beagle
09-06-2005, 11:41 AM
I was approached Sunday by my shooting partner about opening a mould that he has that belongs to me. It's a Saeco #018. It's a great shooting mould when "beagled" but like most Saeco moulds, it only runs .458 and a little change.
The beagling process was driving him nuts. When he'd get the diameter up, the nose would be too big for his Browning BPCR .45/70.
He had a plan and I told him to go for it and he proceded right from the range to his place of business which is a tool and die place.
After about 40 minutes of measuring and figuring and cutting he had a bullet that ran .463 on the base band, .462 on the second band and .458 (original dimensions) on the driving band. The nose was good to go as it was.
He ground several cutters to fit the bands. Then he indexed the blocks in a vertical CNC mill and dialed in the center. Then, he cut the base band and then the second band and cleaned up the third band to a clean .458. This was done by opening the dimensions a few tenths at a time until contact was made and then opening to the desired dimensions.
Now, we have a 412 grain bullet that is large enough to be sized (in my case to .459") and he'll be able to size in a .462" sizer and lube only and have atapered bullet. The .458" driving band will snug right into the lands when seated and the nose will be just right.
One of the side benefits from this operation is that the elongation from the cherry cuts that gives us oval shaped bullets because of cherry bounce is gone with this modification.
Talked with him Sunday night and he'd run a few and was really happy with it and was going into full blown production casting on Labor Day.
Boy, have I got some projects for him this winter starting with all of those dinky .409" diameter .41 moulds I have that I want to cast .413 for a good .412" cleanup.
He says he estimates a 10 minute job once he gets a few more cutters ground and on hand. No more "beagle tape"./beagle
The beagling process was driving him nuts. When he'd get the diameter up, the nose would be too big for his Browning BPCR .45/70.
He had a plan and I told him to go for it and he proceded right from the range to his place of business which is a tool and die place.
After about 40 minutes of measuring and figuring and cutting he had a bullet that ran .463 on the base band, .462 on the second band and .458 (original dimensions) on the driving band. The nose was good to go as it was.
He ground several cutters to fit the bands. Then he indexed the blocks in a vertical CNC mill and dialed in the center. Then, he cut the base band and then the second band and cleaned up the third band to a clean .458. This was done by opening the dimensions a few tenths at a time until contact was made and then opening to the desired dimensions.
Now, we have a 412 grain bullet that is large enough to be sized (in my case to .459") and he'll be able to size in a .462" sizer and lube only and have atapered bullet. The .458" driving band will snug right into the lands when seated and the nose will be just right.
One of the side benefits from this operation is that the elongation from the cherry cuts that gives us oval shaped bullets because of cherry bounce is gone with this modification.
Talked with him Sunday night and he'd run a few and was really happy with it and was going into full blown production casting on Labor Day.
Boy, have I got some projects for him this winter starting with all of those dinky .409" diameter .41 moulds I have that I want to cast .413 for a good .412" cleanup.
He says he estimates a 10 minute job once he gets a few more cutters ground and on hand. No more "beagle tape"./beagle