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Thread: Bevel base boolit mould giving me fits

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy Joel Chavez's Avatar
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    Bevel base boolit mould giving me fits

    so, after nearly 15yrs of playing with cast boolits i decided to get my first ever bevel base mould(i have no idea what got into me), the H&G #68 clone from Lee. darn thing casts some awfully nice boolits but my issue isn’t the mould, it’s the bevel base. i’m lubing the boolits on a Lyman 45 using an RCBS .451(it sizes at .452) die and commercial 160 from White Label. my issue is that i can’t keep the lube off the bevel base. is there a secret to keeping the lube off the bevel?
    In Christ,

    JC

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy hermans's Avatar
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    Joel, that combination drove me crazy as well.....if you want to lube a lot of boolits it is just too slow and frustrating.
    Took the plunge and got me a Star sizer, never looked back again. I also use the same lube, great stuff!

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I have avoided bb designs for this issue, but I now PC and would have no fear of trying them. You might have to plug/block a lube hole or two in the sizer die. There will be folks here that have solved this issue....guessing it has been covered in the past.
    Take a kid to the range, you'll both be glad you did.

  4. #4
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    Most people keep a cheap towel next to the sizer. After it comes out sized, wipe the base on the towel. I wouldn’t recommend leaving ammo like this loaded for too long but if you assemble some and shoot it within a month or so it shouldn’t have an issue. As is the rule with ammo, storage determines how long it will last. Cool dry place and stand them up on their bases to avoid the lube contamination of the powder.

  5. #5
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    That is precisely why I avoid BB molds.
    I think the solutions are: Get a Star or remove the bevel base from the mold.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I solved my BB issues with a different plunger in the H&I die. I realize this option isn't available to everyone. I had a friend with a lathe make the new plunger. Instead of being flat, the new plunger fits the bevel base of the bullet. We went with a new plunger instead of modifying the existing one. That way I could use the flat plunger on flat base bullets. Just change back and forth as needed.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Petrol & Powder View Post
    That is precisely why I avoid BB molds.
    I think the solutions are: Get a Star or remove the bevel base from the mold.
    ^ This.

    A Saeco .45acp 230gr RN mold with BB was giving me fits in that exact way too, so I sent it to Erik and had the bevels removed. Of course, a few years later I lucked into a Star sizer for a reasonable price... but I don't for a second regret having the bevels removed on that mold.
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    You might try setting a gas check on the bevel. It shouldn't crimp to the bullet and will keep the base and some of the sides clean.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    i powder coat .....done.

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    My method to solve the lube on the beveled base problem is this: Take a 45ACP case and sharpen the case mouth with a chamfering tool. Then take the lid of a styrofoam egg carton and cut some plugs from it using the sharpened case (think cookie cutter). Remove the circular styrofoam plug from the case mouth and place them on the plunger of your lube die. The styrofoam will compress and conform itself to the bevel based boolits, and prevent the lube from getting underneath them. I am able to get 100+ boolits lubed with one sytrofoam plug. Have a handful of ready to go plugs set aside for when the styrofoam plugs finally wear out. Sounds complicated, but it's actually easy to do and it works!

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    zarrinvz24: In post #4 you say in part "As is the rule with ammo, storage determines how long it will last. Cool dry place and stand them up on their bases to avoid the lube contamination of the powder."

    If you store ammunition standing up, with the base down (projectile up) would not the lube tend to migrate downward into the powder? Am I missing something? Or do I misunderstand your post?
    R.D.M.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackthorn View Post
    zarrinvz24: In post #4 you say in part "As is the rule with ammo, storage determines how long it will last. Cool dry place and stand them up on their bases to avoid the lube contamination of the powder."

    If you store ammunition standing up, with the base down (projectile up) would not the lube tend to migrate downward into the powder? Am I missing something? Or do I misunderstand your post?
    It will eventually, but that tends to take a decent amount of time. At least that’s been my experience.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master MOA's Avatar
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    I'd just take the mold apart and take to machine shop and shorten so bevel is no longer there.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy Joel Chavez's Avatar
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    Bevel base boolit mould giving me fits

    Case solved!!!!!!

    So being a tinkerer(no, not a tinker bell!) i decided to use my makeshift lathe(hand drill and dremel to create a matching bevel on the sizing die stem. well, after 20min or so i came up with this....
    and the result is this...

    Last edited by Joel Chavez; 03-03-2021 at 01:43 PM.
    In Christ,

    JC

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joel Chavez View Post
    Case solved!!!!!!

    So being a tinkerer(no, not a tinker bell!) i decided to use my makeshift lathe(hand drill and dremel to create a matching bevel on the sizing die stem. well, after 20min or so i came up with this....
    and the result is this...



    Similar to what I did, but I used a lathe.

  16. #16
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    Well, hell - many ways to skin a cat, it seems. Well done
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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joel Chavez View Post
    so, after nearly 15yrs of playing with cast boolits i decided to get my first ever bevel base mould(i have no idea what got into me), the H&G #68 clone from Lee. darn thing casts some awfully nice boolits but my issue isn’t the mould, it’s the bevel base. i’m lubing the boolits on a Lyman 45 using an RCBS .451(it sizes at .452) die and commercial 160 from White Label. my issue is that i can’t keep the lube off the bevel base. is there a secret to keeping the lube off the bevel?
    Many years ago I had the same problem. A machinist friend of mine, machined the piston going into the sizing die to fit perfectly with the base of the bullet. No mess no cleaning. I have sold all my dies but I still have the piston. Pay for the postage and you can have it.
    Last edited by El Greco; 03-03-2021 at 03:08 PM.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master bruce381's Avatar
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    yeah I did both cut off the Bevel then got a star

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Wow, bunch of ingenious ideas. I've been just using a bottom-wiping rag with a bit of nap to it - a cloth diaper works great but it's a long time since there were any diaper babies in my household...I don't even know if they are still made! I like the beveled seat in the 'I' plug. I'm the guy who buys a set of handles for every mold, so I'd probably buy a duplicate H&I to make it simpler to change 'em out. The egg-carton foam spacer and dummy gas check ideas appeal to me as well. I was looking for an easy way to take the bevel out of a couple of 6-cavity Lees, thought about shaving the deck or hunting up some chucking reamers, but started playing with PC and that appears to be my solution.
    Ed <><

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy Joel Chavez's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old School Big Bore View Post
    Wow, bunch of ingenious ideas. I was looking for an easy way to take the bevel out of a couple of 6-cavity Lees, thought about shaving the deck or hunting up some chucking reamers, but started playing with PC and that appears to be my solution.
    Ed <><
    PCing ain’t Ole school son.........lol
    In Christ,

    JC

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check