Off topic: Sizing jacketed bullets with a lead bullet sizer die

[pan957]

I picked up 5000 USGI 149 grain 7.62 NATO FMJ boatail projectiles this week. They are all "collet pulled" which is supposed to minimize distortion. No such Luck! They measure .001-.002 out of round. I hate to resize the bullets to .308 in the barrel of my M1A!! I bought some pullet bullets 20years ago and they spit flyers every 3 round or so. Surplus Portugese Machine gun ammo was more accurate!! My question is has anyone used a .308 Lyman or Lee lead bullet sizer die to true up copper jacketed pulled bullets?? Would the die hold up to sizing copper versus lead bullets?? Thanks for allowing the question.

[357maximum]

I have done what you are thinking...it works just fine..... just make sure you lube the bullets lightly with lanolin or lanolin/alchohol case lube first.

[stubshaft]

I've done it in a Lee push through but have never tried it in a Lyman or RCBS with H&I dies.

[runfiverun]

they throw flyers because the lead is squished inside the jacket.
the jacket springs back the lead don't.
there's a reason why things are swaged up.

[Mk42gunner]

IF I were to do this, I would definitely go with the Lee die. THe weakest reloading press is stronger and has better leverage than a lubrisizer.

Robert

[Shiloh]

Would the die hold up to sizing copper versus lead bullets?? Thanks for allowing the question.

Welcome to the forum.

I would think you will need more than one die. 5000 is a lot of projo's!! One also wonders about your arm holding out.
As stated above, there are folks who have done it. If you still need more info, call Jeff Bartlett.
He is very familiar with this type of thing. http://www.gibrass.com/

Shiloh

[Larry Gibson]

Quite frankly I think it is a waste of time and effort. As mentioned, the cores are already swaged down and the jackets will spring back, expecially if they are the soft steel jackets. The barrel of your M1A will size them just as well and a whole lot easier in 1 bearing length travel anyway. If the load is worked up and is with standard powders in the correct buring range there will be no measureable increase in psi.....I know because I've tried to measure it, even with .310 size steel jacketed AK/SKS bullets. Once the bullet has traveled the 1 bearing length it is sized down and acts just like any other bullet. The psi to size it down is very early in the time pressure curve.

I've shot thousands of pulled M80 bullets in enough M1As and M14s to know nothing you do will improve upon the accuracy capability of such bullets. Suggest you save yourself the pain and just load them and shoot them.

Larry Gibson

[lbaize3]

I have used a Lee push through to size 45-70 300 grain jacketed bullets from .458 to .452 to shoot in my .454 Raging Bull. Had to lube well and sized twice to minimize spring back. Worked very well.

[Shiloh]

Larry, Ive put them through an '03 springfield. These were the M118 copper jacketed collet pulldowns
from Bartlet. They use to be plentiful and cheap. For what they go for now, one can buy a superior jacketed hunting boolits for the same price or a little more. Same with surplus powders.
Canister powder is a little more. Surplus powder is no longer the bargain it used to be.

Shiloh

[nanuk]

doesn't LEE's documentation discuss sizing J-words?

[Larry Gibson]

Shiloh

Not a bargain anymore....for the most part that is certainly true. Even Remington CorLoks used to be a good "bargain" but since Obama's election and the run on reloading supplies/equipment Remington prices them like they are premium bullets.

Larry Gibson

[HANDYMAN]

Are you referring to the Barre, VT gun show? If you are I was the one that sold those to you. Not Tex but the other guy with him. I also got a bunch of those and just checked them with my caliper and only noticed about a 1/2 thousandth run out on them. Just shoot them and don't worry. If it makes you feel better yes you can use a lee sizer and run them through it i've done it with thousands of .223 and .308 heads.