Adjustable sizing dies, an idea

[kimoleto]

I was checking on adjustable sizing dies and the prices are totally out of my league, I´m in Mexico so postage is also an issue, would it be possible to use something as a collet (er20 due to its small size) as an adjustable die? a 5/16" collet will cover a full .30 cal range but before building a sand castle (hope you use the same expression in english), I´m opting to ask for your knowledge/ideas

[megasupermagnum]

I'm not sure what you mean by adjustable. One cool trick an old time reloader showed me is to use the carbide 32 H&R sizing die to neck only size 30 caliber bottleneck cartridges. Sure enough, it works very well. I've only tried it with cast bullets, so jacketed bullets might be a bit of a loose fit. If that was the case, I would think you could do the same thing with 30 carbine dies. Sizing this way is not the most accurate way, but it certainly works well, and should work with just about any 30 caliber cartridge provided you can turn the die out far enough.

[Winger Ed.]

I wouldn't trust a collet to be precise enough and maybe change its settings as its being used.

Or if you found one good enough to be trusted, it'd cost more than a few regular ones and not be cost effective.

[kimoleto]

I was talking about bullet diameter, a way to make an adjustable die for correcting bullet diameter. I just started casting bullets for my air rifles but found they like something around .305 -.307, as they come from the mold they are .309 - .311, i was dreaming with a die that allowed me to play with the bullet diameter and the possible effect on accuracy and velocity. Read about swinglock.net products and my imagination took over, sadly my wallet has the last word.

[country gent]

Adjustable sizing dies allow for the sizing shoulder to be adjusted up or down. With the die bottomed on the shell holder. This allows full body sizing and the correct head space both. I believe Neil Jones, Wilson and Warner have made them. A custom die can be mad that is set to your fired cases headspace also. These are bored on a cnc lathe or by skilled machinists. The plus to these dies is they only size what you need no over sizing. Body and neck are sized to just the min amount shoulder is bumped back just whats needed. Last on the list is the bushing dies that use a bushing to set neck size. These can be useful to tune neck tension, Or for cast bullets that are slightly larger. Body sizing with them is usually sammi min and shoulder bump accomplished with die adjustment.
Wilson would custom bore their straight line sizers to 3 fired cases and would Redding.
With the above dies brass life is increased and possibly accuracy also.
I use neck bushing dies for my BPCR cases and neck size only. On high intensity rounds after 2-4 neck sizing a full length sizing may be required to bring body shoulder back for easy chambering.
They are a tool that can be useful on bench rest or accuracy built guns but the added may not show on off the shelf rifles.
Another trick some have used is to use a few fired cases and lapp the sizing die, here .010 is removed from bottom of die to move shoulder down and the cases used with very fine compound to lightly open die up. This is touchy demanding work and not for just anyone to attempt.

[Valornor]

Before building a sand castle...I like it, I haven’t heard it used here in Utah, but doesn’t mean someone doesn’t use it somewhere.

I think it’s an interesting idea, I am assuming you are only neck sizing.

Usually you need two actions, a die to squeeze the neck down to size, and then a button is pulled through to expand and round the ID of the neck. Different size buttons can be made or can be ordered from the various reloading suppliers, I used to make them all the time for adjusting neck tension.

As far as precision goes...I think the ER Collet is meant to clamp around something that is already pretty round, such as a end mill. If you closed the die just using the collet with nothing to close around, it may deform and not close evenly. Which is what the find gentleman before me were referring to.

However if we took this one step further and put a bushing in the ER collet, and had several bushings that were of different sizes, maybe that could work. I’m thinking aloud right now...

Edit: after re-reading comments I realize the OP clarified he was looking at bullet diameter. Making an adjustable sizing die for resizing bullets so some of my previous comments are not relevant.

Still maybe using a bushing inside of an ER collet might work, but would not be how I did it. I have a draw die set up I designed and use for drawing down jackets, I would likely do something similar for resizing bullets. This consists of interchangeable ring dies and a holder.


Check out my website www.theballisticassistant.com

[M-Tecs]

I was talking about bullet diameter, a way to make an adjustable die for correcting bullet diameter. I just started casting bullets for my air rifles but found they like something around .305 -.307, as they come from the mold they are .309 - .311, i was dreaming with a die that allowed me to play with the bullet diameter and the possible effect on accuracy and velocity. Read about swinglock.net products and my imagination took over, sadly my wallet has the last word.

The swinglock design is for sabotless smokeless muzzleloader shooting. It's a barrel section used to impart the actual rifle into the jacketed bullet. That is called full form. They also make a smooth die that doesn't impart rifling into the bullet but they are still mostly for jacketed bullets.

If you have access to a lathe a die could be made that uses drill bushings. https://www.carrlane.com/en-us/product/drill-jig-bushings/renewable-bushings

This would be a push through only without lub. capabilities but for the large caliber air rifles that would not be an issue.

Search eBay for " TTS Pellet Sizer for all air rifle pellets " That is more inline with what I believe you are looking for.

[kimoleto]

That´s an explanation even I could understand...Thanks. Yes, I´m trying to resize bullets not cartridges. I had a similar idea (the swaging die) as a hollowed 7/8" bolt with an properly internally reamed insert. Maybe that´s going to be my next project.

[Rcmaveric]

I think he is talking about bullet diameter. Lee has switched over to a bushing style push through size and NOE offers a bushing style size. You buy one die and then swap out the insides for whatever you want to size to. I think the die runs about 25 to 30 bucks and the bushing around 15.

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[M-Tecs]

That´s an explanation even I could understand...Thanks. Yes, I´m trying to resize bullets not cartridges. I had a similar idea (the swaging die) as a hollowed 7/8" bolt with an properly internally reamed insert. Maybe that´s going to be my next project.

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=104

[M-Tecs]

This is the eBay link for the " TTS Pellet Sizer for all air rifle pellets " NOE makes a great produce. Never heard of TTS and the only place I can find it is eBay. They are out of England so shipping may be an issue.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Original-TTS-Pellet-Sizers-for-all-air-rifle-pellets/132043609188

[kimoleto]

Believe it or not the most expensive shipping service is from the the USA (yes, even USPS), just bought some molds from Russia and the total cost was about half as compared to the USA (svarog molds from Russia).
I might opt for NOE, I´ve been reading a lot from them

[country gent]

For a push thru die drill bushing would be good, hard and available. Find one the right size or under sized and grind hone to size. most use a cam lock mounting and woud be quick to change in this way. Another way is to make a body with 5/8 fine threads and a 60* nose. Use 5/8 fine allen set screws. drill bore and polish the set screw with the desired hole size and change out as needed. It wouldn't take a lot of length for this. The allen set screws would be tough enough and can be machined readily

[Rcmaveric]

Anything I could think of would be expensive and time consuming to make. I remember reading some where that an old Lee die was bored half way through with a .51 and threaded. Then you match a bolt to the threading and bore the bolt through the middle to retain the bushings. At .51 you can drop in what ever neck sizing bushing you want into it (beveled side down). You now have an adjustable push through sizer but you need to make a push through stem. But it's the same concept as how the NOE push through sizer works.

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[kimoleto]

I made some bushings, I have a small atlas lathe and after some experimenting I finally made a .305 bushing that seems to work on my rifle. In the past I made some inserts for my Lee Classic cast (I´ve done some swaging with the press), so it was easy readapt all the system and resize some bullets. Thanks for your time and advice

[country gent]

Look at the Meacham sizer lubricator for ideas. I have one set up in 38 ( .379) 40 and 45. screws in a press with bushings for dia and a lube pump also

[kimoleto]

Yes, I made something like a push through, i´ll test the bullets this weekend