Barrel

[pavementends]

 Got an e-mail, My barrel has shipped!!  Hope to be shooting soon.

[grayfox]

Good news! Refresh my memory, which action is this for and whose barrel?

[pavementends]

It is a Shilen barrel going on a Stevens 200 which has been several different calibers over the years!

[grayfox]

Will be interested on how well it feeds. I once tried to get a 6.5 grendel-savage fitup on a model 10 dbm action but the round feeding was very finicky, couldn't get it settled down, so I had to discontinue.
I'm still hopeful, esp with this 6Arc round.
Also, where did you get your go/no-go gauges from?

[pavementends]

Will be interested on how well it feeds.  I once tried to get a 6.5 grendel-savage fitup on a model 10 dbm action but the round feeding was very finicky, couldn't get it settled down, so I had to discontinue.
I'm still hopeful, esp with this 6Arc round.
Also, where did you get your go/no-go gauges from?

Still have not found go/no go gauges.  Gunsmith friend will try to math it out.  The action currently has a bench rest follower installed but will try to get it to feed from magazine.  It started as a .223 which may help.

[grayfox]

I did some re-reading of posts on here and Manson's has the go/no-go gauges, but you have to call and order over the phone. Last report was they are ~$140 for the pair, hope the price has come down since then...

[pavementends]

I did some re-reading of posts on here and Manson's has the go/no-go gauges, but you have to call and order over the phone.  Last report was they are ~$140 for the pair, hope the price has come down since then...

Thanks,  I will try call them!

[pavementends]

Ordered a go gauge from PTG.  I have had mixed results from them on time involved.  We will see. 

[pavementends]

Got to the range today. Hdy 105 factory 2720 about a 2.5" group @ 600 on steel. This will be fun if brass and/or ammo ever becomes available.

[grayfox]

Excellent! yeah the "fuel" for these engines is scarce...
I keep checking my self every day, even though I'm ok for now.
A girl can't have too many diamonds.
A shooter can't have too much brass/ammo...lol!

[pavementends]

Go gauge delivered yesterday!

[CZ527 Guy]

Congratulations!

Let's hear some more info on the barrel. What's the barrel twist, land & groove configuration, SS or crome moly? And what was your turn around time. who did the chamber work?

Has anyone tried fire forming 220 russian brass. Sure it is a bit long, nothing that could not be remedied by a bit of trimming.

[Old Bob]

Congratulations!

Let's hear some more info on the barrel. What's the barrel twist, land & groove configuration, SS or crome moly? And what was your turn around time. who did the chamber work?

Has anyone tried fire forming 220 russian brass. Sure it is a bit long, nothing that could not be remedied by a bit of trimming.

I have some 220 Russian brass ready for fire forming -- 55gr Nosler Varmageddon bullets over 25grs of Reloader #7. Reloader #7 is a short-cut, stick powder & is a compressed load in the 220 brass but not in regular 6mm ARC brass. Yup, they need a little trimming, for sure. All I need now is a gun to shoot 'em in. Don't know which I'll get first, my Precision Firearms AR barrel or my Uintah bolt gun upper.  

[Dgjr]

Yes, I have fireformed 220 Russian Lapua Brass to make 6mm ARC brass.  What I did is as follows:

1)  Ran the 220 Russian brass through a .241" mandrel to open the neck to 6mm.  Just some neck lube needed.
I used sizing wax for this step.  It was lightly brushed into the necks before using the mandrel.

NOTE:  If not opened to 6mm first, the brass fits too loose in the chamber for a cotton or wax plug type fireform.  It will need
to actually shoot a 6mm bullet.  This is because a false shoulder will need to hold the brass in place during firing.  

2)  I then began loading with a starting load of 27.0 grains of CFE223 and loading a Sierra 100gr bullet.  I did no work on the brass
to this point, except to open the neck, then I primed, placed powder and seated the bullets.

NOTE:  A lighter weight bullet will mostly not work for this.  The reason is that the bullet needs to be loaded long enough 
so to lightly stick the bullet in the lands on bolt close.  I do mean slightly into the lands.  The bolt needs to just feel a bit 
of friction when closed.  The cartridge needs to be held in place by the bolt face and the bullet in the lands just a bit or it 
will move too much in the chamber to fire.  The lighter bullets I have would not allow seating deep enough to work correctly.  
They seat too shallow and basically will simply fall out of the brass at the long load length needed in my rifle's chamber.  
So, get some cheap longer heavy 6mm bullets to do this.

3)  I then took the rifle to the range and shot the rounds.  They formed as good as they get.  They also came out at 1.495" OAL 
and only needed to be trimmed a little to be perfect.  Other than having use up primers, powder and bullets, the fireforming was 
easy to do and gave me no trouble at all.

[Old Bob]

NOTE:  A lighter weight bullet will mostly not work for this.  The reason is that the bullet needs to be loaded long enough 
so to lightly stick the bullet in the lands on bolt close.  I do mean slightly into the lands.  The bolt needs to just feel a bit 
of friction when closed.  The cartridge needs to be held in place by the bolt face and the bullet in the lands just a bit or it 
will move too much in the chamber to fire.  The lighter bullets I have would not allow seating deep enough to work correctly.  
They seat too shallow and basically will simply fall out of the brass at the long load length needed in my rifle's chamber.  
So, get some cheap longer heavy 6mm bullets to do this.

I figured this out awhile back. Yup, the shells I loaded with the 55gr Varmagedden bullets rattled around in the chambers of both my bolt gun & AR. I got this tool  to check my bullet seating depth. Sure enough, like you said, the light 55gr bullet wasn't long enough to seat in the case when set out to touch the rifling. I used another light bullet to replace to 55 grainer, a 70gr Varmagedden bullet. It seats a hair more than half way into the case neck. That's far enough in to hold the bullet firmly along with a slight taper crimp on the case mouth.

In my original post, I didn't have either of my rifles yet & was just making busy work while I was waiting for my shootin' irons. At the time, I didn't think about the shoulders of the 220 Russian brass being too short to allow for proper head spacing in the chamber. That light bulb came on about a month ago. All my 220 Russian conversions are now ready for fire forming... again!  

---

[Dgjr]

NOTE:  A lighter weight bullet will mostly not work for this.  The reason is that the bullet needs to be loaded long enough 
so to lightly stick the bullet in the lands on bolt close.  I do mean slightly into the lands.  The bolt needs to just feel a bit 
of friction when closed.  The cartridge needs to be held in place by the bolt face and the bullet in the lands just a bit or it 
will move too much in the chamber to fire.  The lighter bullets I have would not allow seating deep enough to work correctly.  
They seat too shallow and basically will simply fall out of the brass at the long load length needed in my rifle's chamber.  
So, get some cheap longer heavy 6mm bullets to do this.

I figured this out awhile back. Yup, the shells I loaded with the 55gr Varmagedden bullets rattled around in the chambers of both my bolt gun & AR. I got this tool  to check my bullet seating depth. Sure enough, like you said, the light 55gr bullet wasn't long enough to seat in the case when set out to touch the rifling. I used another light bullet to replace to 55 grainer, a 70gr Varmagedden bullet. It seats a hair more than half way into the case neck. That's far enough in to hold the bullet firmly along with a slight taper crimp on the case mouth.

In my original post, I didn't have either of my rifles yet & was just making busy work while I was waiting for my shootin' irons. At the time, I didn't think about the shoulders of the 220 Russian brass being too short to allow for proper head spacing in the chamber. That light bulb came on about a month ago. All my 220 Russian conversions are now ready for fire forming... again!  

---

Sounds like your on your way.  I have 200 of these formed.  Early on I purchased 200 factory rounds. I have not started any reloading yet. Used my Savage to fireform the brass into the basic shape.  Ordered a 24" barrel to replace my rifle's 18" barrel and I don't have it yet.  So, while I wait, I do a little bit with the Hornady brass and several different bullets that I have.  Like most, I am low on small rifle primers and the powder I would really like to use.  So, we wait a little while longer and keep searching the internet almost everyday for the stuff.  Glad to know I am not the only one that made some 6mm ARC brass the expensive way and I still have to fireform it in the intended rifle yet.