Nose sizer...

[Bad Karma]

I was watching a fellow on YouTube size a cast boolit for his K-31. He sized it with a gas check then switched to a "custom" sizer. Inverted the boolit and sised the nose to his likeing. Is there such an animal? If so I want one!:-D

[cbrick]

Dunno if anyone is making s sizer die specific to this purpose but I have a custom XP-100 match chamber (6.5 BR) that is about .025" too short to seat the SAECO # 264 (my avatar) to my desired depth.

My solution was to size and gas check as I mormally do, nose first in the Star machine with a .2655" die. Then set up the SAECO lubr-sizer with a .263" die and again size nose first (in the SAECO) but with the depth of the machine set so that only the first .025" of the front driving band is touched (the nose isn't touched). With the taper of the die it gives the front driving band a slight taper for the first .025" (the only part of the bullet that touches this die). This bullet then fits my chamber like a glove and with the bottom of the gas check flush with the bottom of the neck. Chambering a round leaves a slight mark on the tapered front of the driving band right before full bullet diameter (.2655") where it contacts the chamber. Bullet diameter is .0015" over groove diameter with the front of the driving band barely started inside the chamber.

Without this step chambering a round either pushes bullets further into the case by varying amounts and/or pulls bullets when removing a round from the chamber.

Rick

[leftiye]

It would be simple to make (or maybe use a Lee sizer die?) a die for a single stage press that was the desired size for your boolit nose. Your problems would be that you'd need to control how far into the die you pushed the boolits (for precision), and have a way to drive the boolit back out - hopefully without deforming the nose too bad (punch that is same shape as desired boolit nose). A flat topped punch in the ram should be sufficient to insert the boolit, but one with a little depression at the center might work better. Your real problem may be that bore riding boolits often are UNDERSIZED in the nose area as cast.

[runfiverun]

alot of the k-31's have a smaller bore and he could have just been sizing the nose down to 300 or 299.
to just slide in there.

[Slowpoke]

Buckshot makes nice nose size dies that work in a lube sizer.

[44man]

I screwed up making my BPCR mold. The nose is a few thousandths too large. I screw a Lee .451 die in my press from the bottom, upside down. The boolit fits in that end nice. I made a new punch, long enough to get the nose only sized. Then I made another punch to fit the nose so I can push out the boolit. Works like a charm.

[Lead melter]

Dunno if anyone is making s sizer die specific to this purpose but I have a custom XP-100 match chamber (6.5 BR) that is about .025" too short to seat the SAECO # 264 (my avatar) to my desired depth.

My solution was to size and gas check as I mormally do, nose first in the Star machine with a .2655" die. Then set up the SAECO lubr-sizer with a .263" die and again size nose first (in the SAECO) but with the depth of the machine set so that only the first .025" of the front driving band is touched (the nose isn't touched). With the taper of the die it gives the front driving band a slight taper for the first .025" (the only part of the bullet that touches this die).

Rick

I'm getting ready to solve the same issue with a different caliber. I use reformed 30-30 brass in my 38-55. Since the boolit diameter is just barely adequate at .379", I got in on the oversized Boomer Mikey 38-55/375 group buy from a couple of months ago which will allow sizing up to .381".

My problem is that when I crimp, the seating die throat sometimes catches the boolit and pulls it out of the case. The throat measures out at .378" for a 38-55 die set. My die set is a Lee and a call to them stated that this is in spec.

To cure the issue, I am having a machinist coworker mill a .378" hole through a piece of brass rod, cut the threads to fit my press and I will then have a depth adjustable sizer with which I can size the front driving band to .378", while leaving the boolit body at any desired diameter.

Experimentation will prove out what part needs to be sized and what will need to be left alone. The best part is that it will be free.

[cbrick]

Lead melter,

As a suggestion ask your machinist buddy if he could taper the end of your new die (as is a regular sizing die) a couple of thousands for about the length of the front driving band (or however much you think you'll need to size).

This way you'll not end up with a step or shoulder in the driving band, just a slight taper to fit your rifles chamber or the seating die.

Just a thought.

Rick

[Lead melter]

cbrick,

Good thinking and thanks for covering my butt. Since I can't yet tell just how far I will need to go on the boolit, I had already planned on using my chamfering tool and sandpaper to make the slight bevel needed rather than have the bevel milled into the body.

Take off a little, try it out, take off a little, try it out, etc.

Good advice...thanks again!

[jhalcott]

Grandpop had a device that would hold the base end of the bullet and a nose piece would size the noses only. He said a long bullet could bend if it was not supported properly. He only used the "device" for target loads. Deer were shot with what ever was handy.!

[cbrick]

jhalcott, that's probably very true but I put so very little pressure with the SAECO with a flat punch on the already installed GC to size only the first few thousands of an inch of the front driving band I don't see a problem. Could be and probably would be a different story sizing the entire nose of a bore rider.

Can you describe his tool for holding the base of the bullet? Sounds like a great idea.

Rick

[beagle]

There use to be the Eagan tapered sizing dies that the benchies used. I had him make me a tapered .30 die and it works great for reducing the nose diameter.

Alas, Mr. Egan has left the range I beleive but almost any good machinist could make up a tapered sizing die.

As well as I recall, mine is tapered .015" from the die opening to the end. A flat TP is required and was furnished with the die and nose first sizing is required. A suitable die could be made in almost any diameter. No holes are use in these dies as the lead extrudes under pressure and makes it very hard to push the bullet back out./beagle