22 Bator sizing issue

[yovinny]

Not sure if I should post this somewhere else, so please move if need be.

I tried out the Lee 22 Bator for the first time.
Cast a nice looking 50gr bullet with my hardball clone alloy.
As cast measures .227 and the heel fits Hornady GC's very nice.
I lube them with WD40, add GC and try sizing.

My problem seems to come during sizing to .224 in a Lee push-through.
The bullets are almost impossible to get through the die and when they do go, their deforming the GC, forcing a burr to be formed all around the bottom edge.

If I try sizing without the CG, they come out .224 but leave the same sharp burr around the bottom in lead. almost like their swedging the material off the bullet sides.

Their very hard to get through the sizer, much harder than the 30 to 45cal bullets I'm used to sizing and crimping CG's on.
Not sure where to go from here, any help appreciated.

TIA Cheers, YV

[1Shirt]

Mine drop at .226, and have had no problem pushing them thru a lee .224 sizer. However, suggest you might want to look up Beagle's articles on 22's in .223, which is a great 3 part article. He has a die opened to .2245, and I am thinking of doing that also. Might also want to shoot a personal msg to John. Super guy who had done a lot of work on 22s, and writes well in addition.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

lee makes a .225 push thru , why not give that a try

[Bad Water Bill]

I have never tried W ater D ispersant 40th experiment as a lubricant.

I HAVE used the product that Lee gave you for free when you purchased your sizer. LLA has worked every time I have sized and GCd my Bators, and all of my 22s are cast of lineatype.

[waksupi]

If you are water dropping the boolits, you need to size them fairly soon. Wait a day, and they are MUCH harder to size.

[Crawdaddy]

lee makes a .225 push thru , why not give that a try

Ditto, thats what I use and it works fine. I would also try Liquid Alox and not WD40.

[quilbilly]

My 22 bator's measure 225 right out of the mold. I LLA them on the same day and size them the next day plus add gas check in a 224 push through.

[Bret4207]

Is there a reason you cast them from "hardball" alloy instead of something softer?

I would take a good look at the innards of my sizing die and see if there's a coarse edge or rough area that QC missed.

[yovinny]

Appreciate the thoughts :)

So you use LLA before you size and mount the GC's ?
Dosent that gum up you'r die and strip the LLA off the outside of the bullets ?

I use LLA also, but only after sizing and checking.
My procedure is cast, add check and spray WD40, size, apply LLA.
Been doing it that way for years with the larger bullets, this is my first venture into anything smaller than 30cal.

I'm using the HB alloy because thats what I cast most all my rifle bullets out of.
And these are air cooled, not water droped or heat treated, so should be about as hard as Lyman #2.
Should I be using something softer ?

TIA
Cheers, YV

[mpmarty]

WD40 is NOT a lubricant. Get a can and I'll give you a hundred dollars for each time you find the word lubricant anywhere printed on the can. WD40 is a Water Dispersant and has no value in our hobby.

[Bad Water Bill]

WD 40 works great so I have been told for fishing. Spray your bait with it as the main ingredient is fish oil and they will fight to get in your boat.:bigsmyl2:

If the WD 40 has any lubricating qualities I have never heard of it but then I only spent a few years around cars so who knows.

I will stick with products with a track record for the job.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Appreciate the thoughts :)

So you use LLA before you size and mount the GC's ?
Dosent that gum up you'r die and strip the LLA off the outside of the bullets ?

I use LLA also, but only after sizing and checking.
My procedure is cast, add check and spray WD40, size, apply LLA.
Been doing it that way for years with the larger bullets, this is my first venture into anything smaller than 30cal.

I'm using the HB alloy because thats what I cast most all my rifle bullets out of.
And these are air cooled, not water droped or heat treated, so should be about as hard as Lyman #2.
Should I be using something softer ?

TIA
Cheers, YV
a light coat of alox then add check and size then do your second coat after check or other method of lube

yes it can gum up the die some in time but starting fluid will clean it

[Bad Water Bill]

yovinny

Try LLA tumbled then GC and size. Give your perfect projectiles another coat and you are good to go. Never had a problem with gumming up. Petroleum distillates will clean it up easily. Some folks here claim 2700 + with no problem if all else is good.

Keep us posted on your results.

[JeffinNZ]

MPMARYT:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v505/JeffinNZ/Other%20stuff/wd40.jpg

If you could please drop your USD100.00 into a charity box at your nearest supermarket I will settle for that thanks.

Also: From the WD-40 web site.

How is WD-40 different from 3-IN-ONE®?
WD-40 is the ultimate multi-purpose problem solver. WD-40 cleans/degreases, penetrates to loosen up stuck parts, prevents corrosion and is a light lubricant. 3-IN-ONE, with it's special drip spout, enables you to lubricate without any overspray or splatter. 3-IN-ONE is ideal to use on tools, rollers, hinges, in-line skates, wheels...nearly everything that moves.

[Crawdaddy]

Appreciate the thoughts :)

So you use LLA before you size and mount the GC's ?
Dosent that gum up you'r die and strip the LLA off the outside of the bullets ?

I use LLA also, but only after sizing and checking.
My procedure is cast, add check and spray WD40, size, apply LLA.
Been doing it that way for years with the larger bullets, this is my first venture into anything smaller than 30cal.

I'm using the HB alloy because thats what I cast most all my rifle bullets out of.
And these are air cooled, not water droped or heat treated, so should be about as hard as Lyman #2.
Should I be using something softer ?

TIA
Cheers, YV

Not only will it NOT gum up the die, Lee reccomends it to keep the sizing die from leading up.

Cast
Lube with LLA
Put gas check on
Size.

[mpmarty]

OK Jeff ya got me. However, as I read the post it seems the word "lubricate" is in the context of discussing three in one oil rather than WD40. Donation ready next trip into town.

[Bret4207]

Appreciate the thoughts :)

So you use LLA before you size and mount the GC's ?
Dosent that gum up you'r die and strip the LLA off the outside of the bullets ?

I use LLA also, but only after sizing and checking.
My procedure is cast, add check and spray WD40, size, apply LLA.
Been doing it that way for years with the larger bullets, this is my first venture into anything smaller than 30cal.

I'm using the HB alloy because thats what I cast most all my rifle bullets out of.
And these are air cooled, not water droped or heat treated, so should be about as hard as Lyman #2.
Should I be using something softer ?

TIA
Cheers, YV

You don't HAVE to use something softer, no. I just didn't want you thinking you HAD to use something hard to get decent results.

Check the interior surface of the die and see if it's rough. Some smooth out over time.

[MT Gianni]

If there is a rough spot in the die try sizing the boolits base first in the Lee die. Your GC should stay on and there is enough of a flat nose to resist being deformed.

[yovinny]

All I can say is,,, WOW
I'm truly amazed :)

I really didnt think LLA instead of WD40 would make that much of a difference.
Like I said, I've been doing it that way for years with larger bullets, but I gave the LLA a try today.
I tumble lubed a dozen bullets this AM, added the GC's and sized them tonight.
They went through the die lickety split, hardly any force at all and they look and measure great.

Cant say I'm thrilled about having to lube and stand them all up twice, but the difference in the sizing makes it worthwhile.
I'm going to have to try doing my larger bullets this way.

Thanks for the help ;)
Cheers, YV

[Bad Water Bill]

Just wait till you have run some of those PERFECT boolits down the tube and you will NOT mind the extra step:bigsmyl2: