Question about Fireforming 6.5 T/CU

[EddieCoyle]

I recently picked up a T/C Contender in this caliber. These rounds are made by expanding the neck on .223 brass, then fireforming to blow out the shoulder.

I have a set of Hornady dies with a tapered expander that I've been using to expand the case mouths, then using the first reload to blow out the shoulder.

A few days ago I ran into the previous owner, and he told me he prepped his cases by simply firing regular .223 rounds through the pistol and 'letting the bullet rattle down the bore".

When I bought the pistol it came with some of his brass, which I've reloaded and it shot fine.

Is there a downside to doing it 'his' way? It would save a step for me, and give me a use for some junky collet-pulled .224" bullets that I picked up a few years ago.

Has anyone done it this way?

 

[Old Dog Man]

.223 bullet in 6.5 bore

I don't imagine that would be good for the rifling, with a small dia. bullet wobbling down the rifling. Seems like it would probably bang into the rifling some where on the trip. Al

 

[steveno]

I had a 7 TCU and I would just expand the neck , add the powder charge and seat the bullet. I never seen any reason to just fireform the case first. I don't see any reason why the 6.5 would be any different.

 

[P-32]

I agree with Steve. 25 something years ago, I was shooting 7 TCU which also uses 223 brass. I would expand the necks to take the 7mm bullet and load up for the next match. After the match I would have fire formed 7 TCU brass. The 7 TCU tore my hand up so I tried a 45 Win Mag round that would knock a ram down even when hit in the toe nails. I liked the 45 Win Mag. But the 7TCU and the 45 Win Mag T/C barrels were not mine and had to give them back dang it.

We would loose a couple cases to split necks when sizing up to 7 mm.

 

[EddieNFL]

Never heard of shooting .223 just to get the brass. Don't understand why he wouldn't have just pulled the bullets.

About 20 years ago, IHMSA had a special run of 7TCU brass made (not sure at 6 or 6.5). I used quite a bit of it, but didn't notice any difference between it, fire-formed or first use necked-up.

We would loose a couple cases to split necks when sizing up to 7 mm.

I have a Redding die set that expands up about .75mm and finishes with the regular size die and expander. I lose an occasional case using .mil brass, but very rarely a commercial case.

I have a reduced cast load I used for years in IHMSA. I don't recall ever losing a ram that was set at the proper topple point.