which top punch for Ranchdog mold

[Zoranno]

G'day all

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice as to which Lyman or RCBs top punch to use with Ranchdogs TLC379-235-RF Bullet, I'm using an old lyman 450 lubrasizer
and will be sizing to .378

Thanks
Regards, Jason

[gvanzeggelaar]

If you kind fine a top punch get any punch from the same caliber and form it using a boolit ad jb weld. Works like a dream.

[Dale53]

Whether I am sizing using a Star, RCBS, or Lyman luber/sizer, I use a flat faced nose punch and let the bullet self center itself. I believe I get better results that way. That only works with flat nose bullets, of course, but that is mostly what I shoot.

FWIW,
Dale53

[geargnasher]

You can make a flat punch like Dale suggested out of a plain old bolt that fits the ram fairly well. Grind off any markings on the head, unless you want them on your boolit nose! Also, retain the bolt with a "pill" of lube on the end and leave the setscrew out, that way the bolt can wiggle a little bit also and not force the boolit off-center into the die from contact friction.

Gear

[williamwaco]

Well?

I think I would ask Ranch Dog.

failing that, I would get something for a large caliber handgun SWC a .41 or .44 caliber with a large flat point.

[coyotebait]

Zorrano
I use a Lyman 449 with the Ranch Dog boolit.
coyotebait

[imashooter2]

These are very nice:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=112298

My only affiliation is as a satisfied customer.

[Zoranno]

Thanks for the replies everyone, you've all been very helpful

Regards, Jason

[MT Gianni]

Ranch Dog recommends the lee push through sizing sies. I use a 1/4" bolt with the flats turned off and faced smooth. A 6mm should do the same.

[JSimpson65]

Zorrano
I use a Lyman 449 with the Ranch Dog boolit.
coyotebait

Not the original poster, but thanks for the info. I also have the same mold and this looks like a good one.

Joe

[coyotebait]

Joe & Jason
I just looked again and found I have two Lyman 449 nose punches. They are noticably different from each other. Only the bigger one fits the RD boolit. YMMV. If a nose punch is ill fitting, I put a dab of JB Weld in the punch and lower it onto a waxed boolit and let cure.
coyotebait

[MikeS]

If the boolit is a flat point, then I too like the idea of using a flat bolt as a top punch. I have an extra bolt from the ones that come with the Lee bench plate, and it's basically a carriage bolt that has had the head machined flat. It fits in the hole for the top punch with no problems, and you can hold it there with a nut & washer if you don't want to risk messing up the threads by using the setscrew that normally holds in the top punches. Another option is to get a flat nose punch from Tom at Accurate Molds, he makes them from aluminium, and they're only $2.00 and he makes them in a number of diameters so if you want one small enough so you can actually go into the sizing die with it, you can. I'm not sure if Tom will sell only a top punch, or if he only sells them with a mould.