Can I use .325 GC on Lee 338 bullets ? ?

[watkibe]

I am new to this site, but not to reloading and bullet casting; and I always still have questions ! I have used Lee molds and sizing dies with success and satisfaction for a few rifle and revolver calibers, but I have only used gas checks before in 30 caliber. I have ordered the Lee C338-220-1R mold, but then I realized that Lee doesn't make a sizing die. The most common checks around that size are 0.325 for 8mm. I have always seated checks with the Lee sizer, so what do I do now ? Also, actual 338 checks are hard to find and expensive, but 325 checks aren't. Will they fit the base of this bullet ? If anybody knows, would you shoot me a short answer please ?
Thanks !

[45nut]

Welcome aboard first off.

You can get a custom sizer from Lee:

Lube and Size Kits

Maximum bullet diameter is .575.

We need:

1. Payment of $29.00 ($25.00 + $4.00 processing fee)
2. Desired diameter to the factory

Please allow 4 weeks for delivery.

Now, going to the GC shank chart :http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=17539

.323 .301 .323/8mm

.338 .327 .338

It appears there is a .026 difference between the two, that may be too much to overcome.

You may be able to flare the GC open however, there is a post on the above thread, post number #16 that shows one method.

Good luck.

[watkibe]

Thank you for the welcome and the good information ! At this point I guess I just have to wait until the mold arrives and I cast a few bullets from it so I can measure the shank diameter and see what will work. Hmmm...does Lee publish dimensioned drawings of it's molds anywhere ?

[45nut]

No , they do not. Actually it is very uncommon to find dimensions of any commercial molds.

[watkibe]

UPS brought me a package from MidwayUSA this morning, so it's been like early Christmas at my house today. Included were a box of 8mm Hornady gas checks, and the Lee C338-220-1R mold. My calipers tell me that the ID on the gas checks is 0.300", and the OD on the shank portion of the mold is 0.320. That makes the bullet shank 10/1000 too big per side, depending of course on what alloy I cast and what size bullet it throws. It seems like a softer alloy might let me "swage" on the gas checks. Once I have cast some bullets I will get Lee to make a sizer die. (What other company would make a custom die for such a paltry sum ?) I would think it would be ordered at 0.339" OD, 1/1000 over nominal bore diameter. I guess I could slug the barrel and then go 1/1000 oversize to that dimension. Any suggestions ?

[shotman]

Lee has the push through in stock .just call . Next thing tell them to make the push pin to match the boolit nose. There is NO charge. Hornady makes the gas checks you have to call them $35 1000 I think If they are out of stock [said they only run twice a year] I have an extra 1000. the Lee mold is hard to mess with . Keep it lubed well and dont get too hot. The gas check on that boolit has to be run backwards to seat. that is why to get pin that matches the nose. I been there done that rick

[HORNET]

watkibe, It's probably best to actually slug the barrel first just to make sure nothing strange got past their inspectors. It's most common with older firearms, but can still happen.

[watkibe]

I finally cast some bullets with the GC 338-200 mold today. Driving band diameter is around 0.338, +0.0005 or so. In any case, they would slide through a 0.339 sizer without much sizing taking place, and with out enough resistance to seat a gas check. The 0.325 checks I have aren't going to work.

45nut, the shanks do measure about what the chart says, 0.325-0.327. The checks just wouldn't seat squarely.

Shotman, why did you have to size the bullets base first ? I will get the die from Lee soon, I would like to understand a little more about that before ordering it. Also...wanna trade my 1000 8mm checks for your extra 1000 338's ? If not, what would you let them go for ?
thanks !

[shotman]

hornady has the gas checks --- the Lee sizer and the Lee boolit dont do a good job of seating the gas check. The Hornady is a crimp on and is a little large to enter the die. It will catch and not seat correctly. I called lee and they sent a punch that matched thr boolit nose. That took care of the problem That boolit is super in the 338-06

[watkibe]

Between the snow and the floods, I only just got out to see how my Lee 200 gr cast 338s shoot. I have waited to get gas checks and sizing die to see if I really needed them. There's no doubt, the answer is YES ! At short range I was shooting patterns, not groups. The gun will put jacketed bullets into a very small hole, so I know it's the bullets. I'll get the checks from Hornady, and get the die from Lee. I think I will get 2 rams, the standard one for the base, and one ground to match the nose profile; I will have the die ground to 0.338". My mold and alloy throw bullets of about 0.339" so I can hardly go one thou over like usual. If needed, later I could have it ground out maybe ?

[HORNET]

watkibe,
You could either lap it or Beagle it. There is a sticky on lapping Lee molds to change dimensions ( just like Lee-menting to fix sticking problems) and Castpics (see link at bottom of page) has an article on Beagling to increase diameters (temporarily or permanently). You might want to Beage it first to see how much bigger you can get away with.

[watkibe]

In January I ordered 338 gas checks from Hornady and a sizing die from Lee. This week Hornady said it will be another 4-5 weeks. Lee told me they are currently working on orders from last August !!!
Holy cow...

[watkibe]

Yesterday, 30 May, I finally got the 338 gas checks from Hornady that I ordered last January. If you want some in this caliiber, now might be a good to time check with Hornady since they just did a production run.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

If you want to try the .323 [8mm] gas checks, you might try annealing them , drop a few into your lead pot when casting, dip them out when they change color, and then open them up a bit with a punch, then run them through the sizer on the boolit.

I have seen some .338 checks on GB and Flea bay lately , if you can't find them anywhere else.

[watkibe]

So today, July 20th, UPS left me a note that they tried to deliver a package from Lee. It can only be the 338 sizing die I ordered last January. That will just give you an idea of what kind of lead time to expect if you want to place a custom order with Lee these days. I will be here tomorrow when UPS comes back, so I will have the die to play with, and will post more on my success, or lack of it, later. By the way, I tried the GC without sizing, and the accuracy was still dismal. I hope sizing improves things.

[watkibe]

OK, got the die ! I have been having trouble seating Hornady GCs with my new Lee sizing die when I push the bullets through nose first, just like Shotman said I would. Lee declined to make a pusher to fit the bullet nose, telling me to use the stem from my bullet seating die. Well, that didn't work either. The die sizes to 0.338, and the pusher is about 0.010" smaller. Here's what seems to be working : I carefully seat the GC by hand after wiping the lube (LLA) off the bullet base, making sure it is seated square. Then I center the nose of the bullet on the center of the pusher, using the center as indicated by the tool marks. I carefully raise the ram and center the base into the bottom of the die. When it feels right, I push it through. Unless I go slow and carefully, I get GCs seated crooked. This is a slow process, but it's for my 338 win mag, so I don't see myself using large quantities of bullets through it anyway. Pushing by the nose leaves a little flat "meplat" on the tip of the nose. I think having a square base on the bullet is more important for accuracy than not having a tiny flat spot on the tip.

[watkibe]

One more question : If you use Lee sizing dies and Lee Liquid Alox, do you re-lube after sizing ? For handgun or rifle ? Why or why not ?
(oops, guess that's 3 questions, huh ?)