.453 size Die ?

[hylander]

Does anyone make a. 453 push through sizing die.
Lee has .452 and 454 but not .453
I need a .453

[PJEagle]

This is a link to the NOE .453 plug.

https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop...49-p-exp-plug/

[DougGuy]

Order a custom .453" right from Lee! They are very affordable and they don't take long to fill your order.

[challenger_i]

What Doug said. Lee has always been happy to make special sizing dies for me, and they are reasonable and timely.

[hylander]

Thanks guys.
I'll call Lee

[Bigslug]

Buffalo Arms will also hog out the diameter of one to your specified size. Pretty sure I got my .453 that way.

[243winxb]

The alloy used effects finished sized diameter. Harder alloys, making larger bullets.



*The amount of sizing may have an effect on spring back? Like .004" vs .001" Needs testing.
I wish this brand of molds dropped diameters, were closer to my required size. Less sizing, more accurate? *

[Diadem]

I’m glad I came across this thread. I am new to casting so forgive me if this is all common knowledge.

Does a harder alloy make bigger bullets.? Is there a formula somewhere to determine how much bigger?

Just today, I ran some tests bullets in two Lee aluminum 6 cavity molds. 452-200-SWC and 452-230-1R. I am using 92-3 tin-5 Antimony mix. The bullets I am getting are coming out as big as .455 – .456. I am also dropping them into water to harden them up. I tried sizing them through a Seaco .452 die setup I am using and I have to take a nap after every 6 or 7 bullets. I thought about getting a .454 Seaco die to see if I can run two passes and make it a little easier.

Is this what you have to go through to make hardball bullets or am I doing something stupid?

[243winxb]

I’m glad I came across this thread. I am new to casting so forgive me if this is all common knowledge.

Does a harder alloy make bigger bullets.? Is there a formula somewhere to determine how much bigger?

Just today, I ran some tests bullets in two Lee aluminum 6 cavity molds. 452-200-SWC and 452-230-1R. I am using 92-3 tin-5 Antimony mix. The bullets I am getting are coming out as big as .455 – .456. I am also dropping them into water to harden them up. I tried sizing them through a Seaco .452 die setup I am using and I have to take a nap after every 6 or 7 bullets. I thought about getting a .454 Seaco die to see if I can run two passes and make it a little easier.

Is this what you have to go through to make hardball bullets or am I doing something stupid?

Lube bullets before & after sizing with Lee Liquid Alox.



https://www.redding-reloading.com/ma...-moulds-charts Bullet Sizes & Weights – How to Vary Them

Lee molds are regulated for 95 lead & 5 tin alloy. The antimony makes larger & harder bullets.

Your alloy doesnt need dropped in water to harden more. Water harding requires antimony to make oven heat treated , water dropped bullets harder.

The 5% antimony fully hardent bullet in 1 hour or less, when water cooled. 2% antimon, takes longer, up to two weeks.

If bullets are for 45 acp, add some pure lead to reduce as cast diameters & softer.

[GregLaROCHE]

The NOE sizing setup is great, especially if you will be sizing different calibers. Initial cost may be more, but cheaper in the long run.

I drop my boolits in a five gallon bucket of water. Not to harden them, but they cool before reaching the bottom and don’t risk getting distorted. No matter how hard I tried, I always had problems dumping them out on soft towels. Maybe I just want to go too fast.

[Diadem]

Thanks for the great info. According to the calculations I could be getting bullets at .45652 which is what I am seeing. I guess if I want hardball bullets I am going to have to start lifting weights. I also didn’t realize there will be a weight issue also.

Apologies to the OP for hijacking their thread.

[DougGuy]

IIRC, Lee uses Lyman #2 alloy as a reference, so all their sizers SHOULD produce boolits the advertised diameter using Lyman #2 or something very close in hardness. As mentioned earlier in this thread, alloy composition greatly affects diameter as dropped from the mold.

[Diadem]

Hmmm Now I’m back to being confused again. I’m using 3% Tin and 5% Antimony which is between Lyman No. 2 (5% Tin and 5% Ant) and Hardball (2% Tin and 6% Ant) I should then be getting bullets relatively close to the right size.

Another issue I just noticed is that the article listed below says that casting at higher temperatures makes smaller bullets. I’m casting at 720, which may be too low, and may be the reason I am getting oversize bullets. Being new at this stuff sucks, I am finding out there is much more I do not know than what I know.

[243winxb]

https://support.leeprecision.net/en/knowledgebase

Read at above link about Lee molds.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...g-bullets.310/ More.

Frosted bullets from to HOT alloy/ mold temperature may also make voids on the bullets surface.

[243winxb]

More from Lee. Our bullet mold tolerance is stated diameter, +.003/-.000 inch.

Using 95 lead & 5 tin.

[Uncle Grinch]

Check with user ammohead. He just made me a custom H&I sizing die for my 7.35 Carcano. Service was fast, quality was excellent and the price was right.

[frkelly74]

to make a .452 sizing die into a .453 takes very little time if you use some fine grit abrasive paper wrapped around a dowel. insert the wrapped dowel into the die and roll it on your leg. Check it often as it will work very quickly and it is easy to go oversize.