Sizing shaves off bands

[Whistler]

Yesterday I cast up a batch of ca 1000 boolits with my Lee six cavity TL452-230-RN. I've used them with decent results before, but this batch is larger, measuring about .454.

When I run them through the .452 sizer, it more or less shaves off the micro bands, leaving me with a pretty funny looking boolit.

Should the all go to the pot again, or can I use them?
What is the reason? Mold running too hot?

[Doc Highwall]

Check the size of you bullets out of the sizer, it may be marked .452" but could be giving you a bullet closer to .451"

[44man]

Mold closing problems, different alloy, different temp. Anything can cause it. Casting and letting the boolits sit and age can expand them.
TL boolits can shoot very well but it is so easy to lose the GG's.
I have had NEI molds that had such small GG's that sizing wiped them out and I don't size very much, if any at all.
My feeling is that TL bullets are kind of silly and I prefer real GG's.
Try casting less boolits at a time and lube and size within 1/2 hour. Then just let them harden and expand before loading.
Then a lube sizer like the Lyman and RCBS does not work as good as a Lee push through even if you have to lap one out for the size you want.

[chris in va]

I get that too when I load the TL RNFP boolit for my 9mm. Looks like a piston ring under the crimp groove.

[fredj338]

Those TL grooves are pretty small. If you want to lube/size, probably best to go w/ std groove designs. You are likely to get better results anyway. More lube, less surface contact of the bullet, less leading.

[Whistler]

I'm using a Lee push through sizer, and I tumble lube them like the instructions say.

After making this thread I sized the TL358-158-SWC that I cast the same day (yesterday). Some of them showed the same tendency to be too large and shaved off the TL grooves.

I guess I had the molds going too hot, so that answers that question.
My second question still exist, though; can I use the ones with shaved grooves?

[DLCTEX]

+1 with 44 Man. The cause of the change will be found in one of the things he listed. One mould closing problem with the 6 cav. Lee can be in the pressure applied to the mould handles when casting. Alignment pin problems and alloy stuck on mould faces are others. These would be the first things I'd check.

[Doc Highwall]

Whistler, have you measured the bullets after you sized them in the .452" sizer. It is not uncommon for sizing dies too be smaller then the marked size by at least .0005" or more. What brand of sizer do you have?

[Ekalb2000]

Tumble lube boolits, cast them, lube them and shot them. If they are three thou over of the bore, I wouldnt bother about sizing.