What Top Punch for these three Hand Gun Boolits?

[Oyeboten]

I have an "IDEAL" Bullet Lube-sizer which takes the usual Lyman Sizing Dies and Top Punches.

Hoping someone here can maybe tell me which Top Punch numbers for these three Boolits...( Although the .429 and the .360 would look to be so much the same nose wise, I am sure the same Top Punch would do for both ).

Finally got some more Casting done, Woo Hoo! - I know, I need to add some Tin, and I will..! These were pure Lead and were Cast outside on a pretty Cold day.

Top Punches have driven me nuts in general - I have had no luck finding what Top Punch Numbers go to any of the Boolits I Cast. If all else Fails, I can insert a No. 2 Morse Jacobs Chuck in my Wood Lathe Head Stock, and then grip and modify some Top Punches by hand, to suit these...( leaving aside the not fun of Bullet Seating on the Press, since no Dies I have suit these profiles ).

Left to Right -

Ideal or Lyman Mold 429 220

Ideal or Lyman Mold 360 302

Ideal or Lyman Mold 356 472

Hosted on Fotki

[tazman]

Using a nose punch for a boolit such as the 358429 should work for the 360302 and 356472. The flat ring outside should set on the flat edge of the nose.
Similar for bullet seating by using a round nose seating punch.
You can always make a custom fit punch by using epoxy putty such as JB WELD and a greased boolit.

[Bazoo]

Those pointy bullets look tricky, I'd try a 402 top punch. It's for a 9mm truncated type but if you modify it by spinning it and rounding off the inside sharp edge it works for many semi pointed varieties. I use it for 31141 and the lee 309-150-FN.

[Oyeboten]

Okay...I'll give those suggestions a try, thanks!

[Dragonheart]

I would suggest you just make your own top punch. Just take a punch that is oversized for the bullet then fill the punch cavity with a dab of epoxy putty. Wax or grease the bullet then center and push the nose of the bullet into the soft epoxy so it forms a perfect shape trimming off any excess. Once it sets you have a punch more perfect than you can buy.

[Oyeboten]

I would suggest you just make your own top punch. Just take a punch that is oversized for the bullet then fill the punch cavity with a dab of epoxy putty. Wax or grease the bullet then center and push the nose of the bullet into the soft epoxy so it forms a perfect shape trimming off any excess. Once it sets you have a punch more perfect than you can buy.

I'll do that!

I can do the Epoxy impress in the Sizing Press, so things will be rightly centered.

[sparky45]

I do the same with Hot Glue.

[Dragonheart]

I'll do that!

I can do the Epoxy impress in the Sizing Press, so things will be rightly centered.

Good luck with your project.

[chsparkman]

A loose ball of aluminum foil placed in an oversize punch will form to the boolit and will stay put until the sizing job is done. Makes a good temporary fix.

[tazman]

A loose ball of aluminum foil placed in an oversize punch will form to the boolit and will stay put until the sizing job is done. Makes a good temporary fix.

Never heard of that one before. Interesting idea.

[chsparkman]

Never heard of that one before. Interesting idea.

I got the idea from an old man in a gun shop in Victorville, CA about 25 years ago. Top punches were very hard to find back then, and this solution has worked well at various times since then.

[44magLeo]

Generally speaking the last three digits in your mold number is the top punch number.
Modifying a top punch as described works to. If done with hot glue or the tin foil you can clean it out to fit it to another stlye bullet.
Leo

[Oyeboten]

Generally speaking the last three digits in your mold number is the top punch number.
Modifying a top punch as described works to. If done with hot glue or the tin foil you can clean it out to fit it to another stlye bullet.
Leo

Huh!

Ideal and Lyman Molds, the second set of numerals have always baffled me...as for just what they meant, if they in fact meant anything at all.

Thanks!

[44magLeo]

The last three numbers on Lyman molds is the top punch number. Very early molds didn't have these numbers, because Lyman wasn't making the lube sizer yet. The first molds were for black powder bullets and were made to cast bullets without sizing.
Later on they started making bullet sizers. I'm not sure which was first, the 310/Tru Line JR or a bench tool. The 310 /Tru Line JR style had punches matching the common nose shapes for the of that time.
When they came out with the bench tool they were making molds of one caliber with several different nose shapes. These needed different nose punches. It was then they started putting the extra numbers on the molds so you knew which top punch went with which bullet.
They also reused old numbers on newer molds. This is where the "generally" from my last statement came from. The new mold may not use the same top punch as the old. This may confuse some.
If you search for a cross reference online you can find charts that show which mold goes with which top punch.
Leo

[pastera]

I make mine on a 3d printer - if you have access, I can do a top punch from a good image (with a scale or ruler alongside the bullet) and post the model.

Lyman Spire Point Top Punch Customizer
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3978077

https://www.thingiverse.com/pastera/designs