Thread: Fireforming case with cleaning patches and pistol powder

I have a g1 and fire formed new 3030 to 7-30. Tried patches but didn't work great although I should have experimented more and most likely it would have. Instead I annealed the new brass then through the sizer but was half way through before I remembered to check the donut for head spacing while forming since it's an improved case so shoulder is going forward and you need it touching both ends of the case. So I just loaded into the lands a bit. I got some of shootenz cast bullets as I figured they are cheap and a light load of trailboss but not subsonic, around 1300fps did the job well and didn't have to worry about pressure being in the lands. I thought more gentle on the case since 3030 is so thin than a full power load to form. Have had no split necks and formed pretty well, the shoulders did slightly sharpen on the first full load but speed and accuracy were fine. It also gives you loads for practice, sub and shooting rabbits etc.

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Originally Posted by r87mm

I have a g1 and fire formed new 3030 to 7-30. Tried patches but didn't work great although I should have experimented more and most likely it would have. Instead I annealed the new brass then through the sizer but was half way through before I remembered to check the donut for head spacing while forming since it's an improved case so shoulder is going forward and you need it touching both ends of the case. So I just loaded into the lands a bit. I got some of shootenz cast bullets as I figured they are cheap and a light load of trailboss but not subsonic, around 1300fps did the job well and didn't have to worry about pressure being in the lands. I thought more gentle on the case since 3030 is so thin than a full power load to form. Have had no split necks and formed pretty well, the shoulders did slightly sharpen on the first full load but speed and accuracy were fine. It also gives you loads for practice, sub and shooting rabbits etc.

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Thanks r87mm, that's very good information there about forming 7-30 cases. Good to see a fellow contender 7-30 shooter here

Yeah I inherited it from who was to be my father in law. I take it as a just incase when walking rifle and make an attempt at least once a year to shot an animal out of respect for him with it I then let is wife know it's been out and being used and still doing what it did for him.
She seems to appreciate that it's being used as it should. Accounted for itself very admirably the other evening when a sow and 3 weaners came out where they weren't welcome. Least just say 4 rounds and 4 less pigs, a clean for the rifle and a txt to the mother in law. All three of us were happy.

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Originally Posted by r87mm

Yeah I inherited it from who was to be my father in law. I take it as a just incase when walking rifle and make an attempt at least once a year to shot an animal out of respect for him with it I then let is wife know it's been out and being used and still doing what it did for him.
She seems to appreciate that it's being used as it should. Accounted for itself very admirably the other evening when a sow and 3 weaners came out where they weren't welcome. Least just say 4 rounds and 4 less pigs, a clean for the rifle and a txt to the mother in law. All three of us were happy.

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Thanks r87mm, that is an awesome story. A very special gun indeed! I have to admit I have spent countless hours just to admire my contender. Elegant is the word for it.
Take care

Talking to his best mate he said he was an awesome shot with his old 3oh but not so flash in the beginning with the contender. He was a tall man probably 6'2"ish and the contender being so small especially with a 16" barrel. I noticed even me being a bit if a hobbit found it difficult to shoot easily. After a bit of thought I realised even with a low mounted 4x scope there was no cheek weld to speak of with the stock design.
Thinking this could be part of the problem I've recently made a cheek riser of about an inch and it seems to have made it much more consistent to shoot. Might be worth trying if ever you feel you're not shooting to the guns potential.

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Thanks for that. I think in G2 they used a higher cheek stock, which fixed the issue

No mess at all, the wax vaporizes.
Will work fine on the .243AI. You cant put enough trailboss in a case even with a heavy bullet seated to get any kind of dangerous pressure, youd be lucky to get 1200fps with a 100gr bullet with a full case of trailboss. Not the case with pistol powder however, about 10gr of AP70 or similar would be about the same pressure as a full case of Trailboss. In the .243 case that's about 14gr.

Buy a hydraulic forming die. It will pay for itself in no time and save heaps on components and mess.
Wish I bought one earlier instead of using every other fire forming process.

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Originally Posted by R93

Buy a hydraulic forming die. It will pay for itself in no time and save heaps on components and mess.
Wish I bought one earlier instead of using every other fire forming process.

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Do you have a ballpark on cost for one of the hydraulic forming dies? I worry a bit about hammering on my press.... Apart from that it seems like a good idea.

Originally Posted by Luke777

Do you have a ballpark on cost for one of the hydraulic forming dies? I worry a bit about hammering on my press.... Apart from that it seems like a good idea.

Around $170 usd for a whidden gunworks one. Hornady make them as well iirc. I hear ya on the worry, but I havent had any issues.
I form mine and run them thru the resizing die and they shoot as good the first load as the rest. When fire forming it took 1 or 2 loads to get where they should be....but I am a bit pedantic

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Originally Posted by R93

Around $170 usd for a whidden gunworks one. Hornady make them as well iirc. I hear ya on the worry, but I havent had any issues.
I form mine and run them thru the resizing die and they shoot as good the first load as the rest. When fire forming it took 1 or 2 loads to get where they should be....but I am a bit pedantic

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It pays to be pedantic mate.
Their website (I just looked now) is quoting 3-4 months lead time on a die after they get the schematics and payment... That's a long wait.... Still, I'll think about it.

Originally Posted by Luke777

It pays to be pedantic mate.
Their website (I just looked now) is quoting 3-4 months lead time on a die after they get the schematics and payment... That's a long wait.... Still, I'll think about it.

That's odd needing schematics?
I have a whidden in 260 Ackley.

243 will be the close enough to the same.
I would email them and see if it can be done faster.


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I was looking at this a month or so back. Whidden want a schematic or 3 cases whilst Hornady seem to infer they want both the schemical and cases.

Was looking at what I'll do when my current cases kark it. Had to cull a few more the other day for loose primer pockets.
Suspect that when all my cases are buggered that will coincide with the barrel being toast.