I have to be a dumb ____.

[bigarm]

I have ruined at least one sizing die by getting a bullet stuck in it and another I have a bullet stuck in it, but haven't tried to get it out because was not sure how to do it. Today I finished another project (a cabinet to hold my dies on Dillon tool heads) and decided to try to finish sizing my .357 bullets. These bullets I cast and then powder coated with John Deere green. The last batch I coated I either cooked too long or the parchment paper was used once too often as the parchment paper just crumbled and the bullets turned a much darker green almost brown color. Those darker ones were harder to size and sure enough I got one stuck. Since this was a Lee sizing die (.358 and brand new) I decided to try using my drill press to drill out the bullet. I did it and am not sure whether I hurt the die or not, but continued on sizing the rest of the bullets. This time I sprayed the inside of the sizing die with One Shot every once in a while. It said on the can that it does not harm primers or powder, so thought why not try. It did help, but the dark ones were still difficult and some lead was shaved off some of them. I kept these bullets separate. Should I clean them with something or will they be okay with the little One Shot that may be on them? I probably should also clean up the inside of the die with sandpaper or something. How does one do that? Finally, what the heck am I doing wrong to keep getting bullets stuck? At first I had the die screwed too far in but since have not screwed in further in than the bottom of the nut on the Rockchucker Supreme. I don't think I can go much higher but maybe? Any ideas you could give me would be greatly appreciated!

[RobS]

You need to lube the boolits with something. Straight dry if too large can get you stuck. I lube some up and then every 20 or so I just put another one through. Others have used dish soap and I've used just a touch of slick 50 on my fingers as I size them the small transfer is there on each boolit.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

sounds like your Lee die is rough inside. I'd polish it with a small dowel and some 400 grit sand paper...then maybe some 600...then some flitz or automotive polishing compound.

[Don Purcell]

I have a push thru Lee die to size some bullets for paper patching. It sized exactly ONE bullet and after that no matter what I did it would not let another bullet pass thru. Ordered a Corbin die and it's slick, no trouble at all.

[62chevy]

I did the same thing with .452 Lee push through. Just took a pin punch the right size and a one pound hammer and knocked it out. Flattened the tip of the Lee 452-200-RF but the boolit came out.

[Smoke4320]

If you get one stuck just melt the bullet out with a torch or drop on hot plate on a pan to catch the melted lead

[62chevy]

If you get one stuck just melt the bullet out with a torch or drop on hot plate on a pan to catch the melted lead

DUH !!! :redneck:

[Bzcraig]

If you use any kind of lube to get your boolits thru the sizer remember you need to remove it before you powder coat.

[captaint]

What JonB said about polishing, etc. Be careful and go slow, though. I don't think Lee really hardens their dies, so they're kinda soft. Split the dowel and slip the paper in and spin it with a drill. AND lots of oil.

[coffeeguy]

I'd ask if you were fully curing the powdercoat, but you indicated you were and then some...By chance, are you short-stroking the press? I did it a couple of times on purpose, fed one boolit partially through the die, but not to the point where I felt the resistance go away, then sized another immediately behind it and it required more effort than usual to push both through. Just out of curiosity, what do your boolits measure prior to sizing? 2 or 3 thousandths should be barely noticeable, 5 or more and you may run into problems. Just a couple of things to look at; hope it works out for ya!

[leadman]

I roll the boolits on the RCBS lube pad using RCBS case lube. The new Lee dies are rough inside so polish it as stated.
One can also put the die in the lead pot to melt the stuck boolit.

[11B-101ABN]

Sounds to me like your boolits are too big BEFORE you PC'd or maybe they were OK to begin with and began to slump in the oven. The only time I have had boolits stick was after they started to melt, but before they were ruined totally, they got fat bottoms and would not go through the sizer. try sizing a few before you coat them. A couple of thousandths coating should not make the boolit hard to push through the sizing die.

[bigarm]

Sounds to me like your boolits are too big BEFORE you PC'd or maybe they were OK to begin with and began to slump in the oven. The only time I have had boolits stick was after they started to melt, but before they were ruined totally, they got fat bottoms and would not go through the sizer. try sizing a few before you coat them. A couple of thousandths coating should not make the boolit hard to push through the sizing die.

I always size before and after coating. It is after coating that I have the problems. I am coating at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Does this sound right? I have an oven thermometer in the oven with the bullets. If I am cooking too long I can do less time or if too hot, lower temperature, but I thought this what was recommended.

[rsrocket1]

I think I've been there and did that... two days ago! My red 9mm boolits came out of the oven and I tried sizing them as soon as they cooled down and I had a really hard time getting them through the sizer when normally, they just slide through with the slightest resistance. Then I noticed I was shaving rings off the lead!

I ran back out into the back yard where I had just put a new batch of boolits in the oven and sure enough, I had bumped the temperature setting on the toaster oven while I was setting the timer and found that it was at the maximum setting: Broil.

I rescued the other bullets, but the first batch was "slumped" ever so slightly, mostly just a tiny bit shorter and fatter. Back into the casting pot they went. Fortunately it was only about 50 bullets. I usually put over 125 on a tray.

Check your temperature settings each time you insert a tray.

I normally run it at 350 for 15 minutes. Right at around 400F, parchment paper starts to get brown and crunchy pretty quick.

Measure your unsized coated bullets, both the length and diameter. Compare that with a cast but uncoated bullet. If it's shorter, it has obviously slumped and should go back into the casting pot.

[1911KY]

If your using Smoke's powder then you are baking too long. 400 for 10 minutes is sufficient. Try a few at this temp if you want to make sure.

Sizing before should make sizing after coating very easy.

[Smoke4320]

Also check your ACTUAL oven temp again .. no more that 400 degrees and 15 Minutes at Actual 400 temp

I preheat my oven (found it took 8 minutes get to 400) While oven is preheating I Dry tumble my bullets Stand up on trays then put in oven for 15 Minutes .. Since do it that way I have not had a bad batch of bullets .. Been thru several Lbs of powder and many colors

[Edward]

Sounds like well done bullets ,I do mine in HF red 400 for 25-30 min 5 minutes longer and I have a hot spot that makes for fat bullets (JUNK).No way will they size in that condition (I tried) !

[bigarm]

Thanks for all the ideas. I will try to polish the die, but I am not sure I am capable of doing that correctly. I will also lower the temperature of the oven or cook for less time and see if that helps.

[bigarm]

If you get one stuck just melt the bullet out with a torch or drop on hot plate on a pan to catch the melted lead
I have one die with a bullet still stuck in it, so I will try melting the lead out.

[bangerjim]

Get a stuck boolit out by simply (using a drill press and vice!) step drill the base until you are left with about a 1/16" ring of lead and then it will easily come out.

Lead will NOT ruin a hardened die. Cobbling around on it and heating it up will!

banger-j

[rsrocket1]

Use a dowel or metal rod with tape wrapped around it to protect the die and tap it out from the top with a hammer or mallot. Don't hit hard. You might also try turning the sizing die upside down and pushing the bullet back out with the push through stem + a short section of dowel.

[Bullwolf]

I use a split dowel (wood or metal) to polish my Lee push through sizing dies.

http://www.titanreloading.com/image/cache/data/Products/90036-250x250.jpg

Get a wooden dowel, or even a piece of brass rod will work just fine for this.

Slit the end of the dowel, a inch or so with a hacksaw blade and presto, you have made a split sanding dowel.

http://cleftlands.cwru.edu/silverpoint/stylus-3.jpg

Wrap some medium fine sandpaper around the dowel. I like to use oil, and wet dry paper (320 to 400 grit), rather than the more aggressive emery cloth for this, but both should work.

http://www.ktgunsmith.com/images/v10hh/hh23thumb.jpg


Chuck the dowel into a drill press and start polishing. Push a boolit through the die to measure as you go. Don't start off with a really low or coarse grit, as it will remove more metal quickly and you may open the die up more than you intended while trying to remove the coarser scratches.

I usually start with 220 if I have to really open a die up, or else I start with 320 grit.

Then go to 400, 600, 800, 1200 and finish with some Flitz metal polish on a shop towel. When finished the inside of the Lee die will be mirror polished, and it will take less effort to size a boolit with after.

Since most of my Lee push through size kits tended to size undersize, it's been a good way to get the size I really wanted. (Like .3585 out of a .358 die) And a really slick polished sizing die as well.

Careful though, if you spin the dowel for too long, or use a very coarse grit, you can end up with a larger diameter than intended. It really doesn't take much, so measure often.

If I'm sizing a boolit down more than 2 or 3 thousandth's I use lube (Bag Balm) and just wash my boolits after.

I've also stuck a boolit in a sizing die before. Just put the die in the freezer for a couple of hours, spray some kroil in there, and I easily taped it out with a short section of brass rod and a hammer. I have never had to resort to using a torch to melt one out.... Yet.





- Bullwolf

[44man]

Makes me wonder with all the friction to stick a boolit in the size die whether I would ever put one down my bores. So much work when I do enough with each boolit I make, sure don't want more work.
Double sizing and heat curing is not in my book. I get accuracy with no leading now, why would I change?

[rsrocket1]

You are pushing properly sized bullets through a barrel with 10-35,000 psi behind it. The OP looks like he tried sizing slumped oversized bullets through the die.

Different animals, that's why.

[Doggonekid]

I have a Lee mold that throws bigger than it should. They were hard to size. When I finished my first boolit it would not fit in my gun. Got a LBT mold and a custom die and problem solved. When I PC it makes no difference to the sizing process.

I also agree with previous poster. Try and drill first. Melting the lead out with a torch will change the temper in your die and it could ruin it.

[Land Owner]

http://www.ktgunsmith.com/images/v10hh/hh23thumb.jpg

- Bullwolf

That is no die being polished right there and THANK YOU for such a great idea as I need to open the chambers of my Ruger SP101 and wondered how I could get that done - correctly - on my own!!!

[44man]

The split rod will actually make things more round and as stated, use care and measure often. Lee dies cut fast and Ruger throats take much more, tough as nails.

[44man]

You are pushing properly sized bullets through a barrel with 10-35,000 psi behind it. The OP looks like he tried sizing slumped oversized bullets through the die.

Different animals, that's why.
Could be! I would NOT melt out a stuck boolit either. When you need to move something, a LARGE hammer is better with a good brass punch.

[pkie44]

Don't force it! Just use a bigger hammer!