My Hydrolic Forming Die finally arrived...

R

Rustystud

New member
I ordered a Hydrolic forming die from Hornady in March and it arrived last week August 27th. I called Lonnie Hummel at Hornady and discussed with him the process. I primed 100 6mmBr Lapua Virgins with spent primers. I adjusted the die. Then lightly lubed all my cases in the neck and web area. I then filled each to the brim with water. I ran the case in to the die and inserted the plunger. Then wacked the plunger with a 3 lb brass hammer. After about 3-5 wacks I remved the cases and they were well formed. It took just over an hour for me to do 100 cases. No wasted primers, powder, bullets and or barrel life.

I will load them and shoot a few for groups.

Nat Lambeth
 
pretty neat

I also had one of these from Lonnie. Used it to form 280 H&K (Hummel and Kiff) cases which is more or less the 280 Ackley 30 degree. A couple of whacks with a hammer gave firm bolt closure (zero headspace). Thought I'd get soaked with water but nope, worked prefect...Herb Coates
 
RustyStud,

What do those dies run $$$?

Pix?

Thanks.

Nodak
 
Rustystud said:
I ordered a Hydrolic forming die from Hornady in March and it arrived last week August 27th. I called Lonnie Hummel at Hornady and discussed with him the process. I primed 100 6mmBr Lapua Virgins with spent primers. I adjusted the die. Then lightly lubed all my cases in the neck and web area. I then filled each to the brim with water. I ran the case in to the die and inserted the plunger. Then wacked the plunger with a 3 lb brass hammer. After about 3-5 wacks I remved the cases and they were well formed. It took just over an hour for me to do 100 cases. No wasted primers, powder, bullets and or barrel life.

I will load them and shoot a few for groups.

Nat Lambeth
Click to expand...

Nat.
I spoke with Ben in the custom shop last week concerning my die. He recomends a 5# sledge and one whack.
He told me of a customer that rigged a 2 or 2 1/2 inch pipe several feet long over his die with a sliding weight inside, A rope attached and threaded through a pulley attached to the ceiling.
Pull on the rope, raise weight to required height, let go. Ala piledriver.
Very consistant.

Chuck.
 
I formed 20 Killer Bee brass in the article on 6 mm BR with the Hydro die.
Worked well enough. Lonnie did say the larger cases form better that the itty bitty Bee cases I was reforming.

ML
 
When I get a chance I will post some pictures..

I paid whole sale for the die because I am a FFL. $144.00

The die is three parts a special shell holder with no hole for the primer to escape. The die is basically a sizind die with a .244 hole out the top. The ram is a .875 cap with a 2.5" .2435 shaft with a flat end.

One primes the case with a spent primer or new primer. Then fills the case to the rim. After I place the filled case in the shell holder I wipe it off with a rag to remove any excess water. I then run the case up into the die until the shell holder and die bottom out. I then insert the die ram into the hole in top of the die. It settles at the top of the water. I then wack it with a brass hammer about 3-4 times. then remove the case from the die and it is formed.

I pour out the water. Then run my case into a fl sizing die deprime the spent primer. I run the case in a body die and size the web. This may not be necessary. I have a Dillon 1200B case trimmer and I do the deprime, size, body size and trim all in one step on a Dillon 550 press. I have two shell plates set up for loading 6mmBRX. One to do case prep and one for loading.

Loading in this process gives me .350" ten shot groups (or better) at 100 yards with 105 Bergers. This is good enough for F-Class.

Jackie I did was sizing 6mmBR Lapua brass to 6mmBRX .271" necks.

This would easily work for .220 to 6mm PPC, .22-250AI, 6mmAI, .280AI, with the right dies.

I was really impressed with how well it worked. I am goiing to get a 3 lb lead hammer.

I think it worked better with new primers than with spent primers and the spent primers tended to back out a little.

I can afford to waste a few wolf primers.

I will post some pictures of the die, and cases before and after as soon as I get a chance.

Nat
 
Nat,
Am I correct in assuming that if going from a .22 to 6mm as in the case of the Russian to 6PPC or 22/250 to 6mm/250, that the case would need to be necked up first?

Greg
 
????

You can't make a 30 BR from a 6BR with this type of die, can you.?? I am assuming the instant the neck expands, all hydralic pressure would be lost inside the case. Or, am I missing something??........jackie
 
You know, My fireforming barrel is faster and it is on a throwaway barrel. It also matches my reamer. I see no advantage to me.
Butch
 
jackie schmidt said:
You can't make a 30 BR from a 6BR with this type of die, can you.?? I am assuming the instant the neck expands, all hydralic pressure would be lost inside the case. Or, am I missing something??........jackie
Click to expand...
Jackie,
You can make 30BR cases from 6BR just like 6PPC from .220 Russian using the hydraulic form die kit. Just neck the cases up to 6mm cal. (.220R -> 6PPC) or .30 (.6BR -> 30BR) as Nat wrote and send the necked up parent cases to Hornady... Also Hornady can use a chamber reamer print or they can use your die drawings and they need new unprimed parent cases (allready necked up in Your case) so that they can check out the finished hydraulic form dies.

Butch,
In 6PPC... no need for two firings before match! Time is money... :D
Jari
 
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