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Thread: Resizing jacketed bullets

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub 2manyguns's Avatar
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    Resizing jacketed bullets

    Has anyone tried/attempted to resize jacketed bullets // i ask because a friend has been told that his recently purchased 45 cal muzzel loader pipe needs / requires that in order to shoot jacketed bullets they need to be squeezed to .449 . he bought a bunch of hornady 240, 260 xtp bullets //this seems like a tall order any one doing it ???? thx
    How come there is so many more horses ***** than there is horses

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    What is the diameter of the bullets ? are ML slugs different than rifled slugs ? Assuming that your XTP's are .451" and you want .449, that's only .oo2". If you mash them too much, the jacket will lose grip on the core and cause inaccuracy on target. But, My opinion is that should work just fine, just put them through a push through sizer. What you got to lose ? Try a dozen and see what kind of accuracy you get with them.
    Good Judgment comes from Experience, Experience comes from Bad Judgment !

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    I've sized pulled-down 7.62x39 FMJs to fit my 300BLK without noticeable issues, but then again, not looking for benchrest accuracy.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    From my experience, I have resized a lot of Jacketed Bullets.
    They tend to spring back a little if you resize them only ONCE.
    But run them thru Lubed two times, and they will come out closer to what you want.
    Now, that is with a Lee Push thru Sizer.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    I sized some pull down russian lead core jacketed bullets from a nominal .312 down to .310 with a lee push through sizer, for light loads in a krag rifle with a bit large bore.

  6. #6
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    I have sized .228" Sisk bullets to .224" and .264" to .257" with Lee sizers. The Sisk shoot great, the 6.5s not so much but that was a twist issue trying 140grs in a 1-10" 25-06.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Boolit Master


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    Why are you wanting to use jacketed bullets in a ML? They would work in a sabot in a .50 cal easily.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by dondiego View Post
    Why are you wanting to use jacketed bullets in a ML? They would work in a sabot in a .50 cal easily.
    I was wondering the same thing. I am not a sabot guy, prefer using real lead like they were intended.

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub 2manyguns's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dondiego View Post
    Why are you wanting to use jacketed bullets in a ML? They would work in a sabot in a .50 cal easily.
    that is what i was asking my friend , he bought a mgm 45 cal pipe for a tc rifle , they sent him a picture of a very tite 3 shot group using hornady xtp 260 gn so he got some and found he could not begin to start the bullets as it measured 449-450 at the muzzle , they then said he will need to resize the bullets
    How come there is so many more horses ***** than there is horses

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    way back before I knew any better I resized 44 mag hp pills for a 44/40 - .430 - squeezed em through a .427 size die - they sprung back about half of it - shot ok - years later I slugged that old scratchy bore and it was .431 - coulda saved a whole heap of effort and likely got a better result - that old bore wouldnt shoot lead (.427) worth a squirt - so we replaced it (new rebarrel) - proly woulda shot cast if I fed it the right sized boolits.

    I sometimes put the cart at the front end of the horse - then wonder why that didnt work so good!

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I draw .338" Speer 200 grain Hot Core bullets down to .329" in a Lee push through sizer, that's .009" and easy going. I roll the bullets on my case lube pad with RCBS case lube and pull the handle on the RC press. As someone above said, I have run them through the sizer twice but no longer do so, I see no spring back and accuracy seems excellent so think it is not needed. Sizing down .002" should be simple.
    Charter Member #148

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy Cheeto303's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by swheeler View Post
    I draw .338" Speer 200 grain Hot Core bullets down to .329" in a Lee push through sizer, that's .009" and easy going. I roll the bullets on my case lube pad with RCBS case lube and pull the handle on the RC press. As someone above said, I have run them through the sizer twice but no longer do so, I see no spring back and accuracy seems excellent so think it is not needed. Sizing down .002" should be simple.
    Ditto. I've never had any problems. I've even run Hornady 38 Cal 180 gr XTP thru a Lee 338 push thru sizer then the 329 sizer with no problems. I put a very lite coat of Imperial sizing wax on every 3rd bullet. These shot just fine in my M95. I like the Speer 200 gr Hotcores better though. I will try them both out on the local deer population this fall.
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  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    The Spring Back that I noticed when Re-Sizing bullets was found more in Mil Surp Pull Down Jacketed Bullets.
    I would say those are what I mostly resized.
    The jackets on Factory Bullets seems softer since most of them are designed to Expand, so those may not have to be run thru the sizer a second time.
    But running them thru a second time is always a good Safety Precaution.
    You would hate to have an Oversized bullet mixed in your batch by accident.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Help me out here!

    A normal muzzle loader with lead bullet at bore diameter depends on obturation of the bullet to grip the rifling.
    A jacketed bullet at bore diameter wont do that, then how will it grip rifling to get spin???

    I have seen special muzzle laoder jacketed bullets with a "lip" at the bottom making it kinda like a hollow base bullet. That base "ring" will expand and grip rifling.

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    But a plain jacketed bullet at bore diameter that fits down the barrel without force at loading, now that i can not fathom!

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    I size 308 down to 300 for my 300 sherwood they work well, I tried to resize hornady 150 gr they were just too hard I will stick to sierra.

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy Ateam's Avatar
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    Is his ML one that is intended to shoot smokeless? There are a bunch of guys over at dougs message boards that have built 45cal smokless muzzle loaders that shoot bore rider jwords. The groups they get are amazing, and many of them are getting performance exceeding 458win mag. They all size j words with custom made sizing dies in arbor presses. I doubt a lee die will last long, and I would not subject the linkages of a regular press to that repeated abuse.
    -A

  17. #17
    Boolit Master arcticap's Avatar
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    Here's an example of a new sabotless copper bullet made by Lehigh for Umerex .50 high power pellet guns.
    They have a thin deep cup and driving bands.

    They do need to be sized to fit some muzzle loader bores but were tested to work well due to their innovative design.--->>> https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/bla...ts-ml-end.html

    It would seem that copper bullets would work better if they have driving bands or a base with a cup, at least if a person wants to have reasonably easier loading as well as adequate engagement with the rifling.

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  18. #18
    Boolit Master


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    Shouldn’t be a problem to go 2 thousandths. I use a lee push through to size .243 down to .228 for my Savage 22 High Power.
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  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Use a heavy press like an RCBS and lube with lanolin and push through the sizing die, no problem. Made plenty of 318's from 8 mm for the 88 this way.

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