Does the stem fit the bullet ?

[Ben]

For a long time ( no more for me ) , I've tried to use reloading dies in which the seating stem just did not fit the nose profile of my cast bullets.

It didn't stop me from loading the cast bullets, but then again it usually didn't win any beauty contest either.

I use a lot of Lee dies. As you're aware the seating stem in Lee Dies ( $2.00 Each from Lee ) is removable.

Recently I was fortunate enough to purchase an NOE Brass , 311365. It has turned out to be a great shooting bullet for me. The catch is ......The tip on the bullet is " A Needle Point ".



It isn't likely you'd find a seating stem that would seat the bullet without seriously deforming the bullet's point.

A few days ago , I ordered 5ea, 30 cal. Lee seating stems that fit either the 308 Win. seating die or the 30-06 die equally well. ( The same seating stems are interchangeable in either die )

I did my usual degreasing of the interior of the nose punch with aerosol brake cleaner and a " Q-Tip ". Once dry, I coated the tip of the bullet with Brownell's Acra-Glass release agent and mixed slow curing JB Weld up and coated the interior of the seating stem. I aligned everything perfectly and placed it all in compression.



I allowed everything to cure for 24 hours then removed the seating stem and bullet from the clamp. This is what the interior of the seating stem looks like now :



I then took a diamond point engraving tool and identified the seating for use with the NOE 311365 bullet.



I've got four " spares " in my parts drawer to be used like this down the road.



No more deformed noses for me ! !

Thanks,

Ben

[SSGOldfart]

leave it to Ben when are you going to write a book??we need these Ideals put together in one place

[Ben]

My high school English teacher didn't think I could read a book very well, I'm certain that she would be very much surprised to know that I'd written one.

Ben

[pdawg_shooter]

I do the same thing, but I use hot glue. Easy to change if you change bullets.

[Sonnypie]

Ben, my Friend,
I'm only a tad confused....

"Recently I was fortunate enough to purchase an NOE Brass , 311365."

"I then took a diamond point engraving tool and identified the seating for use with the NOW 311365 bullet."

From out of the NOE, and into the NOW!

And there is bubble gum in your nose punch....


Excellent remedy for an age old deflugalty.

I love watching for your posts. Always great ideas.

[flashhole]

Good work. Why wouldn't you just drill out the stem on the original to provide relief for the bullet tip? I've done that in the past, it works well and the ring of the stem contacts the bullet on the ogive, not the tip.

[Ben]

That would most likely have worked just fine.

My idea with this was to give the bullet full support over a greater amount of surface area.

[1hole]

I hope your 'needle' nose cast bullets shoot well but the spitzer design rarely does.

[Ben]

1hole

I hope your 'needle' nose cast bullets shoot well but the spitzer design rarely does.


The spitzer rarely shoots well for people who shoot them faster than 1,600 fps.

The Lyman 311413 was tried after the war at 2,700 fps in the M-1.....Guess what ? ? It failed ( about 99.9% of the other cast bullet designs available would have also failed at that velocity trying to duplicate M-2 ball loads )....That started the " Myth " that spitzer cast bullets won't shoot well.

I've shot the 413' and other spire pt. .30 cal. cast bullet designs like the 311365 into some tiny groups, but it won't be done while " hot - roding ".

The group below was shot with my Hvy. barreled .308 Winchester . The group is sub inch for 5 shots. 4 of the bullets are in about 5/8" or so.

[SSGOldfart]

sweet group

[Colorado4wheel]

Lee will make them for you. Cost $12 I think.

[Ben]

$12 Ummmm ?

I got a package of them from Lee $2.00 each. Probably about 15 cents worth of JB weld used.

Ben

[Colorado4wheel]

Having made some myself I don't think a custom lathe made stem is a bad price.

[Ben]

There is something I'm obviously missing here. Why would anyone want to run a lathe or pay someone $12 to run one, when Lee will sell your the " blanks " for $2.00 . No machinist can fit a nose punch as tightly as the liquid JB Weld conforming to the shape of the nose of the bullet.

What am I missing here ?

[Sonnypie]

Well, obviously you are NOT missing the target there, Ben.

Do you have a Chronograph, or know what the round is developing? (Out of curiosity)
I'm a "fan" of 4895 myself.

[Ben]

No chrony...........? ?

Sorry,

Ben