I cast some .456 255gr boolits for a friend. He need them sized to .452 which went pretty easy. But, there is a fine ridge of lead on the back of the boolit. Should I remove it? Is there a correct way to remove it?
Appreciate any tips on this.
Tks,
Regis
I had the same problem one time when I had a .326 mold that was dropping heavy and I had to sized down to .323 for a particular rifle. I didn't have the push through dies of the correct dimensions in order to do it in "steps". I'm assuming you ran into the same problem and .004 seems like a tad heavy to do in one step but possibly you have a sizer that will handle it O.K. I ended up tripping the overhang with a jackknife - it trimmed off pretty easily. I wasn't pushing the boolit hard so probably could have just left it and it would have been fine. NOE sells a handy little base chamfer tool for taking care of the problem. I ordered one and it works good. I then found a better mold design that worked better int he rifle for my loads.
You're not using a gas check so I don't see where it would be a problem. Perhaps others will come along who disagree. I'm assuming he's using them in 45 Colt?
All that displaced lead has to go somewhere. If it were me, I would most certainly remove it, and make certain the bullet bases are square with the bore, and as flat as can be.
I was able to just rub it off with my finger. That's how thin it was. I kind of like the idea of that base chamfer tool if I thought I was going to see this more often.
Thanks for the help,
Regis
Rubbing it off is good enough but if you have a push through, run them through base first.
Plus One - I always have better luck with my Star when I run the boolits through base-first, no matter WHAT Star says...Originally Posted by 44man
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I run all GC boolits through base first to to keep the die from pulling on the check.
I will next time
Regis
The original Star nose punches were shaped to do base first. The nose first method came later and most folks assume it is the way it was designed to be used.
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I don't know how we ever shot maximum loads before P/C come along and saved us all. R5R
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When I do base 1st the excess just goes north on my WCs. No good. I rub the bases as flat as I can on a file.
If you size base first on a Star, you are losing the main advantage of the machine, nose first the bullets center themselves for better concentricity.
I had to size down some .459" 420gr to .452" for a 460 S&W used a Lyman 450 with out a problem the mix was 50/50 ww/lead so fairly soft
A wad cutter or Keith nose first is no different then base first. I would rather have a good base any day.
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| 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" |
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| PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
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