BTSniper Custom Tools and Dies

[BT Sniper]

Received 125 dies back from heat treat today. Talk about stressful, over $30K worth of my product, 6 months of my labor and the future of my business all in the hands of those loading the package onto the truck.

Thankfully everything arrived in perfect condition and the dies look great! I'll be cleaning them up and completing final assembly to get them out to all of you ASAP.

Thank you for your support and patience.

Brian

[Del-Ray]

Great! So another week or two and we'll be swaging!

Now I have to gather up another 1k for some 223 dies, and maybe a .451 die....

[Jim_Fleming]

Hi Brian, I'm very interested in your jacket making kit, using copper tubing.

I've read this entire thread, and most of the linked threads. But I don't see an answer to my question.

Let me preface the question: I'm all set up on making .224 diameter bullets with .22RF cases. However, I recently bought a Savage Model 12 in .223 Remington. 24" barrel, etc. Here's the issue, the barrel has a 1 in 9 twist rate. My brass jacketed bullets are disintegrating about 10-15 yards in front of the barrel. FMJ works fine, but not the thinly jacketed (brass) bullets.

I want to try using copper tubing to make .224 diameter bullets.

I've noticed you don't have a 3/16ths tubing kit listed. Do you have a 1/4 tubing kit that will allow me to draw 1/4" tubing down, to .224? Or swage/expand up 3/16ths tubing to .224?

Thanks.

Jim

[Lizard333]

Not being BT, but the answer is not making making your own copper jackets. Those are more suitable for larger calibers. Your bullets grenading out of a 1:9 twist barrel is surprising. They should do very well. I shoot mine out of a 1:8 with zero problems. Your problem is not your jackets but maybe your process for swaging them.

If you feel your swaging them correctly, then I would purchase copper jackets. I am buying mine now from a member here, Bullet Maker 57. He makes them any size you need, so you don't have to trim them. They are very good quality.

Just my two cents.....

[BT Sniper]

Yes I find it strange too as I am also shooting the Savage model 12 with 9 twist 26" barrel. I have splattered only a couple bullets but I chock that up to some flaw in the bullet or jacket becasuse I was able to run these bullets at max FPS of 3500 FPS from that 26" barrel in 223rem and they all made the target in a nice .75 group.

I haven't tried .1875 copper tubing jackets but anything is possible I'll be happy to set you up with what ever I can.

BT

[Jim_Fleming]

Lizard333, thank you sir, you have a good point, about buying jackets. However, I'm very big on self reliance. I don't want to have to depend on a supplier that made my jackets I need, and now is out of business to make my bullets. It makes a *lot* more sense (to me) to make the jackets from material I can buy locally. Besides, the copper jacket will withstand the incredible RPMs a bullet flying at 3300 fps has to endure.

As BT knows, I've built, and all but completed, a couple of presses, following ANeat's design. I'm just waiting on getting a set of dies from BT, to finish the presses off.

Yes BT, please, sir. Would you try and see what you can do in the making of a set of .187 copper tubing/jacket making dies.

[Lizard333]

In that case you may want to investigate the cause of your projectile failure. The 22LR should do great in that twist.

[Jim_Fleming]

Again, thank you.

[DukeInFlorida]

3300 fps!!! ????

That's right at MAX pressure, which would be a LOT for a bolt gun, and way over pressure for an AR platform.

In my 40 years of reloading, I have never ever seen a cartridge where the max ACCURACY was at max pressure. It has always been somewhere between starting load and max load, working up a ladder type development chart, looking for signs of pressure along the way.

At 3300 fps, I am guessing that your spent case shows at least one sign of overpressure.

And, yes, the rotational speed of a .22 LR with a somewhat open nose (such as with a Corbin tool set) in;t going to hold together as well as a nose which is much more closed (tighter metplat), as is the case with BT Sniper's nose form punch. Additionally, bonding the cores might even become more important than they would be at lesser speeds.

If you're striving for putting bullets THROUGH engine blocks at 500 yards, have fun with 3300 feet per second, knowing that you are giving up accuracy (MOA). If you would rather go for accuracy, and better bullet performance, start with a lesser powder charge and work up your development chart.

If anyone cares, I load ALL my 5.56 rounds at starting load for BLC(2) powder. They run through my machines well. They shoot very accurately. They're easy on the equipment and myself. And, they never grenade on the way to the target.

It makes a *lot* more sense (to me) to make the jackets from material I can buy locally. Besides, the copper jacket will withstand the incredible RPMs a bullet flying at 3300 fps has to endure.

[Jim_Fleming]

Duke, the figure 3300 fps figure was just something that I'd pulled out of my head. I didn't and don't really know the velocities of the 223 Remington cartridge. But you'd think I would, a much as I reload for it.

Sorry, I created so much concern.

But..... Doesn't the US Ammo plant load 5.56 NATO to 3360 fps in their Ball Ammo? Using 55 gr FMJ?

[BT Sniper]

Don't forget Jim and myself are shooting bolt guns with 24-26" long barrels vs. AR platforms. I have found the Sierra reloading manual for bolt guns to be accurate as far as max powder loads yet I get 200FPS more then they list with my gun and these 55 grain bullets made from 22lr brass.

At Sierra's max load listed for the 223rem at 27.5 grains with H-335 I am getting 3500 fps where Sierra only lists 3300fps.

These bullets did group well at 3/4".






When I load for their 3100 FPS load I get 3300...... go figure.

Just to compare Sierra lists 25.7 grains of H-335 at 3000 FPS in a AR platform as max with a 55 grain bullet.



BT



To each gun it's own and 3300 from a 223rem out of a bolt gun with longer barrel in my testing with these bullets is well short of max load.

[fredj338]

Keep in mind guys, test platforms matter. Most 223 data is taken in 24" bbls, so add another 100fps for 26" bbls, subtract approx 50fps per inch for shorter bbls. Then throw in all rifles are diff, tighter bores, tighter chambers, smoother bores, diff twist rates, etc. Rarely will you see identical vel from one platform to another, even with the same bbls lengths. The chronograph never lies though, the only way to KNOW what the load is doing.

[LeadJunkie]

I received my order on Wednesday. The parts are of excellent quality. Thank you very much. I will definitely be ordering from you again.
-LeadJunkie

[LENNY67]

I received my order on Wednesday. The parts are of excellent quality. Thank you very much. I will definitely be ordering from you again.
-LeadJunkie

You are going to make me cry, my hat brim is worn out from sticking my head in the mailbox every day.

[BT Sniper]

Yep! I know! Lot of excited people waiting on dies. They are looking very good and coming together very well. Better actually, they are perfect!

I'll get eveyone's order to them just as soon as I can.

Thanks

Brian

[Del-Ray]

Will you let me know when you ship mine so I can keep an eye on the shop?

[nhrifle]

Brian, I had a thought yesterday while I was waiting for the CNC to go through its cycle. The benefits of this nitride surface treatment sound absolutely amazing. Might the treatment be worth investigating as a rifle barrel treatment? I am picturing improved accuracy, longer life and greatly reduced fouling.

[R.Ph. 380]

Yep! I know! Lot of excited people waiting on dies. They are looking very good and coming together very well. Better actually, they are perfect!

I'll get eveyone's order to them just as soon as I can.

Thanks

Brian

OK, everyone wake up now, it's just been a dream............................................. hehehe

[BT Sniper]

A busy week for me. I am finishing up machine work on 50+ 22 cal point form dies. If I am slow to respond to any inquires I'll get to them as soon as I can. Really got to get these dies finished up and off to heat treat.

Thanks

Brian

[fredj338]

A busy week for me. I am finishing up machine work on 50+ 22 cal point form dies. If I am slow to respond to any inquires I'll get to them as soon as I can. Really got to get these dies finished up and off to heat treat.

Thanks

Brian

B, you waiting to finish them & sending them off w/ the core seat die or? Any realistic ETA on the point form dies?