How much can you size without breaking anything?

[quack1]

I use a Lyman 45 lube/sizer, have had it since I started casting. I would like to try sizing the base band of a plain base boolet small enough to accept a gas check. I am able to make the sizers, but don't really know how much I can size down at once without breaking/bending something on the sizer. I am guessing I wont be able to do it in one pass, and that about .003-.004 would be about max per pass. I will be trying to size a 35 cal. boolet cast with air cooled wheel weights. Has anybody tried this, and how much were you able to size on each pass without damage to the sizer?
thanks.

[Rustyleee]

I don't know why it couldn't be done, but as you say it might take more than one pass. I do recall reading about a pin match one time where one of the contestants used .458 rifle bullets in the 350 gr. range IIRC sized down to run in his .45 ACP. I can neither confirm nor deny the fact of the mater. All I know is what I read. I know it's not something I'd want to try.
My son asks me all the time if thus and such can be done to a gun. My standard answer is "given enough time and money, anything you want can be done. The question is, do you have enough of both?"

[Larry Gibson]

Since you are making the sizers I'd be more inclined to make it to fit a reloading press ala Lee's sizers. If you can make so it the bullet is inserted base first from the bottom. A length of the sizer the size of the cast bullet before the bullet base enters the part to size down for the GC would support the bullet and keep things concentric. Given the appropriate length ram then by screwing the sizer in or out you could adjust for the length of GC shank you want. A gas shank diameter rod could be used to gently knock the bullets out of the die. Perhaps with a wooden knob on it it could be done by hand with just a push.

Larry Gibson

[jhalcott]

IF I am reading this correctly, you want to size the BASE down about .012" per side. That is quite a bit of sizing. Even though it would only be abput 1/8 to 3/16ths inch long,it would put a LOT of pressure on the nose of the bullets. Not to mention how hard it's going to be to keep the bullets centered in the dia. A better idea MIGHT be to BUY a gas check equipped mold from Lee.

[quack1]

DUH!!! Don't know why I never thought of using the loading press. My memory is continuing to get worse and I guess common sense is going with it too. Problem solved.
Thanks Larry.

[jhalcott]

Another thought i had after posting . Why NOT just turn the base of the bullets in your lathe. It should only take a second or 2 turning them to the correct diameter.

[fourarmed]

I go along with the suspicion that you would likely deform the rest of the boolit before sizing the shank as far as you need to. I see a couple of other options - besides the inordinately sensible one of buying another mould. A collet arrangement such as in the Lee necksizer might compress a shank easier, and the force to close the collet could be exerted by the bullet holder instead of the bullet. Another option would be to use the next size larger gas check, anneal it, put it on with the next size larger die, then the proper die.

[crazy mark]

I made a die to swage the base of 35 cal bullets for a GC. I use my RCBS sizer for this. I have nose punches that are exact fit and the upper diam of the die is .359 so the upper portion of the boolit doesn't bump up. Mark

[quack1]

Thanks for the suggestions. I normally don't use gas checks on anything larger than 25 cal, but saw a couple hundred 35 cal. in a plastic bag at a flea market for a quarter and couldn't pass them up. The boolet I want to use them on shoots really good at about 1400fps and I was curious if it would still be as accurate with a check and some more speed. ( I'll be shooting them in a .35 Rem rifle.)
I had figured on making a larger than usual top punch and using epoxy in it to fully support the nose of the boolet, and making the sizing die deep enough to support the sides to minimize any distortion. What I had never thought of was using the loading press instead of the Lyman sizer. Can't believe I was that dumb to miss something that obvious.
Turning the check shanks on a lathe would be simple, except the lathe I use is where I work. We are not allowed to bring bullets, brass, barrels, gun parts, etc in the building. Sizing dies and top punches and other reloading stuff aren't close enough to gun parts or ammunition to be banned.

[Lloyd Smale]

i size down 460s to 452 cast out of #2 in one pass on my star and if a star will do it a lyman or rcbs would probably do it easier. Just did about 500 of the 330 hammer bulllets out of the group buy mold and it was surpisingly easy.