I read the same article about the Hornady Hydroform dies. It was intriguing. I sent an email to Hornady for more details but haven't heard back yet. I'd like to try it.

I never remember to do that! 

Hey guys. What are your thoughts on fire forming using a wax plug and pistol powder? The theory is good but how does it work in practice?

A cool morning at Hugh's trailer.



Lots of iron there!



Rob Seemann, hard core to end.



Rick checking our flags one last time.



Cal behind the rifle eyeballing while we set up our flags.



Go Canada Go!



She ain't much but she's mine.



Dan Opel is a little camera shy it turns out.



Me with an early start at the bench.

Thanks for the post Rob. I've always enjoyed Albuquerque and have been considering attending a match there in 2013. From your pictures and description of the range I think I better make the time or I'd be missing out!

Well I just ordered a #4 die from Harrell's and I didn't even have to use Tom Dickson's name. Hopefully this will solve my problems.

Sorry I missed the shoot guys. Congrats on the 2 Gun Hugh.

Calvin...Acutally that helps a lot. My barrel is currently chambered with Robert's reamer. Strangely enough I ordered the same reamer from PTG as I didn't want to have to buy another die. That was before I was experiencing the problems I'm having now. This double clicking was an issue for me in France as well where I was using a Redding SB die but after Harrell's sent me the #2.5 and I got new brass the problem went away...so I thought. I tried a #4 in France but it didn't help. I'm sure that was because my brass was so hard by the end of the week they couldn't be saved.

I guess I have a few options. Try a #4 at the next match and see what happens, start with new brass and a #4 and see what happens, scrap my brass after 15 firings, or change my reamer order to a different spec to better match my current sizing die. Soon I will have to screw on the two new barrels I have waiting. Thankfully they have not been chambered yet.

John...

The base of my new brass measures .0025" smaller than my chamber spec. My chamber specs show a base dia. of .4403, a stiff case measures .4400, after sizing .4400, a once fired case measures .4390. I measured in front of the base on a stiff case getting .4395 with no change after sizing. I did however lock my dial mic at the base of a fired case and after sizing the jaws slid off the end. So it would seem I'm getting a small amount of sizing but not enough? I do not shoot hot loads in my rifle. 28.8g of N133 is where my rifle likes to be which is 52.5 clicks on my Harrell's. I'm typically somewhere between 52.5 and 53.5 and rarely at 54 clicks.

Hey guys.

So I'm still having problems with case extraction in my Panda. The problem is noticeable after about 10 to 12 firings. At the end of the weekend I can barely extract the case. Needless to say having to pull hard on the bolt handle really upsets a guys rhythm and the rifle in bags! Throughout a two day shoot I will adjust some shims to keep the case sized properly but eventually that doesn't help. I had this problem using a Redding SB die. I then sent a few fired cases to Harrell's and they sent me back a #2.5 die. Same problem. A sized case with the #2.5 die measures the same at the case head as does a fired case I recently realized. Not even .0005" difference from what I can see. Would a #4 Harrell's die be the answer or is that a little to tight?  Thanks, Dan H