Anyone tried top punch #413 with Lee C312-155-2R?

[jrebs]

Update Thanks for the clever ideas about how to jerry rig top punches in a bind! I did a lot of phoning around at lunch today and managed to find a #467 punch in stock in another city that I travel to a couple times a month. I've got it set aside and will pick it up this weekend probably.


Hey boolitcasters,

Has anyone tried using the Lee C312-155-2R boolits on a lubrisizer with Lyman top punch #413? I've got the mould shipping to me from the USA right now, and I have that top punch en route with some sizing dies I bought from another Canadian, but I haven't been able to nail down whether the 413 punch will work well with this boolit. If it won't, I'd like to get a head start on ordering an appropriate punch now so that I have as little downtime as possible before I can start shooting them. I did try searching a bunch and I did see someone suggested a #467 punch, but didn't read anything confirming or denying the 413's suitability.

Any help is appreciated.

[theperfessor]

I can help - see my sig line.

[jrebs]

I can help - see my sig line.

I have to email you to get an answer as to whether the 413 works OK with the C312-155-2R? Can we just use this thread for the benefit of everyone's information?

[fecmech]

have to email you to get an answer as to whether the 413 works OK with the C312-155-2R? Can we just use this thread for the benefit of everyone's information?
No. He makes conformal top punches that will fit your bullet exactly. You said "any help appreciated".

[jrebs]

Okay, well if I confirm my punch will not work, I know where to go.

[Dale in Louisiana]

A little wad of aluminum foil ( light duty works better than heavy duty here ) and a dab of bullet lube and just about any ol' nose punch will put you in business until the right punch shows up.

Loosely make a little ball of aluminum foil and stick it to your nose punch. Sacrifice a bullet or two with some heavy pressure to form the foil to fit both the nose of your bullet and the top punch, then get after it. When your new punch shows up, a fingernail will peel that foil off and your old punch is back in service for its original purpose.

dale in Louisiana

[ShooterAZ]

A #467 top punch is the one you want, if you can find it. The foil method works OK, as does a dab of 5 minute epoxy. Just put a little in the nose of the punch, insert your boolit (very lightly oiled), and let dry. Pull the boolit out and you have a perfectly formed top punch. To remove the epoxy, a couple of seconds under a torch and it comes right out.

[ku4hx]

ShooterAZ has an excellent suggestion. A "semi permanent" fix I like is to mix up a bit of two-part Epoxy and put it into the top punch cavity. Let a skin develop over the Epoxy then press the punch down onto the boolit's nose (coated with your release agent of choice) into the Epoxy. Press just enough to form a boolit shaped depression in the glue. What you end up with is a custom fitted top punch.

I call it a "semi permanent" fix because my intention was to buy a perfectly fitting punch. At that time if you sent Lyman a boolit sample they'd turn the punch to fit. My Epoxy punch fit better than what they returned to me. That was well over 30 years ago and I'm still using that glue-modified punch. In fact, I have several mostly for my Lee molds.

[MT Gianni]

IIRC, 413 leaves a slight ring.

[ShooterAZ]

If the 413 does leave a slight ring, the epoxy trick should remedy it.