Another .500 Smith Saga

[Dieselhorses]

So where do I start? I have been reloading, shooting, reloading, shooting the 500 for a few years now with no problems. Matter of fact, I've gotten great results with 4 different powders so far. YESTERDAY, drive to a friends house to test some work ups with Unique, once again- no problem (other than it sounded like a cap gun).

Brought a long a bag full of "tried, tested and trusted" loads I loaded with IMR-4227 (31.5 gr's) and 440 GC'd, Pc'd LCSWC. We decided to drive to a few fields in back to see if we roust up some pigs. Went to drop some rounds in cylinder-did not fit! Went a third of the way in! I immediately started troubleshooting my "mental memory" of what did I do wrong? I cast from favorite alloy (17 BHN), powder coated once with Eastwood, sized/GC'd, charged, seated, crimped. (Using Sage's Outdoors checks).

Possible causes:

Waited too long to size and check after casting?
First time using "CBC" .500 cases?


I tried some other rounds in cylinder I loaded exactly same way from a year or so and no problems chambering.
Question: Can I resize loaded rounds through sizing die with de-capping pin out and re-crimp? Or should I ditch the whole operation and pull em all?

[BigAlofPa.]

When i have chambering issues. A Lee factory crimp die. Usually takes care of it. I learned that lesson on some tight chambered 9mm.

[Dieselhorses]

When i have chambering issues. A Lee factory crimp die. Usually takes care of it. I learned that lesson on some tight chambered 9mm.

Going to try that (if they even make one for the 500). I watched Fortunecookie45LC from YouTube do this with some 38 WC's.

[Dieselhorses]

When you mentioned "it will squeeze down the case and then you won't have any neck tension after the brass springs back and your boolits will be too small." - will not re-crimping solve this?

Also "using the boolits soon after sizing and lubing" do you mean loading them up soon after? Thanks for your response.

[Rick B]

Bullets sized to .501 and loaded in CBC cases will not fit in the 500 I shoot either. Starline or Hornady cases work fine. Gave the loaded CBC cases to a friend who shot them in his Encore.
Rick

[BigAlofPa.]

I checked lee's site they say to use this.
https://leeprecision.com/custom-500-...crimp-die.html

[DougGuy]

When you mentioned "it will squeeze down the case and then you won't have any neck tension after the brass springs back and your boolits will be too small." - will not re-crimping solve this?

Also "using the boolits soon after sizing and lubing" do you mean loading them up soon after? Thanks for your response.

You need both neck tension and crimp for proper ignition.

I mean loading the ammo and then shooting it soon after.

When I first started reaming cylinders, I did my SBH to a snug fit for the .432" boolits I had loaded. After about 3 months, half of them wouldn't seat fully in the cylinder.. Now I always try and get half thou to a full thou over the suggested boolit diameter just to have some wiggle room.

You can do this yourself, size some of your boolits normally, load them, and use them within a month or two or three. Meanwhile, leave some of the same batch sitting on the shelf and document how much they grow. Depending on the antimony in the mix, they will gain diameter just sitting as they age harden. You may get 3 different measurements at one month, 6 months, 1year.

It seems like the heavies in 480 and 500 are quite long, and if what I think is correct, there is a length to diameter ratio that once a boolit hits a certain length, it grows exponentially larger in diameter than a shorter boolit would.

[Dieselhorses]

You need both neck tension and crimp for proper ignition.

I mean loading the ammo and then shooting it soon after.

When I first started reaming cylinders, I did my SBH to a snug fit for the .432" boolits I had loaded. After about 3 months, half of them wouldn't seat fully in the cylinder.. Now I always try and get half thou to a full thou over the suggested boolit diameter just to have some wiggle room.

You can do this yourself, size some of your boolits normally, load them, and use them within a month or two or three. Meanwhile, leave some of the same batch sitting on the shelf and document how much they grow. Depending on the antimony in the mix, they will gain diameter just sitting as they age harden. You may get 3 different measurements at one month, 6 months, 1year.

It seems like the heavies in 480 and 500 are quite long, and if what I think is correct, there is a length to diameter ratio that once a boolit hits a certain length, it grows exponentially larger in diameter than a shorter boolit would.

Well I reckon that blows my "apocalyptic stash plan" out the water! LOL Guess I'll have to resort to J words if I wanna store anything. But as "RickB" mentioned, I haven't had any problems with Starline or Hornady cases.

[Dieselhorses]

Bullets sized to .501 and loaded in CBC cases will not fit in the 500 I shoot either. Starline or Hornady cases work fine. Gave the loaded CBC cases to a friend who shot them in his Encore.
Rick

Only other head stamp I have is "AUSA". Ever have any problems with these? And have you ever tried jacked bullets in the CBC cases?

[Gatch]

I normally put a few randomloaded round through a case gauge as I'm going. Maybe 1 in 20 or 1 in 50. More for match ammo.

[Dieselhorses]

I normally put a few randomloaded round through a case gauge as I'm going. Maybe 1 in 20 or 1 in 50. More for match ammo.

And that is exactly what I should have done. Never go to Africa on a safari without FIRST chambering EVERY cartridge!

[RED BEAR]

I actually did try this. Didn't work for me they went in fine but very inaccurate. Above post about under sizing bullets it right on the mark as best as i could tell.

[Mitch]

Some good info here thanks for posting this.I will try and stay away from the CBC cases

[Rick B]

Just measured the neck wall thickness on a 2005 lot of Hornady 500 Brass. With a Mitutoya Ball Micrometer necks on the Hornady cases run .013 to .0135. Starline mixed lot Range pickup average .013 to .015. I suspect the CBC cases are even thicker.
Rick

[Petander]

Thank you for this thread!

I'm planning to get back to 500, had one since they came out in 2003 but sold it a few years back. One reason getting back is coating,another is I got several hundred once fired CBC brass from a gunsmith friend... I've been coating my old hard bullets now, have hundreds and boy,they have grown to 504...

I remember having fit issues because of brass stretch. I used Starline only. Now I need to re-think CBC... and get a strong push through sizer for a strong press. Lubrisizers with a .500 die won't handle these...

Diesel,did you pull a bullet to confirm size?

[Dieselhorses]

Thank you for this thread!

I'm planning to get back to 500, had one since they came out in 2003 but sold it a few years back. One reason getting back is coating,another is I got several hundred once fired CBC brass from a gunsmith friend... I've been coating my old hard bullets now, have hundreds and boy,they have grown to 504...

I remember having fit issues because of brass stretch. I used Starline only. Now I need to re-think CBC... and get a strong push through sizer for a strong press. Lubrisizers with a .500 die won't handle these...

Diesel,did you pull a bullet to confirm size?

I pulled one and measured 9 ways to Sunday and still measured .501. I’m starting to suspect the effect the gas check had on CBC case had while seating. That area where check was or right before it was where cartridge was stopping in cylinder. There were a couple out of 50 that actually plunked in.


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[Dieselhorses]

And Doug you are correct. Cannot just run in case sizer as bullets are loose. Have to pull em, ugggh


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[Four-Sixty]

I've no experience with 500 S&W, but on my 38 Special CBC brass it requires aggressive trimming. I had to segregate it from other mixed brass as it'd get too long, too fast, and nearly get stuck in the seating die.

I don't have a link, but read years ago that someone did a durability test comparing CBC brass to other cases and the CBC (Magtech) brass far outlasted any other brand. I bought several thousand for myself.

[Dieselhorses]

I've no experience with 500 S&W, but on my 38 Special CBC brass it requires aggressive trimming. I had to segregate it from other mixed brass as it'd get too long, too fast, and nearly get stuck in the seating die.

I don't have a link, but read years ago that someone did a durability test comparing CBC brass to other cases and the CBC (Magtech) brass far outlasted any other brand. I bought several thousand for myself.

For being so durable, it sure does "bulge". Every bullet I seated was exactly .501. I wish I could use them but in process of pulling and de-priming.

[Petander]

Maybe expand a tad more?

I use Redding 500 dies,they are sort of tight when seating 501-502 cast GC boolits.

You have checked brass length,I assume?