What nose punch?

[stubert]

Does anyone here know what nose punch will fit a Lee 310 grain .430 diam flat nose for a 44 mag. My sizer is a Lyman 450. Also, I need some load recomendations for the same using W296.

Thanks in advance, Stubert

[MT Gianni]

1/4" flat bolt works fine. Grind off the flats untilit fits the meplate. If your alloy is too soft you might get the grade lines on it but they don't effect accuracy. Gianni

[stubert]

great idea Thanks

[Shuz]

1/4" flat bolt works fine. Grind off the flats untilit fits the meplate. If your alloy is too soft you might get the grade lines on it but they don't effect accuracy. Gianni

Any flat piece of aluminum or steel that fits the top punch hole works like a charm. Also a Lyman 303 top punch works well, but will very, very, slightly round the meplat.

[Dale53]

I just use a flat punch, as described above, when sizing the Lee C430-310-RF. It works perfectly and allows the bullet to center itself in the sizing die.

Dale53

[mtgrs737]

It's easy to custom shape an exsisting top punch so that it does not deform the boolit. Just chuck the shank in a drill and use files and needle files to rough shape the nose and then use wet and dry sandpaper to finish to the shape you need. The other method is to use quick set epoxy and a boolit to reform the nose of the top punch. I have done both and both work fine.

[felix]

For high speed boolits in the smaller calibers, I tend to like a meplat with no sharp edges. In fact, I even like to see a tell-tale ring, however faint, around where the top punch made a witness. Looking at the faint ring lets me know if the boolit was indeed sized straight on. Because of the gas check on these smaller boolits, I like to size base first so I can hopefully control their flat seating with crimp. I use a Saeco luber machine for these. ... felix

[Leftoverdj]

I keep a stock of quarter inch allenhead machine screws around for making up top punches.