Thread: my 7x60 wildcat project

As far as I understand it (Jaco will know the answer here) The freebore is cut by the reamer, so the reamer would have to be modified in order to shorten the freebore.

Mickey Duck is right, extra freebore probably wont matter. All of my other calibres I have loaded for (7x57, 8x57, 6.5x55) have shot perfectly well with a lot of freebore. I think I was just imagining that with a custom chamber I would be loading close to the lands, but in practice I won't notice the difference.

@akaroa1 will chime in here Im sure as he does similar changes to cases and Im picking he will suggest anneal anneal anneal

Nothing really to add

You got there in the end

The real key to case forming is

Very tidy chamfered neck. Don't leave the slightest nick or it will fail

Proper annealing

Imperial sizing wax applied sparingly by hand

One slow single pass through the dies

Re trim to length and re anneal and go shoot

If you do little nibbles up and down you will work harden the anneal off and then it will often fail.
Don't be scared to anneal properly. Do it in a nearly dark place and don't try and see the red on the outside, its too hard with the flame. Look just inside the neck to see a very clear view of the colour and then just run it down the case once you have a feel for it

I took the handle off a case trimmer and put a battery drill on it. Takes 2-3mm off in no time.
The dimpled cases will come out perfect after firing them as long as you can chamber them.

if 7mm08 is shorter you could use pilot from one to keep case centred nicely and use said same cordless drill with lee cutter ..just stop and remeasure till its right then champher inside and out while still in drill.

Regarding the freebore on the reamer, it is reasonably easy for Manson to regrind it slightly shorter. It is nearly impossible to add some freebore on said reamer, unless they regrind the whole thing.

I've often thought that a 7x57 AI would have about perfect capacity and I am guessing this 7x60 will be much the same ?

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I've often thought that a 7x57 AI would have about perfect capacity and I am guessing this 7x60 will be much the same ?

Pretty much. the x60 will be a little more capacity than the Ackley but without the benefit of sharper shoulder angle. On the plus side, the x60 doesn't need new dies.

Originally Posted by -BW-

Pretty much. the x60 will be a little more capacity than the Ackley but without the benefit of sharper shoulder angle. On the plus side, the x60 doesn't need new dies.

so if Ive got this right...and Ive re-read it 3 times to try and do so.... you have created a stretched 7x57 and have in effect done nothing more than made the case body 3mm longer but maintained the same diameter at shoulder so a SLIGHTLY less taper to the body????
if you used fireform load and a 7x57mm case you would end up with right case but neck that was very short????
my thought on using a 270-280 case is the tip wont have to be worked much at all....but your 25/06 case shows it will work,the fatter neck to begin with may eliminate that wonky look,but agree with Brian it will dissapear on first fireing...I made some 25/06 out of 270 and had similar thing.

Interesting project & write up. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve played around with re-sizing brass for a few wild cats & also as a means of forming brass that is currently not obtainable.
I found that the crushed or dented shoulder problem could be overcome by neck sizing first, making no attempt to set the shoulder back in this step. This required a small amount of lube to neck. When sizing down I remove the decapping rod & expander ball. Once the neck is re-sized I then use FL die , again no decap rod, to start bumping shoulder back. Plenty of lube (Imperial sizing wax) applied to case body only, then firm slow (real slow) stroke thru the press. Then move the die down a 1/4 turn and repeat, etc till you get the shoulder length to what you need. Then trim the neck to length, then neck size with decap & expander. Then anneal.
Some brass, like your 2506 cases above, ends up with the old shoulder line forming a ridge around the neck area. Can be reduced by running thru NS die.

twice in last 6 months Ive cursed a short freebore when ejecting a round and leaving projectile in rifling...effectively ending procedings unto could get home to remove it... luckily both times I was on way out of area... didnt feel overly tight shutting bolt..but certainly knew it opening it again..actually bent alloy cleaning rod removing projectile the 2nd time...and STILL couldnt carry on as big chunky stick powder doesnt let bolt close well at all.... took rifle apart and sprayed some shit in chamber then hosed out with garden hose and cleaned and put back together... lesson learnt.I normally always run loaded rounds through after reloading...its great being able to remove firing pin/spring n striker from bolt in one bit to allow this.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

twice in last 6 months Ive cursed a short freebore when ejecting a round and leaving projectile in rifling...effectively ending procedings unto could get home to remove it... luckily both times I was on way out of area... didnt feel overly tight shutting bolt..but certainly knew it opening it again..actually bent alloy cleaning rod removing projectile the 2nd time...and STILL couldnt carry on as big chunky stick powder doesnt let bolt close well at all.... took rifle apart and sprayed some shit in chamber then hosed out with garden hose and cleaned and put back together... lesson learnt.I normally always run loaded rounds through after reloading...its great being able to remove firing pin/spring n striker from bolt in one bit to allow this.

Greetings @Micky Duck,
I now check the crush length for each new batch of projectiles and adjust the overall length of the round to give 1mm clearance. I started doing this after noticing that the position and shape on later batches of Hornady projectiles were further forward than older ones. Recently setting up to load the 60 grain VMax projectiles in one of my .223 rifles my measured crush length was about 1mm shorter than the cartridge overall length given in the Hodgdons data for the same projectile.
GPM.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

twice in last 6 months Ive cursed a short freebore when ejecting a round and leaving projectile in rifling...effectively ending procedings unto could get home to remove it... luckily both times I was on way out of area... didnt feel overly tight shutting bolt..but certainly knew it opening it again..actually bent alloy cleaning rod removing projectile the 2nd time...and STILL couldnt carry on as big chunky stick powder doesnt let bolt close well at all.... took rifle apart and sprayed some shit in chamber then hosed out with garden hose and cleaned and put back together... lesson learnt.I normally always run loaded rounds through after reloading...its great being able to remove firing pin/spring n striker from bolt in one bit to allow this.

Think that might have something to do with you not adjusting your seating die and using one setting for everything?

Not familiar with quick load, but in Gordon's Reloading Tool you can design a case and then work powder and projectile performance. Since you have the chamber specs it could be a way to get load info.

Originally Posted by johnd

Not familiar with quick load, but in Gordon's Reloading Tool you can design a case and then work powder and projectile performance. Since you have the chamber specs it could be a way to get load info.

Yep! my thinking exactly Paker Hale even chambered the 7x64, Would have bought one in the late 1970'sbt fur the lack of ammo,
There could be a problem registering it Plods system is flawed which is to be exspected it does not do well with wildcats or even .303's