Why a section for alternative coatings but not size/lube.

[ammohead]

If a member or lurker has size/lube questions where can they cut to the chase kinda?

[ammohead]

Ok I'll go first!
The new trend in all things "rifled tube" is longer, heavier for dia. Mo Betta
Only been doing this since 1991 or so, please be gentle.
I like heavy for caliber rifle boolits. I am with Veral on this one. But I have to say that there have been some bore ride nose boolits that I really like, and he was not a fan.
No matter, sometimes I ramble. But long thin boolits are prone to bending if they are to be reduced in dia by very much, or in some cases simply applying the gas check. No doubt this contributes to the popularity of the coating method.
The more they have to be sized down, the more they are prone to bending. The softer the alloy the more they are likely to bend as well.
Yes, yes I know this can be solved by simply powder coating.
I cannot speak poorly of the powder coat or other coating method. I know zero about them. I am too much of a dinosaur to start a new process that I simply have no room for in the already stuffed reloading area.
But I digress. I have a lathe and can make any damn die I want. So as a experiment I started making size/lube dies for long skinny bullets near drop from mould diameter. I lube the bullets and apply gas check with this die and then run them through a nose first push through die to size to the desired diameter.
Another method is to roll the boolits from the mould (after cooling) in melted boolit lube in a pan of some kind and then apply the gas check while you nose size them first. Then even the softest of alloys can be lubed without bending.
I get really good accuracy with these methods. It is extra work and only matters when better accuracy matters. For when you have this hunting rifle that you would like to hunt cast with, but would like to squeeze a little more accuracy out of it.

[Walter Laich]

Ok I'll go first!
The new trend in all things "rifled tube" is longer, heavier for dia. Mo Betta
Only been doing this since 1991 or so, please be gentle.
I like heavy for caliber rifle boolits. I am with Veral on this one. But I have to say that there have been some bore ride nose boolits that I really like, and he was not a fan.
No matter, sometimes I ramble. But long thin boolits are prone to bending if they are to be reduced in dia by very much, or in some cases simply applying the gas check. No doubt this contributes to the popularity of the coating method.
The more they have to be sized down, the more they are prone to bending. The softer the alloy the more they are likely to bend as well.
Yes, yes I know this can be solved by simply powder coating.
I cannot speak poorly of the powder coat or other coating method. I know zero about them. I am too much of a dinosaur to start a new process that I simply have no room for in the already stuffed reloading area.
But I digress. I have a lathe and can make any damn die I want. So as a experiment I started making size/lube dies for long skinny bullets near drop from mould diameter. I lube the bullets and apply gas check with this die and then run them through a nose first push through die to size to the desired diameter.
Another method is to roll the boolits from the mould (after cooling) in melted boolit lube in a pan of some kind and then apply the gas check while you nose size them first. Then even the softest of alloys can be lubed without bending.
I get really good accuracy with these methods. It is extra work and only matters when better accuracy matters. For when you have this hunting rifle that you would like to hunt cast with, but would like to squeeze a little more accuracy out of it.

?????

[reddog81]

There is a section called Boolit lube.

[charlie b]

Boolit Lube for lube questions, Casting Equipment for sizing dies/equipment.

[bedbugbilly]

+ 1 ^ ^ ^ ^

Don't know what you are thinking in regards to sizing, but if you are talking OD for a specific cartridge, rifle, bore - I would think this topic forum (the one you posted this thread on) would be a good choice.

[405grain]

If you are bending your bullets by putting the gas checks on them you're not doing something right.

[Shopdog]

Long skinny bullets are prone to bending,not just from sizing or GC install. If you have the tools to check them for being round,and straight after sizing/GC..... start looking(testing) before. It might tell you something. Just sayin,they have issues beyond the stuffing it in the 'ole 450(Lyman).

"One" way,if I'm understanding your question,and don't be hating if this isn't your at issue.... you have a lathe,start making top punches that don't put pressure on the nose. On a long skinny bore rider,make the TP clear(and you go as far as you want here) the nose and have it come all the way down to act on the top driving band.

Further,possibly more info than you asked for... one reason to spec a bore ride nose with a slightly large diameter is to use tapered nose dies... easy lathe job. Don't "settle" for answers on the net regarding taper angles.. experiment. Anything around 4* and under(included) "should" be on the test menu.

Nice thing about tapered nose dies is,they allow for "finishing" a nose that got bumped up during any size/GC op. Which takes you right back to custom,"long" top punches. You can make them large on purpose to allow for this bump. Be aware that lube sizers in general AIN'T swaging presses. However,on long skinny's.... it doesn't take much pressure to effect these critical dimensions. Big difference between a 160g 6.5 bore rider and a 200g 358 when it comes to pressure required for upset... and yes,this goes much further than just during the sizing ops. Meaning,bullet upset on launch sees similar results(long skinny vs short robust).

If I missed the mark on your question,oops. Good luck with your project.

[MT Gianni]

You make some good points, Ammohead. I have had problems with 3589, the 6.5 mm's, a 311284 until I changed alloys and a couple more I don't recall. Nose first sizing seems to be the answer, but I drank the koolaid for powdercoating. I have never tried pan lubing but see it might work if I needed an answer.