Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6.5-06 AI fire forming load

15-16g of bullseye, fill with cream of wheat, tuft of paper towel in the end.

The barrel will get very hot. Fire form 10 cool the barrel, push 5 wet patches down the barrel, then a dry patch to get all the gunk out of the barrel.

When you reach 50 rounds, brush using a new bronze bristle bristle brush, then 4 wet patches, then two dry patches

Repeat.

I fire formed 100 rounds, filled a case guard 100.

I examined the bore with a bore scope after thorough cleaning. The bullseye burns very, very hot, and this is why you need to use a good brush to keep get the powder residue out of the barrel, even though it is only shooting approximately 16 grains.

In many other ackley's, I hunted with fire forming loads, but the distances were not long, and I was hunting coyotes or rock chucks. Forming loads with bullets were usually around 1/2" and within 1.0g of the load with formed brass.

I would advise you to use 25/06 brass, but if you want to go whole hog and use Lapua 30/06 brass, plan on neck turning, plus anytime you neck down brass like this, you are apt to get a doughnut. When necking down the brass, form a false shoulder to headspace up against, this will ensure that you get zero case stretching with NO lost cases.

If you go with Lapua brass, R#26 with 140g bullets are going to blow your mind in speed with accuracy, use Fed 215's. Federal brass is crap to begin with, don't go there.

Barnes 127g long range in the 3150 fps area was a good 25/06 brass load shooting bug holes with Win brass along with 130g accubond. Lapua brass with 140+ will be in the 3100+ fps with #26 and maybe higher depending on barrel length. R#26 gets you speed without wrecking brass.

Choose your bullets, then throat accordingly, twist properly for your bullet choice and altitudes you will hunt. Success will be result of reamer design, throat geometry, twisted for the bullets you want.

I do not shoot over 400 yards as a rule. 140g SST at 3150 is a killer with a .147 throat. 127g Barnes long range and 130g Accubond at 3150 with 123 FB is no slouch. 140g Berger HVLD is a heck of a killer with the .147 throat.

The only surprise with this 6.5/06 AI was how difficult the cream of wheat and powder residue were to clean out of the barrel. So, tap your cases neck down on the bench top, cool the barrel in between 10 shot intervals while pushing patches through the bore, brush every 50 rounds, and life will be easy for you on this case.

Pac Nor Chambered my barrels, one is a 9T set up for 130 and below, the other is a 8t for 140g Berger Hunting, different throats.

For 300 yards and under on deer or hogs, a 120-130g will do it all, speed is a killer.

Redding makes a three die Deluxe set, you can get a standard 280 Neck S sizer if you want neck turned cases sized to a different dimension with .264 caliber bushings.

If you don't like fire forming, then the 6.5/284 is in the same class as the 6.5/06, use lapua brass. 6.5/284 works fabulous on a Remington long action. Again, throat geometry will trump all with bullets in the weight you want to shoot.

I always heard that the dreaded "donut" is only a problem if you neck up, because you're incorporating part of the shouder into the neck whereas when you neck down it's not a problem.

I've always necked down WW 270 brass for those reasons, never had to turn any necks and the brass quality has been good. You do need to trim the length back a good but though so anyone who goes that route needs a case trimmer that's powered by electricity. I just use my Forster hand crank trimmer hooked up to a portable drill.

Necking down is where doughnuts abound, if they are going to form. The AI is famous for limiting brass flow.

Remember we are going AI. So, part of the neck is going into the shoulder. You are going to end up with a shorter neck than standard 6.5/06. I did not run into problems until I went to using 30/06 brass, but it does help in setting a false shoulder to head space on....Lapua brass.

Smoke, a cheap tube mic tells all tapered thickness in your necks kills extremes in accuracy.

K&M sells a carbide inside neck pilot that has 4 cutters on it, heck of a tool. As reloading gets more and more advanced in the reloaders knowledge, having clearance for "bullet release" helps keep ES and flyers down. You should be able to insert a bullet into the neck down past the shoulder neck junction for shooting the extremes in accuracy...use this simple method to check for doughnuts.

Keith, the Km mandrel with the cutter is what I'm using right now necking down and turning necks on Lapua 30-06 brass for a 6.5x06AI.
No donut problems.

And a 3rd time....

And a 4th time......