Projectiles stick in sizing die

[Iron369]

I’m looking forward for possible issues that I don’t know about if anyone has similar experiences.
A few weeks ago I cast up a batch of my favorite 300 blackout projectiles. I’ve only used straight w/w’s and always water drop them. I usually resize from 311 before pc to 309 without any problems. A few days ago, I ran the cast projectiles without pc’ing through my Lee push through resizer. After about 20 rounds, the next round got tough to push through but went. The next round was very difficult to push through, but looked normal. The next round got stuck. Like really stuck. I’ve had 4 more consecutive projectiles get stuck.
I’ve ran +1k through this resizing die without a hiccup. I have another projectile stuck and can’t get it out so I ordered a new resizing die. I don’t want to ruin this one too. So where’d I go wrong? Was it in letting the projectiles sit for a few weeks (like 6 weeks) before I tried to resize? I have ran them before without pc, but never after letting sit so long between steps. Usually I resize the same evening as they are cast.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190816/0e24bd6e44b78f42b4bb76fc481e1290.jpg

[Bird]

I use water dropped wheel weight bullets at just under 0.311'' and size to 0.310''. If I try and size after even a few days it can be a tough job. Had some bullets that had a little zinc in them, and I could feel every driving band as they went through the sizer. The only way to get them through the sizer was to use plenty of lube in the form of aerosol furniture polish, if not, they will stick.

[Bird]

I did not see your pics when I first replied. You have a lot of bearing surface with those bullets causing your problem. Melt them down again and size them the same day.

[Iron369]

I did not see your pics when I first replied. You have a lot of bearing surface with those bullets causing your problem. Melt them down again and size them the same day.

That is probably what I’ll do. The thing is, I cast about 2k of them. I had rotator cuff surgery in July. I knew it would be a while before I could cast anything so I cast a bunch up knowing I could still do the one-handed operations like resizing and powder coating while I heal. Oh well. Back to the drawing boards.

[Iron369]

Spray them very well with Hornady spray case lube. But powder coating after will be a problem unless you clean them with denatured alcohol or something similar in a towel to remove the remnants of the spray lube.

I don’t want to lube them. I tried it once. It made sizing really super easy but I could never get the projectiles clean enough to get pc to stick.

[Bird]

2 thousand bullets is a lot to recast. I think I would try 44MAG's suggestion first.

[NyFirefighter357]

Well then PC them first and then spray them with case lube and size them That is what I do.

This might not even need case lube.

BTW, why are you water dropping them don't you loose the hardness after you PC them? Do you water drop after PC?

[Taterhead]

This might not even need case lube.

BTW, why are you water dropping them don't you loose the hardness after you PC them? Do you water drop after PC?

I PC then size. Then back into the oven for heat treat, then quench.

[David2011]

Just don’t put Kroil on the boolits or die. You’ll learn what stuck really is. I only did it once. :oops:

[Minaprob]

is the sizing die still polished in the bore ?

[44Blam]

I always resize boolits after PC'ing and I use a little Ben's Red on about every 10th boolit to lube the sizer... That's just what I do.

[Walks]

I use Dawn dish soap as a sizing lube in my Lee sizing die.
After PC, I put 100 or so bullets in a small Tupperware bowl, a dime size squirt of Dawn and snap on the lid. Shake like LLA and size IMMEDIATELY. Rinse well in hot water, pour out on old cookie sheet. Let dry in the Sun.

Use half the Dawn for successive batches.

Never had a bullet stick. When finished rinse Die in hot, hot water. Dry in Warm Oven or in Sunshine on top of Bar-B-Q Grill.

[white eagle]

pc and size but that doesn't always cure the hard push through
but you can still lube without having to clean them

[35remington]

Do not...ever....size without some kind of lubricant on the bullet.

Ignore that advice and you will keep sticking bullets in the die. It is exactly that simple in terms of future outcome.

A double rinse in carb or brake cleaner removes all lubricant if that is needed.

[Idz]

I always size after PC. If things start sticking I wipe my finger across a can of imperial sizing wax then rub a little on the boolit and sticking disappears. The PC itself lubes fairly well but not perfect.

[Burnt Fingers]

Get some Hi-Tek. Coat them. Then if needed you can apply some sizing lube to size them. Donny sells an AWESOME sizing lube.

[mjwcaster]

Another option is to temper the boolits, size and then re-heattreat.

Waiting too long after water dropping can make boolits very hard to resize.
I was playing around with alloys and water dropping this summer.
Had a batch of 452-230’s that I let go too long after water dropping.
I was afraid I was going to break the cheap Lee press I use for sizing, .454-.455 down to .452.

So I just tossed them into the oven for an hour and let them air cool.
Resized then and then probably re-heattreated them (I really can’t remember if I did or not, but I did get them sized)



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[Iron369]

Another option is to temper the boolits, size and then re-heattreat.

Waiting too long after water dropping can make boolits very hard to resize.
I was playing around with alloys and water dropping this summer.
Had a batch of 452-230’s that I let go too long after water dropping.
I was afraid I was going to break the cheap Lee press I use for sizing, .454-.455 down to .452.

So I just tossed them into the oven for an hour and let them air cool.
Resized then and then probably re-heattreated them (I really can’t remember if I did or not, but I did get them sized)



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I’ll give that a shot before I remelt the whole batch

[Conditor22]

clean and polish the sizing die. I would agree with others and PC then size using a little case lube or HiTek sells a boolit sizing lube.

Your right lubing is out of the question if you're going to PC after.
(you could use lube then soak the boolits in a solvent but what a hassle