe finding a load this week or next. I've got everything I need to start except for a few things, and a few questions.

1.)
What bullet do you use to fireform?
I was thinking of something cheap like a 125gr tnt, but I have 5,000 barts 112x outs and have read that people use their match bullets to fireform and find a load?

2.)
I'm going to have harrells or whidden make me a custom die. (Haven't decided.)
On average how many firings do you need before sending them in?

I ask because I've had 6brs pretty well fireformed I think after 2 and sometimes even 1 firing.

Any experience on this is appreciated.

John
 
The tnts will work fine for fireforming, or you can use your match bullets and probably figure out a seating depth. The brass should be fully formed after a couple firings. HARREL'S are great to deal with on dies. I would probably shoot them 3 times before i sent a car to them. The last firing should be pretty close to your normal load.
leadfarmer said:
New to benchrest, and the forum. so forgive me on some of these questions. I had a 30BR built to participate in local club matches at 1-200 yards. I plan on fire forming and and maybe finding a load this week or next. I've got everything I need to start except for a few things, and a few questions.

1.)
What bullet do you use to fireform?
I was thinking of something cheap like a 125gr tnt, but I have 5,000 barts 112x outs and have read that people use their match bullets to fireform and find a load?

2.)
I'm going to have harrells or whidden make me a custom die. (Haven't decided.)
On average how many firings do you need before sending them in?

I ask because I've had 6brs pretty well fireformed I think after 2 and sometimes even 1 firing.

Any experience on this is appreciated.

John
Click to expand...
 
i too shoot barts112's there are 2 excellent powders h4198 and lt30. i am on 205m primers but have tried others.. i fire form without a bullet..it depends on the reamer. i have long brass to match the neck on the chamber. your first shot with the brass needs to be solid not wimpy. 40k plus closer to 50k IMHO.. GET A GREAT FRONT REST A QUALITY REAR BAG, AND AS MUCH SCOPE AS YOU CAN AFFORD. 15-55X NF, 10-60 MARCH
 
rsmithsr said:
i too shoot barts112's there are 2 excellent powders h4198 and lt30. i am on 205m primers but have tried others.. i fire form without a bullet..it depends on the reamer. i have long brass to match the neck on the chamber. your first shot with the brass needs to be solid not wimpy. 40k plus closer to 50k IMHO.. GET A GREAT FRONT REST A QUALITY REAR BAG, AND AS MUCH SCOPE AS YOU CAN AFFORD. 15-55X NF, 10-60 MARCH
Click to expand...
So I have N130, but want to try the LT30 as well. Using the 205M also, and I have a bald eagle with a shade tree top. That's about all I can afford at the moment. But I really like the shade tree top. I'll look into a better scope though that's for sure. I currently have a sightron 36x. The most powerful scope I had before that was a 12x haha! But I think some more magnification can't hurt!


Question on the fireformong. When you fireform, are you extending the shoulder forward, or are you also blowing out the case body to conform to the chambers over all diameter? Or both or neither?

I ask because I'm going to fire form 3 pieces and send them in. Let's say it takes 3 firings.

do the others cases need to be shot 3 times as well, or can I just use the die, and bump the shoulders to where they need to be with the die after the first or second firing?
 
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harrells needs 3 cases fired full strength 3 times.
i simply use a bunch of fast pistol powder WITHOUT A BULLET to blow out the neck form a shoulder.
again this is for long neck chambers. find out what you have short neck, is fire form with a bullet.
for a club match your good to go,,,is it a score match or a group match ?
never tried 130, think i heard 120....there are a couple of serious 30 br shooters on here
 
Fireform 2 times should be match ready, probably good after 1 but I usually do 2 times. You can do load development on the 2nd firing for sure. VV130 it's a great powder for the 30BR. You can start with 34 grains to get a seating depth and go from there. That should get you in the ballpark. You will be blowing the shoulder forward mainly. After the 2nd firing take a fired case and put it in the gun with a stripped bolt and bump the shoulder back with the die to where the bolt will close with just a little feel, you don't want the bolt handle to drop on its own but just a little help with a finger. If you get dies from Harrells they supply a little brass Dodad to measure the shoulder bump.
 
The shade tree resttop is excellent and will serve you well for whatever you are doing, another rest would be way down on my list of needs. You don't need a huge amount of magnification for 1-200 shooting but it needs to be rock solid on holding point of aim. I would stick with the sightron as long as it is holding point of aim.
 
I'd encourage you to find out exactly how long your chambers neck length is. Knowing that will help you keep the cases neck length as long as practical to keep the area where carbon can build up to a minimum.
 
Al Nyhus said:
I'd encourage you to find out exactly how long your chambers neck length is. Knowing that will help you keep the cases neck length as long as practical to keep the area where carbon can build up to a minimum.
Click to expand...
Al, can you give those of us who are not gunsmith-types step-by-step instructions on how to determine the length of our chamber? (Such a post might be worthy of a new thread.)
 
Hunter said:
Al, can you give those of us who are not gunsmith-types step-by-step instructions on how to determine the length of our chamber? (Such a post might be worthy of a new thread.)
Click to expand...
Basically, you shorten the neck of a case about .100 and use a piece of softer material that's bullet diameter with a step on the end that's a bit smaller than neck diameter. You close the bolt, extract the case and measure from the back of the case to the front of the gauge. That's the total chamber length. Here's a pic or two of the ones I have and use. Some are the Sinclair ones and some I've made.
0A7MPNol.jpg

bbnuz8Gl.jpg

hiPb6Gol.jpg


You can also run the reamer into a piece of material and mill half of it away so you can get a better eyeball on it. Stan Ware did this one and several others for me.
lSqeS19l.jpg


Either way, you'll know for sure how long the necks can be. Hope this helps. :) -Al
 
Al Nyhus said:
Basically, you shorten the neck of a case about .100 and use a piece of softer material that's bullet diameter with a step on the end that's a bit smaller than neck diameter. You close the bolt, extract the case and measure from the back of the case to the front of the gauge. That's the total chamber length.
Click to expand...
Thanks, and I've got two questions. First, what's "magic" about shortening by "about .100" v., say, .01? Second, how much short of chamber length do you suggest that the brass be trimmed?
 
Hunter said:
Thanks, and I've got two questions. First, what's "magic" about shortening by "about .100" v., say, .01? Second, how much short of chamber length do you suggest that the brass be trimmed?
Click to expand...
There's no magic...other than shortening the neck length enough to allow for the length of the chamber neck 'collar' at the end of the plug. If that's not substantially thick, it can deform when you jam it in and close the bolt.

I can live with .010-.015 neck length clearance.
 
Al Nyhus said:
There's no magic...other than shortening the neck length enough to allow for the length of the chamber neck 'collar' at the end of the plug. If that's not substantially thick, it can deform when you jam it in and close the bolt.

I can live with .010-.015 neck length clearance.
Click to expand...
al,
i use about .007 on comp guns. no room for a carbon ring. i anneal and trim every time( only ppc does not get everytime anneal, every day)
 
You can also use a product called Cerrosafe. Put a clean patch on the end of your cleaning rod and push it from the muzzle end of your barrel until it is just about to the front of your chamber. Do not push it into the chamber. This is to prevent the melted metal from running into the rest of the barrel and to push the chamber cast out of the chamber. Leave the rod and patch in place in the barrel. Turn the rifle so the muzzle end is down. This is a lot easier if you can remove the barrel and just use it instead of the whole assembled rifle. Melt the Cerrosafe in an old tin can that you have bent a spout into the rim and pour it into the barrel until the chamber is full. The Cerrosafe metal has a very low melting point. You can use a propane toarch or even a cigarette lighter. let it cool for 30 minutes and push the chamber cast out with the cleaning rod. As I said this is a lot easier if you can remove the barrel and just use it. Cerrosafe has a cooling stage such that it shrinks after 30 minutes and then expands. Pushing the cast out at 30 minutes is best but can be done earlier. At 1 hour it will be exactly the size of your chamber. Do your measurements at this point in time. You will need a micrometer good to .0001" and a set of calipers. Calipers usually are good to about .001". You will also need a piece of paper and the writing instrument of your choice. I prefer a lump of charcoal or a quill pen. You can now measure the neck diameter, neck length, total case length and case base diameter. Write these down or better yet put them on your cell phone. Also include the gun info such as make, model, action SN#, caliber, gunsmith and what reamer he used (if known). This method, minus the measurements, will usually remove a stuck broken off case neck that is resistant to other removal attempts. It is also easier if you can clamp the rifle/barrel upside down in a padded jaw vice.
 
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