Can you size .451 to .432ish?

[Any Cal.]

Does anyone do this regularly? Have access to a .451 mold, but wonder how badly it would be distorted if sized down to suitable .44 cal dimensions. Could it retain accuracy?

[45fan]

Good question I recently bought a 44 mag and want to cast for it. I already have a mold to cast 452- 200 gr FRN boolits. I am guessing (without trying it mind you) that there wont be any lube grooves left after sizing with a 430 sizer. If you try it or find out any info from more knowledgeable folks than myself I would like to know for sure as well.

[dromia]

Yes it can be done but whether you'd want to is another matter.

As had been said you probably wouldn't have much of the lube grooves left.

Depending on the lead hardness you need to size down in 2 thou steps so a protracted process per boolit and you'd need a selection of sizing dies.

Me it wouldn't be worth the bother and I'd just get a suitable mould for the calibre.

[Piedmont]

I think you want to do at least two steps. Lube first in the largest die (so lube it in a .451ish die before going down), then do yourself a favor and use Lee nose first dies in reloading press so you don't break your lubrisizer. I think I did just what you are wanting last year and there was a large base fin raised, but that would have been going the whole distance (20 thousandths) at once, since I don't own a sizer between .451 and .433". I did size some .366 Makarov bullets in a .357 die and they looked perfect. The bullet got longer but no finning or uneven distortion.

[mdi]

.020" is a lot to swage in one step. I'd try no less than three steps to maintain a bullet-like chunk o' lead. Another fact; the lead swaged from the OD has to go somewhere, and I believe it'll go to the base of the bullet (lead flowing back as the bullet is swaged) and into the lube groove. I've run some bullets down about .008" to .010" through a Lee sizer and while the body was good and round the base had quite a bit of "flash" or a lead ridge around the OD.

[gray wolf]

NOT ALWAYS---but,
when you reduce that much circumferentialy the lead has to go someplace, and most times it goes up, distorting the front drive band.

[Chicken Thief]

Once read about a squeeze bore rifle that used standard 22LR but had a 17 bore.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Langsford%27s+squeeze-bore+rimfires%3A+is+this+near-forgotten+idea+too...-a0268869254

But generally severe sizing is severe distortion of the boolit and not helping accuracy.

[Recluse]

I'd check the BHN after I sized down that much. It might be at a factor I'm not comfortable with.

:coffee:

[fecmech]

I have done it with ACWW bullets but first sized and filled lube grooves in the .451 die, then you don't loose the lube grooves, the bullet gets longer. I then sized to .433 for my SBH .44 mag which had large throats as a test to see if leading could be eliminated in light loads. After that I just "Beagled" my .44 mold to .435 and sized to .433. Accuracy was good both ways but "Beagled was better and easier.

[Any Cal.]

Thanks for all the help. I had found a good deal on some 4 cav Lyman molds, and wondered if it would be difficult to swage them down. Multi-caliber would be nice, but buying an extra size die makes it not quite such a good deal.

[fredj338]

Succesfeully is the question & that would be no. Much more than 0.006" & you are just distorting the bullet & removing lube grooves. Get a proper caliber mold.

[mongoosesnipe]

I would just spend 20 on a lee mold you will spend that much just to get the extra sizing die you wil need to do the 2 phase sizing

[woody1]

Does anyone do this regularly? Have access to a .451 mold, but wonder how badly it would be distorted if sized down to suitable .44 cal dimensions. Could it retain accuracy?

In spite of what the others have posted, I have to answer yes, mebe. If you do it right, it can be done. As to accuracy, I don't know what your standards are mebe, mebe not. Doesn't cost much to give it a try. I've posted my experience here a time or two and the responses usually are about what you've seen. I have a 38 WCF with a bore that's about .406" way to large to get any "normal" 38 WCF mould to work and I don't want to spend the bucks to get a custom mould. I have a 4 banger Lyman 452488 that I use for the 38. I squeeze 'em down in a couple increments. I've found you must fill the lube grooves first and also lube the boolit nose. I hand dip 'em in melted FWFL maning sure to get "some" on the nose. First squeeze, nose first in a Lee .44 die off hand don't remember what size. Most anything from .427-.430+ will prob'ly work. Final squeeze is to size. The lube in the lube grooves keeps them from being squeezed away. Yes there is a little "skirt" around the boolit base. Accuracy, well I can hit sage rats fairly regularly to 50 yards or so with them. End of dissertation. Regards, Woody

[Green Lizzard]

i take the rcbs 200 gr 360 dia down to 350 for 348 win

[MT Chambers]

One problem will prolly be that the grooves will not be reduced equally and may result in an "off centre" bullet and results on the target would suffer.