.355” Gas Checked Bullet Needed

[FredMcIntire]

I’m not sure if this is the right forum. If not I apologize.

I used Bear Tooth Bullets in the past but they have apparently closed their doors, which is too bad. Marshall Stanton delivered high quality bullets.

I’m wanting to reload a cast, gas checked bullet in the new 350 Legend caliber in an AR-15. Velocity would be Between 2000-2400 fps depending on bullet weight. All of the commercially available jacketed bullets for the Legend measure .355” diameter. I’ve tried .357” diameter jacketed buckets but they won’t chamber. I was going to see if Bear Tooth could custom make a cast bullet for me in a .355” diameter with a gas check.

My question for you guys is who could make a custom sized bullet with a gas check for me ? I’m wanting to go with a 180 grain to 200 grain cast bullet.

I appreciate any help that you guys can provide. Thanks so much.

Fred

[klenke.ryan]

I just received my Lee C358-200 that will take a gas check. I'll be throwing about 8lbs tonight and should have them checked and PC'd for the weekend. They'll be sized to .356 and I'm thinking I'll load with H110.

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[wmitty]

Fred, you could easily size a larger dia. Boolit down to .355 “ using a lee push through sizing die. The 200 gr lee Mould is a good design in my opinion and should work with the legend cartridge.

[klenke.ryan]

Got my first one mocked up. Everything looks good with the bullet, chambers and extracts fine. Feeds from a mag fine, but there's the problem. The nose takes a beating on the way up. My GCs haven't come in yet, but should this week.

These bullets were casted rather soft, maybe I'll try a harder alloy next.

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[beagle]

Pretty easy to downsize a .358" in a nose first sizer and then come back and seat a PB .35 aluminum check and lube. In this scenario, you'd have to be sure the nose was small enough not to get distorted during the downsizing step. The Lyman 358315 is a GC design and has a fairly small diameter nose and usually they don't run that big. Might be able to get away with just downsizing in a regular sizer die./beagle

[Oldfeller]

Got my first one mocked up. Everything looks good with the bullet, chambers and extracts fine. Feeds from a mag fine, but there's the problem. The nose takes a beating on the way up. My GCs haven't come in yet, but should this week.

These bullets were casted rather soft, maybe I'll try a harder alloy next.

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The crimp style you are using is not really appropriate for the 350 Legend round which headspaces off the case mouth. Yes, I know that folks are selling a "factory crimp die" specifically for the Legend but if you use it excessively you can push the case in so far that it cannot act as the headspace control that it is intended to do.

Instead, take your full length resizing die and simply partially insert your finished round until it slow taper crimps your case mouth down to .377" diameter measured at the case mouth and STOP THERE, because if you go further you are starting to crush the lead bullet inside the case.

As far as the beating your bullet noses are taking, that is going to happen in an AR action due to the splines that are inherent in the bolt lockup. I powder coat the same bullet and have greatly reduced the amount of nose damage on loading because of the tough PC material I use.

[klenke.ryan]

I'll agree the crimp was excessive on the mock-up. I took most of that out after the bullet was crimped, but I wasn't going to make another dummy bullet. My experience casting and loading 450 BM has shown that the FC is better at holding a bullet in place without bullet jump in an AR action than a taper crimp. It's also possible to scrape off PC by seating/crimping in the same step, which I have seen in other calibers, but haven't tried in the Legend yet.

I'll definitely give the taper crimp a go though, if I can save a pull off the press and get similar results it will be worth it.

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[RU shooter]

Might wanna try smoothing up the sharp edges of your feed ramps . It helps a lot

[klenke.ryan]

Here they are. I reduced the crimp and will be loading with H110 and LilGun.

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