bullet sizing problems

So I picked up a Henry 44mag/spl rifle. I slugged the barrel, came up with .4312.

So I ordered a .432 sizer insert for my lee App press.

The bullets are dropping at .4321 from my friends NOE mold, and are measuring .4331 after powder coating. measuring on the lube groove area.

After sizing I am getting some odd numbers. the lube groove area is coming out at .4317. The bases are gas checked, and are coming out at at .4323.

I understand copper will spring back a little after sizing. The numbers just don't seems to add up to me. how is the body winding up 0.006 smaller than the base?

On a side note, bullets previously sized with the same alloy with the .430 sizer measure .430.

Depends on what lead the sizing die was specific for when designed. Additionally soft lead will size smaller than harder alloyed lead mixes.

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Originally Posted by RobS

Depends on what lead the sizing die was specific for when designed. Additionally soft lead will size smaller than harder alloyed lead mixes.

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bullets previously sized with the same alloy and my lee .430 sizer yielded bullets that were .430.

Pin gauges will show you if the actual diameter of the hole in the sizer die is correct. Then you can look the alloy and the time since cast. Then you mention powder coating, which requires baking in an oven and the age hardening starts all over again. You are not addressing some of the elements that affect size die performance.

Have you shot any of these bullets yet to find out how they work in your rifle? That would be my first move.

Hope this helps.

Fred

I'd see how they shoot before I started splitting hairs and over thinking.

Yea, that's weird that the groove area is sizing out smaller than before sizing. Have you tried sizing a couple without gas checks?

Not that it would explain anything, are you installing the gas check before or after PC? Sounds like after, might want to try checks then PC.

As for the tail being larger, what does that hurt other than providing a better gas seal. A variation of a hollow based boolit. lol

Does that Lee App press allow you to size either end first? You could try sizing a couple nose first and tail first to see if you get different results.

Measure gas checks before & afters sizing. Will be very close to the same. Brass returns to its orginal shape.

Lead, not as much.

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Originally Posted by 243winxb

Measure gas checks before & after sizing. Will be very close to the same. Brass returns to its orginal shape.

Lead, not as much.

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perhaps maybe the checks need to be annealed?? how to thread here: https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...fits-technique

what are you using to measure these boolits to the 4th decimal point?

That's not .006. That's .0006" or 6 tenths. That's a perfectly normal spring back to see from a gas check. Annealing your gas checks will likely lower that, but it probably isn't needed. As for your second statement, Lee dies are pretty good, but being off half a thousandth would not be unacceptable to most people. Even then, I've seen variations of up to about .001" from the same die from different alloys. It seems high antimony alloys spring back a lot more than alloys closer to pure lead.

What mega said.^^^ & ReloaderFred.

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Originally Posted by ReloaderFred

Have you shot any of these bullets yet to find out how they work in your rifle? That would be my first move.

Hope this helps.

Fred

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^^^^^^^^^^ THIS, shoot a few and see how they work, keep it simple.

Art

After reading through this thread a couple times I have to question what the problem is? If anything I see the bullets are too small right out of the mold and the only thing you have to grip the lands in the barrel is the powder coat. I have always figured at least .002 over barrel size for lead bullet to get good fit but that is not with PC. I am not a fan of PC because I do not trust plastic to get the job done. But asking just the plastic to grip the lands is crazy.

Lots of folks use powder coat to increase diameter of cast bullets.