Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors How I'm creating hipower brass

Started with new Hornady 30 30 brass

Deburred flash holes

Uniformed primer pockets

Hornady One Shot lube

CH 4-station H press

Begin sizing using Redding #1 Form die

This is about all the press can handle

Next = size with Hi power seating die with stem removed

Next = fl size with hipower full length die

Then trim to overall length spec using Forster trimmer

Then chamfer case mouths inside and out

Finally tumble/clean

So far I've got 10 cases through the form die

Probably will anneal the necks

As you can see, it's a LOT of work. Might have been easier had I started with 25-35 brass. Also a strong O press
would be better.

Builds character though.

The 25-35 brass run one time thru the 22HP die and your done!

Thanks. Wish I asked before I started with 30 30.

Can you suggest a fireform load for HP?

Just run the .25-35 brass into the HP sizing die, load your bullet of choice with a regular powder charge of choice and shoot it. The brass will snap into final shape before the bullet gets two inches up the barrel. Easy peasy, pumpkin squeezy. Even though in effect you will be fireforming, it is such a slight thing as to be inconsequential. I routinely load up a box of fresh .25-35/HP cased ammo for hunting season each year for the reliability factor, knowing it'll shoot to the same POI as my practice ammo made with tired old fired cases.

Hornady really did us HP shooters a good turn when they began producing that wonderful 25/35 brass. And it is much nicer for making 219 Improved Zippers also, I found out a couple of weeks ago. I'll bet it'll be a snap to produce 32/40's from it too, with a little charge of Red Dot to finish the expansion. Go Hornady!

I used 30-30 brass also, and I did it the long way. We ran the once fired 30-30 brass through a 30-30 die. Then through a 250 Sav die, then a 25-35 die and then the 22HP die. We took the expander ball out of all the dies except the HP. I wouldn't have used the 30-30 die, but my friend already did that before I got there. It took just at one hour to produce 60 cases. When my buddy first started trying to run the brass through the HP die he was getting cases stuck and ripping the necks off. Once he pulled the expander balls out of the dies everything went smooth. When I got to his house he had the clean 30-30 brass ready. It was the first time I formed brass. With a bucket ready he had me lube and run them through the 250 die, then the 25-35, then the HP with the expander ball in place. With me punching them out it took just an hour for 60 cases, then he trimmed them which took a little longer. It sounds like a lot of work, but it really wasn't. John said he still has about 300 30-30 cases and another friend just gave me 150 more, so I'll just keep rolling with the 30-30 brass, Joe.

Is 22HP brass that hard to find? Maybe I'll put some on the market

Brass IS hard to find. 277 bullets even harder.

If you decide to sell some of either, please pm me. I just finished making 50 cases from Hornady 30-30. Pain
in the butt.

Thanks,

Al

Foreign HP brass is a few thou smaller than domestic brass and as such contributes to its propensity to swell. I consider Norma and S&B brass good for just a couple loadings, or the fellow who doesn't reload.

Having good headspace is doubly important with HP IMO, in terms of case life, no matter where the brass comes from.