Sizing from 515 to 501

[Tonto]

Is this too much to size down? I'd like to try the LEE 450 or 500 515 in a Beowulf AR, the meplat on the 501-440 is giving me feed ramp hangups and the profile of those two bullets might feed better and each is about a $24 experiment. Thanks

[lar45]

I have taken.458 down to.452 after lubing first.
You might have to go in a few passes of push through sizers

[SweetMk]

Is this too much to size down? I'd like to try the LEE 450 or 500 515 ,,,,,,,,,,, each is about a $24 experiment. Thanks

Instead of buying a slew of molds, I have seen others ask for a few cast bullets,
maybe someone would help with supplying the bullets as cast, it may help save a little $$$

The guys here are pretty great about that stuff,,

[Tonto]

Yeah, what if I buy one of those .515 molds and the theory doesn't prove out? I'd have to buy a 50-70 then.....
Great idea, if someone out there would send me a few to try in a ww alloy or even softer that would be great and I have stuff to trade if that helps too. Thanks for the responses. I have the Lee push though sizer in 501 and I'm wondering if doing it in steps very slowly might work.

[Tazza]

The issue you'll have with bringing it down that much, even if in steps, is the lead needs to go somewhere, if you have lube grooves, it can extrude into there, but if it has none or very few, you get extrusion out the base, so if it was a bevel base, it will make it flat base. I have been there with over sized lead due to the mould not being fully closed up that i tried to bringing down, they did work, but not as well as i'd have liked it to have.

Hopefully you have multiple lube grooves, and it should work, i just can't say how well.

[Tonto]

So I finally tested this concept and the results are promising but I’m not there yet. I have a Lee push thru sizer die in .501. As cast and slightly lubed bullets will not size. So I tried to size base first with the first push and tapped out the bullets then finished tip first and with great effort the bullets emerged at .501 but I don’t think they are consistent because of the possible cant going into the die. I do believe an intermediate size step would solve this and lacking one I think I will try the base of a 4570 sizing die which should be .507-510 which might be fine. If not there would be two more steps required and I’m not sure it will be worth the trouble although it’s a great workout and clearly a longer handle on the Rockchucker would help. A $19 mold with two or three sizing steps before I powder coat and size again is a chore. If the results actually work and shoot well it would be worth it. I’ll keep the list posted....

[Alferd Packer]

You can get two pieces of flat steel and roll a lead bullet between them using steady light pressure and reduce the bullet size till it will fit your .501 die.
Once it is reduced , you can then roll a knife edge lightly on the sides using the same method to add your lube rings.
You can even cut off slices of lead to lighten a cylinder to reduce
weight. It's all relative to how careful you are and you will find you are more skill full with practice.
The first time you try it may seem hard to do, but it's the same with all metal working skills.
Sheet metal and iron and steel.
Even making gas checks from aluminum and steel tin cans.
Good luck!
Try to keep from rolling a taper on the lead cylinder which means you won't achieve a parallel sided bullet.
Use even pressure.

[Alferd Packer]

You can get two pieces of flat steel and roll a lead bullet between them using steady light pressure and reduce the bullet size till it will fit your .501 die.
Once it is reduced , you can then roll a knife edge lightly on the sides using the same method to add your lube rings.
You can even cut off slices of lead to lighten a cylinder to reduce
weight. It's all relative to how careful you are and you will find you are more skill full with practice.
The first time you try it may seem hard to do, but it's the same with all metal working skills.
Sheet metal and iron and steel.
Even making gas checks from aluminum and steel tin cans.
Good luck!

[mdi]

Going down .015" is a lot. The lead has to go somewhere as it isn't removed so it will probably fill the lube grooves and leave a large "flash" at the base. The most I have sized down was .008" and the resulting bullets had little lube grooves left and weren't very accurate.

[USSR]

Good luck with THAT! Do yourself a favor and buy a proper size mould.

Don

[gwpercle]

I'm not a very bright guy ... but my way to solve this problem is just buy the correct size mould .
Am I missing something ...
Gary

[waksupi]

I would go for new mold, too. There is always someone looking for an oversize bullet that will want the old one.

A tip from Buckshot years ago. If doing extreme sizing, fill the lube grooves with lube first. It is essentially a liquid, and liquid is non-compressible. That will save your lube grooves.

Otherwise you would need to order loob grooves from me, which are perpetually on back order.

[Green Frog]

Going from .515" down to .501" is not sizing, it's swaging! Others have already given my solution... get another mould. You could trade that 515 off to a shooter of the Civil War carbines like Maynard, Smith, or others. I'm shooting an Ideal 515141 in my Maynard and it is just right! (Thanks Goldilocks!)

Froggie

[flint45]

I have done it worked ok just make sure bullet is fully lubed even the crimp grove.

[Tonto]

Thanks all for the good advice and the just buy the right mould crowd you might consider loosening your captain obvious headband. Yes, this is swaging. I was looking for a possible $20 solution with the tools at hand. I think one intermediate step would work. Nose shape appears to be a solution to my feeding issues in a Beowulf AR.

[USSR]

Never underestimate the number of hoops a cheapskate is willing to jump thru.

Don

[pacomdiver]

what make is your beo upper? very few guys have problems with the 440 lee bullet feeding, the few guys that have feed problems ultimately find out they are either loading them too long (440 should be in the 2nd groove), their feed lips are slighly tweaked (gi mags) or havent radiused the front edge of their mags (if not using beo mags or beo mag followers). my beos and the ones i load for eat them like candy, my buddys also eats them like candy but he just lubes them, i PC all the ones i load and we use a mixture of modded GIs , AA mags and ones with beo followers (a steel 40rnd will hold 12)