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When I got into the 6.5 Grendel I had very little brass so a Friend gave me some 7.62x39 brass which I fire formed. One batch I used a minimum charge of Winchester 748 and 120 grain Pro Hunter bullets. I think I also fire formed a few brass using Sierra 100 grain varmint with a minimum charge of H-335. I think with a 100 grain bullet Accurate 2230/Xterminator, TAC or H-335 will work. I got decent short range practice ammo out of the fire forming process. I only use my FF x39 brass for varmint hunting or short range target/plinking ammo.
Remember the fire formed x39 brass has reduced case capacity compared to Hornady or Lapua 6.5 Grendel brass. You have to work up your load and can not load a maximum charge from a loading manual in a FF x39 case.
With the availabilty of good 6.5 Grendel brass I don’t think it is cost effective to use FF x39 brass because the FF brass I’ve used doesn’t last as long as Hornady 6.5 Grendel brass. I have used some of my FF x39 in situations where I might not be able to find or recover my brass. I have found S&B large rifle primers fit x39 brass more snug than WW large rifle primers.
Loose primer pockets with x39 brass and PPU brass is very common and I found the S&B primers allows me to use the brass a little longer. -
For the price of bullets, powder and primers you might come out ahead ordering new 6.5 brass, you might goggle once fired brass for an even better deal (it is out there). Fire formed brass doesn't usually last as long, has reduced capacity and you will have to go through load development again if you ever get 6.5 Grendel brass but if you like doing all that have at it, do what you are happy doing. All that matters is having fun.
Steve..........Comment
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I tried a lot with different brass because the availability in Europe fir the good Lapua Grendel brass was a desaster last year.
Check the topic: http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showt...reformed-brass
There I shared some capacity results.
The best capability I got was with new fireformed S&B 7,62x39. Even more capacity then you'll get with orig. Hornady brass! But they are very tricky to form them before fire forming. You can't do this job with a simple FL Die. Doesn't work!
I finally got original Lapua Grendel brass and I am very happy with them.
The worst result I had was with Lapua 7,62x39 brass. They have lot less capacity then the orig. Hornady and I had a lot of pressure issues and a very low V0. It's not worth to spend time, money, powder and bullets on them.
If I would not get orig. Lapuas I would go with the S&B but do annealing after fireforming! The Lapuas are much softer and need lot less force to calibrate them, but after fireforming and annealing they are a real alternative.Last edited by A1Vixen; 08-07-2018, 07:18 AM.Comment
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General consensus for those of us who have done it is it's a waste of time unless you can find brass.
With the Hornady American Gunner proliferating now, I can't see any good reason to mess with it since you end up with LRPs, different load data with no real book data support other than guessing with start loads, and it doesn't last that long unless you use Lapua.NRA Basic, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO
CCW, CQM, DM, Long Range Rifle Instructor
6.5 Grendel Reloading Handbooks & chamber brushes can be found here:
www.AR15buildbox.comComment
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Been there done that. 95 vmax with a minimum charge of benchmark. Cases lasted 2 to 3 loads before primer pockets were toast. If the brass is free, go ahead. Not really worth it, unless you want to see it for yourself. I did. But I wouldn't do it againYard work is not an excuse!Comment
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I got the impression that shooters were making Grrr brass a year or so ago when it was hard to get. Thankfully, there now seems to be as much as we need."In any war, political or battlefield; truth is the first casualty."
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Randy:Originally posted by Randy99CL View Post
Negative. Last time I saw zero Grendel brass in the USA was around 10 years ago.
There has been multiple sources of Grendel brass for the last five years.
Plenty of Grendel brass around these days.
LR55Comment
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Thanks for all the great information. I appreciate all the knowledge each of you shared. DJ you summed it up well, “I tried it, You can if you want, But I wouldn’t do it again. I will be getting a package from Brownells tomorrow with my Starline brass. If I had a bolt gun it would be Lapua. I just can’t feed this suppressed MSR the pricey stuff. It comes out looking it went down my chimney into my wood stove. An hour in a stainless pin polisher makes it like new. Thanks, Mark
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