So, now what?

[oneofthose]

I'm relatively new to casting bullets, and the process fascinates me. I learn something new every time.

I recently cast a batch with a new lee c358-158-SWC. They dropped at .362. When I size them to .358 the crimp groove is completely gone and the grease grooves are barely there. I know the alloy can make a little difference in what size they drop, but how much difference?

From the same batch of wheel weights I also cast some with a Lyman 358156. They dropped at .358-.359.

Could it be the alloy or is it the mold?

103359

[nicholst55]

If you lube and then size, the grease grooves won't completely close up like that. Not sure what's going on with the nose of the boolit there. What alloy are you using?

I suspect your Lee mold is a bit oversize.

[454PB]

Yeah there's something else going on here.......004" sizing does not close up the lube and crimp grooves like that.

They also look like they are crooked.....out of alignment. What method are you using for sizing?

[oneofthose]

Alloy is straight wheel weights from a large batch cast into ingots first.

The picture is deceiving, the nose looks smashed down, but it's not. It seems the material that's "sized away" is drug upward toward the nose, which ends up covering the bottom of the nose a bit.

I'm using a new Lyman 4500 with the suggested top punch. All the bullet sizing I've done before was done using the lee pass-through type with tumble lube. With the 4500, it seems that when the bullet is pushed down by the nose, bottom first, the material that's shaved away ends up on the nose.

[Shiloh]

Have you measured your size die?? Sure it is not a .355 or .356 for a 9mm??

Shiloh

[oneofthose]

Actually, I hadn't. I suppose one could be mis-packaged. After checking, it appears to be spot on. Also, the checked a few of the bullets.

[oneofthose]

103369

[cdngunner]

If it drops 362 I'll buy it off you...

Some of the old Victory models need a 360.

[blaser.306]

Is it just me or are you sizing your boolits and crimping the gas checks in a "dry" lyman sizer die? If so, I have no doubt that you are deforming the as cast slug and more or less swaging the crimp and loob gooves right out of them at the same time flatening out the nose section! I made the mistake of trying to use a brand new H&I die without applying a little of the good stuff to the first boolit thru and I was convinced that is where it was going to stay, if I didn't break the linkage first!!! YMMV!

[oneofthose]

Is it just me or are you sizing your boolits and crimping the gas checks in a "dry" lyman sizer die? If so, I have no doubt that you are deforming the as cast slug and more or less swaging the crimp and loob gooves right out of them at the same time flatening out the nose section! I made the mistake of trying to use a brand new H&I die without applying a little of the good stuff to the first boolit thru and I was convinced that is where it was going to stay, if I didn't break the linkage first!!! YMMV!

I lubed up the first one manually before I ran it through, just like the manual described. I seated the gas checks first, separately. This is my first time sizing with the 4500. Up 'til now I've been using liquid alox and the lee pass through die. This is also the first time with this mould, and I'm thinking it just drops them a little too big (362) to size down to 358. How much is too much?

[oneofthose]

103910

Here are some from the same batch of alloy using a different mould (358156). They dropped at .359.

[captaint]

Let's back up a bit. When you close the mold tight, can you see light between the mold halves ??
If so, there's your issue with too big. Look for specks of lead on the mold faces - that will be holding the mold halves open, therefore, boolits too big. Take a look anyway. Mike

[Foto Joe]

Sizing .362 to .358 is some pretty serious reduction. I'd say you need to find a mold that drops closer to what you want your final size to be.

[Tatume]

Sizing 0.362" to 0.358" is not much. I routinely size 0.008" (twice as much) with no problems, and plenty of lube groove remaining. Something else is wrong here.

[454PB]

I agree. I size a Lee 45/70 boolit from .460" to .452" for use in my .454 Casull. While the lube grooves do get more shallow, there is no other deformation.