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Thread: I've been swaging bullets but never made one with a store-bought jacket!

  1. #1
    Boolit Master pertnear's Avatar
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    I've been swaging bullets but never made one with a store-bought jacket!

    First a little background. A couple of years back I decided to give swaging a try & I bought a complete set of punches, dies & a press from RCE to make .22 RF cases into .224 cal bullets. That was the start & as I learned more I gradually added all the other stuff I needed. Like a core cutter, ultra-sonic cleaner, a small furnace for annealing, etc. I've been having fun & I've been making some pretty good bullets. But I'm totally self taught. I've learned everything from Richard Corbin's excellent instructions & what I've seen on YouTube & from the really good advice & "sticky's" on this forum. I don't know anyone in-person that swags & when I show someone some of my yellow .224 bullets with "Rem" written on the butt they are amazed. Or they think I'm crazy!...LOL

    Okay, so now I think I want to try my hand a making some super-dupper match grade bullets from commercial jackets. I'm not a benchrest shooter but quality/accuracy is my goal. I know that store-bought jackets eliminate the de-rimming, cleaning & annealing steps, but I have a few questions. Where is the best place to buy jackets & which ones? How do I determine what jacket length to use for the weight of bullet I want to make? Are there any special gotcha's or steps I need to worry about?

    Thanks in advance for your replies & comments.
    Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy onomrbil's Avatar
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    Match grade jackets don't make match grade bullets without match grade dies. RCE dies are good but are not match quality. I once thought as you do but got over it after I got my first set of Detsch dies and started winning matches with the bullets. Try as I would to get the RCEs to do it, they could not. They are fine for varmint bullets, but a match rifle can tell they are not the real thing. Dave Detsch is great to deal with. George Ulrich also makes great dies, as do several other die makers. Prepare to shell out about $1,000 a pop for carbide dies and cry once. You'll see what i mean when you take the plunge.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master pertnear's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by onomrbil View Post
    Match grade jackets don't make match grade bullets without match grade dies. RCE dies are good but are not match quality. I once thought as you do but got over it after I got my first set of Detsch dies and started winning matches with the bullets. Try as I would to get the RCEs to do it, they could not. They are fine for varmint bullets, but a match rifle can tell they are not the real thing. Dave Detsch is great to deal with. George Ulrich also makes great dies, as do several other die makers. Prepare to shell out about $1,000 a pop for carbide dies and cry once. You'll see what i mean when you take the plunge.
    Hmmm... So could my RCE dies make a so-called match bullet as good as Sierra, Hornady or Nosler sells?
    Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    Yes they would, and you don't need carbide dies to do it. Certainly, using the J-4 jackets will get you started in the right direction (as they are consistant). Start with quality materials and tools and the onus will be on you (quality control). For the utmost, you will have to weigh everything for consistancy.
    Domari Nolo

  5. #5
    Boolit Master pertnear's Avatar
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    Thanks for the good info. In my Google searches, the first thing I discovered was that there are not a lot of J4 .224 jacket sources out there. I heard Sierra had some good jackets also, but there website says you can BO, but no .224 jacket avail indefinitely. Berger looks like the best bet with many different length offerings. The problem is they sell in very large (i.e. expensive) quantities. You'd better know what you want when you commit! Berger lists the following lengths: .600, .705, .740, .800, .930, 1.00, 1.06. With my RF jackets I can vary all the way up to a 64gr bullet (the smallest I've ever made are 50gr). My dies make an "open-point" 6S bullet & the ejection wire is .072 which sets the max opening. I don't have a pointing die & wouldn't know how to do that. So I guess the simplified process would be:

    • Weigh, measure, inspect cores & jackets for best quality control.
    • Scrupulously clean the cores (I use acetone).
    • Seat the cores.
    • Lightly lube the outside only of the jacket (I use silicon on my finger tips).
    • Swage the bullet point.
    • Clean the bullets.
    • Weigh, measure, inspect bullets for best quality control then load & shoot.


    Is there a chart saying what length jacket for what bullet based on my 6S ogive? Also is there some conventional wisdom on what size frontal cavity is acceptable or 100% full is best?

    TIA...
    Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy tiger762's Avatar
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    Corbin's site has jackets listed.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    bullet maker 57's Avatar
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    I make jackets. From .172 to 308.

  8. #8
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    I swage my cores for a more consistent weight.
    then sort and weight sort the jackets.
    even the 'good' J-4 jackets will vary by .1 gr as a routine but you get a couple from time to time that just don't measure up.

    your not gonna shoot .1's or .2's with the normal stuff we all use.
    but you will shoot under 1/2" with a good rifle if you pay attention to what your doing and develop a good routine.

    the .704's will vary a titch in weight from maker to maker but they should make a 60-64 gr bullet no problem.
    you can also cut core weight and make a real tight hollow point bullet in the 50-52gr weight.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy onomrbil's Avatar
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    I have never seen bullets made in RCE dies on the equipment list for IBS or NBRSA shooters. I assure you there is a reason for that . . . .

  10. #10
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    I'm positive they have never won a national BR title.
    but they will smoke an entire field of ground squirrels or P-dogs for about 10$ a hundred bullets.
    they will also work perfectly well for deer and Elk hunting in the proper diameters.
    look at the thread above this one.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check