gobigorgohome
Regular
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Over the last few years I've accumulated a mess of dies off the EE with the hope of being able to give my self an endless supply of .17 fireball brass, as this is my favourite gopher cartridge and factory brass supplies have been almost none existant! Here is my 5 die multi step process in forming it. I am yet to actually fire one, as I need to neck turn them ever so slightly to finalize it, but so far, they look good and chamber!
Dies used: Redding 221 form die, Redding 221 Trim die, Redding 20 Vartarg FL Custom die, Redding .17 Rem Fireball Neck die, Redding .17 Rem Fireball FL die
Step 1: inside/outside chamfer and deburr the .223 case, then lube with Hornady sizing wax
Step 2: run through Redding 221 form die #1, this gives you a stepped looking case and starts pushing the shoulder down
Step 3: run case through Redding 221 trim die, at this point it gives you an extremely long neck, trim the excess using a hacksaw and then file down until flush with the die. (That die must be a 60+ rockwell hardness, a file or hacksaw blade doesn't even scratch it!)
Step 4: chamfer and deburr the case well, itll be very rough after trimming, wipe down case and re apply a very thin layer of sizing wax
Step 5: with the expander ball assembly removed, run the now 221 brass through the .20 Vartarg FL die
Step 6: take your now .20 VT piece of brass and run it through Redding .17 Fireball neck die
Note: I can see here that its pushing the slightest of doughnut down the neck from the brass being slightly too thick, so I believe neck turning will be required
Step 7: run through the Redding FL .17 fireball die
Note: I dont have a "proper" annealing set up (so a drill, socket, torch and some tempilac will need to suffice for now), but I I annealing now will give you a much longer case life, as the brass has been worked a lot at this point
Step 8: Trim to length (if required), load and shoot!
I have tried a few brands now, with Winchester and Lake City being some of the easier ones to form, but Federal, Hornady and Remington also worked decently well.
I've added a picture of the first couple pieces I tried to form. I tried going from .221 directly down to .17 using a FL die and then going from .221 to .20 and finally to .17, but using only the .17 FL die and not using the neck sizer first.
It's been a learning curve for sure! I know nosler .17 fireball brass and lapua .221 fireball brass are readily available and much easier to form down/load, but wheres the fun in paying big bucks for that brass, when you can make your self an endless supply using readily available .223 brass!
Dies used: Redding 221 form die, Redding 221 Trim die, Redding 20 Vartarg FL Custom die, Redding .17 Rem Fireball Neck die, Redding .17 Rem Fireball FL die
Step 1: inside/outside chamfer and deburr the .223 case, then lube with Hornady sizing wax
Step 2: run through Redding 221 form die #1, this gives you a stepped looking case and starts pushing the shoulder down
Step 3: run case through Redding 221 trim die, at this point it gives you an extremely long neck, trim the excess using a hacksaw and then file down until flush with the die. (That die must be a 60+ rockwell hardness, a file or hacksaw blade doesn't even scratch it!)
Step 4: chamfer and deburr the case well, itll be very rough after trimming, wipe down case and re apply a very thin layer of sizing wax
Step 5: with the expander ball assembly removed, run the now 221 brass through the .20 Vartarg FL die
Step 6: take your now .20 VT piece of brass and run it through Redding .17 Fireball neck die
Note: I can see here that its pushing the slightest of doughnut down the neck from the brass being slightly too thick, so I believe neck turning will be required
Step 7: run through the Redding FL .17 fireball die
Note: I dont have a "proper" annealing set up (so a drill, socket, torch and some tempilac will need to suffice for now), but I I annealing now will give you a much longer case life, as the brass has been worked a lot at this point
Step 8: Trim to length (if required), load and shoot!
I have tried a few brands now, with Winchester and Lake City being some of the easier ones to form, but Federal, Hornady and Remington also worked decently well.
I've added a picture of the first couple pieces I tried to form. I tried going from .221 directly down to .17 using a FL die and then going from .221 to .20 and finally to .17, but using only the .17 FL die and not using the neck sizer first.
It's been a learning curve for sure! I know nosler .17 fireball brass and lapua .221 fireball brass are readily available and much easier to form down/load, but wheres the fun in paying big bucks for that brass, when you can make your self an endless supply using readily available .223 brass!
