CWT group effort Wildcat Rifle build

[Zeke-BE]

You can fire form with blanks if you want. I do it for a 7mm-08 AI as follows. Prime the case, put 15 gr WW-231 in it. Fill it to the neck with tumbling media, wad a piece of cleaning patch in the neck to hold it all in. Put it in the gun, pull the trigger and POP you have a Improved case. I do it in the garage and nobody has called the cops yet.

You need to do a video on that one. Even with a muzzle break??

[300RUM]

I can't even figure out how the get the quote function to work (like you did with what I typed) and you want me to do a video? My 7mm-08 does not have a break but a break would not change anything. You are firing small a charge of fast burning pistol powder in a long rifle barrel. Your projectile is a bunch of ground corn cob and a piece of cleaning patch. The "projectile" provides enough resistance for the fast burning powder cause a sudden pressure spike that is enough to fire form the case. The powder has burnt out and pressure is dropping long before anything gets to the muzzle, so a break makes no difference. As a bonus the process cleans the barrel. Well, at least I can figure out a smiley face.

[Zeke-BE]

I can't even figure out how the get the quote function to work (like you did with what I typed) and you want me to do a video? My 7mm-08 does not have a break but a break would not change anything. You are firing small a charge of fast burning pistol powder in a long rifle barrel. Your projectile is a bunch of ground corn cob and a piece of cleaning patch. The "projectile" provides enough resistance for the fast burning powder cause a sudden pressure spike that is enough to fire form the case. The powder has burnt out and pressure is dropping long before anything gets to the muzzle, so a break makes no difference. As a bonus the process cleans the barrel. Well, at least I can figure out a smiley face.

Just go to my last message and click Qoute. It will add the message that you want to write about.

 

As for the fire forming that sounds great! But I'm new to fire forming and not dumbing you down I'm hoping you are getting the right amount of forming. It sounds like you are. If that's the case does that mean you can fire form and not burn up your barrel ?

[300RUM]

I worked my way up to the 15 gr of 231. At that charge I got a nice crisp Ackley shoulder. Just like developing a load start low & work up. Your case capacity is larger so you may need a little more powder. Do remember, even though it is a blank the muzzle end is still dangerous. I thought of one drawback to a brake with this process. It will probably spray the corn cob all over the place!

[Saguaro]

I've heard of people doing this before. They use a small amount of wax to cap it off.

[STOMP442]

Yes, this is normally called the cream of wheat method as most of the time this is what people use for this process. I have done it in the past but have since moved to just fireforming cases as I do barrel break in. I like to break in with at least 50 rounds and I use a cheap bullet like a Hornady SST in the same weight that I am wanting to run pick a max load of the parent cartridge and go to the range. Accuracy is generally pretty good and when your done you have 50 fully formed cases to begin serious load development with. If you want more cases than 50 I generally load some more fireform loads and save them for when its time to clean the barrel and then fire two or three of them to foul the barrel with. Eventually, you end up with as many cases you want and not really wasting any barrel life.

[lancetkenyon]

Yes, this is normally called the cream of wheat method as most of the time this is what people use for this process. I have done it in the past but have since moved to just fireforming cases as I do barrel break in. I like to break in with at least 50 rounds and I use a cheap bullet like a Hornady SST in the same weight that I am wanting to run pick a max load of the parent cartridge and go to the range. Accuracy is generally pretty good and when your done you have 50 fully formed cases to begin serious load development with. If you want more cases than 50 I generally load some more fireform loads and save them for when its time to clean the barrel and then fire two or three of them to foul the barrel with. Eventually, you end up with as many cases you want and not really wasting any barrel life.

 

Pretty much exactly what I do. Like stated above, the cases are fully formed. I tried the cream of wheat method a few times with a fairly stiff charge, and still did not have perfectly sharp edges on the neck and shoulders, so I still needed to finish forming.

 

Plus, I have a good accurate load for fire form rounds already worked up that I can use as a light load if I let a kid shoot, or when it is time for new brass down the road. 100 rounds of a lower velocity round won't burn out your barrel if you shoot and let the barrel cool sufficiently.

[MMACFIVE]

Just curious, but what is the advantage to a 6.5x270 AI over a 6.5x06 AI or 6.5x280AI? The only thing I can think of might be a little extra neck length.

[STOMP442]

That's really about it. The ability to simply fire form .270 brass and go. No need for trimming to length. performance wise you will be hard pressed to find any notable difference between them.

[Zeke-BE]

What Stomp just said!! That was one of my question to Dougsls-gun-guy why he built it. With the longer neck and fire forming it your neck goes right to 0.013 wall thickness at the neck instead of 0.044" on the 6.5-06 AI. No turning needed and you have the longer neck and longer brass life. Plus I like .270 over a 30-06 so I thinks it looks and sounds cooler saying 6.5-.270 AI. Not to many people have that. But I'm using the 6.5-06 AI 40 degree shoulder dies. Once fired formed I had to shave the shell holder down just a tad to bump the shoulder back 0.002-3" because of the longer neck. (With a little help from Lance on how to do it).

 

Stomp is the one who built it and Dougals the gun guy sent the reamer so I'm assuming the reamer accounted for the longer neck on the 270 instead of the shorter neck of the 30-06??

[Douglas-gun-guy]

 

Stomp is the one who built it and Dougals the gun guy sent the reamer so I'm assuming the reamer accounted for the longer neck on the 270 instead of the shorter neck of the 30-06??

Exactly! This way you have the longer neck and proper length right away.

Another reason I developed this is because my grandfather was a die hard fan of the 270 win. I love the ballistics of the.264 so after some talking with lance I decided I could make a awesome laser of a rifle off my grandfathers favorite caliber, as the parent case.

[MMACFIVE]

I forgot the cool factor! And I completely understand.

[300RUM]

I hit the range today for the first time in 5 months. Good to be back. This gun was on the bench next to me. It is one nice looking rifle. I really like the finish on the stock.

[Zeke-BE]

I hit the range today for the first time in 5 months. Good to be back. This gun was on the bench next to me. It is one nice looking rifle. I really like the finish on the stock.

 

 

Thanks Lee! It was nice getting to know you and your Nightforce scopes I got to check out Plus I didn't get to see the final picture with that wonder warrior Sheep hunt in 37B In CWT forum. So it was nice see real picture that you had.

[300RUM]

I was doing a little barrel shopping last night and it occurred to me what a unique appearance rifle has. I had just seen the pictures above a few times, yet when I walked onto the range and saw the gun I recognized it as the CWT group effort rifle. There are not many rifles you would recognize like that.

 

As brilliant as the 6.5 mm - .270 Ackley is I think there is an option that could prove a little more fun. When someone asked what cartridge you were shooting imagine telling them it was a “6.5 mm .25 – 06 Ackley Improved” and watch them try process that one.