Results of nose sizing on the cheap (w/ Redding neck bushings)

[ohland]

First attempts are not bad. The ideal is sound, but my very cheap approach only works on short boolits (.800-.900 or so). When my .501 H&I die arrives I will slightly modify it to hold the neck bushing... Some ideals came to me.

Attachment 113772

This shows a 280468S being set up to size the nose to the very first band. I used the Redding bushing with the letters UP. See the distance between the base of the boolit and the punch? Now you can turn out a much shorter Top Punch, but then you will be adding MORE parts.

One of the first things I found out was the TP that works with the normal H&I die may not work with the diameter of the neck bushing being used. Not wanting to swap TPs for every operation, I just rooted about for a TP with a punch end of a suitable diameter.

Attachment 113774

Here is a shot of the super complicated ejection system. Merely turn the bushing end for end and rest it on another bushing for the boolit to be pushed down into.

Attachment 113776

Here is a 280468S boolit with an unsized nose. The tilt was not intentional, darned Lūb Monkey wouldn't hold still... Note that the boolit stops entering the bore prior to the first band and that it is still on the ogive. The unsized nose is @.272, what a difference a few thousandths make...

Attachment 113777
This is a 280468S with a nose sized to .270 inserted into the muzzle of a TC 6.8mm Remington SPC barrel. Note that it is all the way up to the first band and no ogive is seen. Effort to size the nose is far less than full diameter sizing.

Things to do yet - it appears that the short nose on a NON bore rider allows TOO much angular play when starting the boolit. I am of the opinion that moving to the H&I with a neck bushing will pretty much eliminate the OAL boolit length problem. One finesse is to use a neck bushing slightly oversize for the as-cast boolit diameter to hold shorter boolits in alignment when starting.

When my 277 H&I arrives, I will size some RCBS 7mm-145s for use with my 7-30 Waters. The bore rider nose IMHO is long enough to self-center...

[Beagle333]

You do save some money, but is it worth the few bucks that Buckshot charges for the actual die to hold the bushings?
It does long boolits too. This one is mounted in an Ideal #1, this bushing is actually for the 450/4500 series that has the locknut to hold it in there.
For the Ideals and the Lyman 45s, it would look like a Saeco die with a threaded top on it. Just specify which you'll be using when/if you order from Buckshot.



This plunger pushes em back up, just like in a regular die. No flipping.



All the way down:



And back up, with a new nose!

[ohland]

#1: You do save some money, but is it worth the few bucks that Buckshot charges for the actual die to hold the bushings? #2: It does long boolits too. This one is mounted in an Ideal #1, this bushing is actually for the 450/4500 series that has the locknut to hold it in there. #3: This plunger pushes em back up, just like in a regular die. No flipping.

#1: Did you ever try something that worked but took enough effort and poodle faking that you would rather pay to have it done? Lost both front and rear brakes on an S10. Eventually ran the new lines myself, but it was not my first choice. When I lost the brakes on my 93 F-150, I called the local auto shop (NOT ford!) and had them tow it in and do the brake lines.

So I will merrily go to my doom with a smile on my lips. Or a frozen rictus of fear... BUT I did say it was cheap. No trying to hide it. Waiting on my .501 H&I die to arrive for Super High Intensity Tinkering. Measurements have suggested that the Redding neck bushing will fit. I have figured out two ways of simply supporting the neck bushing in the bore that do not involve compressing or drilling into the neck bushing.

#2: Yep, this half buttock method positively makes long boolits a bit of a drag. Duly noted, I look forward to a method with the bushing below the die retainer cap. Need to find a thin washer with suitable OD/ID to retain the bushing on the upstroke.

#3: The bore of the .501 is wide enough to accept the .430 diameter of any top punch. Nothing special needed. Just jig up the plunger from the .501 die, drill a recess of just a skosh over .264 and deep enough, then I can mount any top punch that is supposed to be used. Might have to shorten the plunger length a bit, but remember, all it needs to do is push the boolit up maybe 1/16th before the contact is loosened.

So things are hurtling towards oblivion. Hell Express. BUT... everything _should_ be centered pretty darned close.

[Beagle333]

Good luck to you then! I didn't know if you were aware that he made them. If I had skills and tools, I'd certainly make my own too. Post some pics as you go?

[ohland]

Good luck to you then! I didn't know if you were aware that he made them. If I had skills and tools, I'd certainly make my own too. Post some pics as you go?

Before I started to wade into the swamps of confusion, I did some surfing and saw some approaches to nose sizing. Stripped things down to the most basic functions, and that is what you see up top. I do have an X3 small mill and a chinese lathe (see why I am hesitant to bore anything on a lathe quite yet?). By understanding (somewhat) the critical dimensions and forces, it may be possible to turn out a setup that holds concentricity. But if it is good enough, I'll probably leave it as is.

The ideal of facing off the top of the H&I die to give enough room for a retaining washer at this point seems (perhaps) overkill. The upward pull of the boolit nose after sizing may be low enough to allow H&I retention by a thin washer. The less machining needed to install a nose sizer will be weighed against how much buttock pain (if any) is required to use the setup. It would be nice to be able to drop a stock H&I in, add a thin washer up top, then use the original die retainer cap. Or maybe not...

Off to torturing myself with a fork, because it feels good when I stop...

[ohland]

Optics Planet says both H&I dies (.277 and .501) are in the hands of UPS.