what to do with an out of round mould?

[troy_mclure]

i have a lee 311-100-2R that is throwing out of round oversized boolits.

it throws .313-.314. it just came back from lee for loose blocks/bad alignment.

it isnt any use to me as it is.

so what can i do with this mould?

[frankenfab]

Have nose first sized any of them? They might turn out to be acceptable.

[Blammer]

it's only .001 out of round? i'd not worry about it, size them an shoot them.

[Bulltipper]

Wanna buy an out of round gun? ;-)

[montana_charlie]

so what can i do with this mould?Make sure it's totally closed before pouring lead in it...and keep good pressure on the handles.
CM

[oscarflytyer]

My Lee 44-200-RFN was/does cast heavy (215-217 grn, w/ WWs) and was out of round and 'big' - about .434.

But they shoot fine - either as cast or sized to .432. MY 44 SPC BH throats and bbl slug at .431.

I did some toothpaste polishing, etc on the mold. Got a little better, but... doesn't matter. I just cast them, Alox lube, Lee size to .432, double re-Alox lube and shoot. Getting very good accuracy. Gun just ain't that picky! It'll shoot 'em! And paper target or small game isn't ever going to know the difference!

[troy_mclure]

ive tried sizing them to .312 but it smears lead up one side of the boolit.

im not going to buy a lee sizer and add another step for a $20 mould.

[HeavyMetal]

You sure it's not the sizer / sizer die?

What lube sizer are you using?

[longbow]

Have you tried shooting any?

0.001" out of round isn't bad. If they are at least groove size at the small dimension they should shoot fine.

If they don't well shoot for you then try lapping the mould. It is pretty easy to take 0.0005" to 0.001" out of an aluminum mould and take the "oval" out of it. A couple or three thou oversize shouldn't hurt at all.

Longbow

[mooman76]

A change in temperature could change the outcome maybe. The gun barrel will size the bullet too.

[troy_mclure]

You sure it's not the sizer / sizer die?

What lube sizer are you using?

lyman 45 with lyman die.

[troy_mclure]

Have you tried shooting any?

0.001" out of round isn't bad. If they are at least groove size at the small dimension they should shoot fine.

If they don't well shoot for you then try lapping the mould. It is pretty easy to take 0.0005" to 0.001" out of an aluminum mould and take the "oval" out of it. A couple or three thou oversize shouldn't hurt at all.

Longbow

it creates a large ridge up on the front on one side of the boolit, i consider it unshootable.

[longbow]

So this isn't offset blocks or oval cavities then, just a rib or flashing up one side.

Is it flashing at the seam? If so then the blocks might not be closing all the way. Check for lead splashes, burrs or whatever.

Can you post a photo? Actually seeing the boolits and problem would help.

Is this a 6 cavity mould? I ask because a friend was having trouble with a Lee 6 cavity casting oval boolits but it turns out he was squeezing the sprue handle while casting and this forces the blocks apart a little giving much the same problem you are describing.

Longbow

[MtGun44]

You might be REAL surprised at what is actually shootable with decent accy.

Try them out.

Bill

[Billwnr]

.001 out of round can be caused just by the bullet cooling. That can be corrected with the sizing die.

[HeavyMetal]

First the 311-100-2R is not available as a 6 banger so issues with holding the sprue handle are not the issue.

Second of all the lube sizer's out there the Lyman 45 is most likly to have an out of round die / alignment problem. Just becuase other sizing dies you have don't exhibit this problem doesn't mean it dosn't exist in the smaller diameter 32 caliber die.

The die could be off, or the alignment of the sizer could be off a touch, remember the smaller the hole to easier it is to detect alingment problems, so before going futher into blaming the mold, because .002 is not a difference that can't be sized out, lets see if the sizer is "right".

Age of the die itself can be called into play as well, early Lyman dies had a "step" in them. Perhaps an RCBS 311 sizer die might cure the problem??

In any case my first step would be to figure out a way to confirm condition of my sizer alignment. Then I'd move on to a replacement die if needed.

Seems to me we had a sticky dealing with this particular problem in this particular sizer I will suggest you do a search for this thread and see what the OP did to solve the problem.

I had several 45's before I got my first Star and I can vouch for the accuracy of nose sizing a boolit. To help diagnosis your problem I will suggest the following:

Pull the sizing die and clean it good, then pull the ejector pin and such out of the sizer and remove the sliding pin from inside the die.

Now install the die in the sizer making sure you do not distort it by applying to much pressure to the retaining screw.

Install and or make a flat nosed punch smaller in diameter than the inside of the die.

Once this is done you are set up to do a back-ackwards nose sizing of several of you 32 boolits.

Suggest you put a little lube on them with your finger and insert them nose first in the sizing die making sure you can feel they are started, squarely, into the sizing protion of the die.

I'd do 10 or so like this making very sure each one is started correctly and push them threw with the flat punch. Stack the boolits on top of each other as they go through the press and do not try to push each boolit completely threw the die with your new punch, it may drag on the side of the die and create another issue.

Catch each one as it comes out the bottom and then exam all 10 to see if your still sizing off center. I think you won't be. At that point you have pretty much proven you have an alignment problem with your sizer.

Once again dig up the thread made depicting the repair for this problem and your issue will go away.

[troy_mclure]

ive sized a bunch of .225 boolits, and other .312 boolit without the problem.

i measured the unsized boolits, then the sized.

ill hunt up a camera tomorrow and take pics.

[HeavyMetal]

So you've sized other boolits , 312 diameter, without an issue?

Now that you've added that you have successfully sized other .312 boolits I am suspecting more and more that you have a die issue.

exactly how much difference in diameter between your Lee 312 100 2R and the other .312 boolit you've sized and lubed? Just .0015 could make the difference btween "shearing" or not.

I will also suggest you take a real strong Magnifiying Glass and light to the other brand boolit and examine it very closely to see if it has signs of shearing that just might be to small to be seen without help.

Looking forward to pictures.

[mold maker]

Every gun I have includes a sizing die just ahead of the chamber that will take care of .001 out of round. Of course my eyes no longer measure that close on targets.
If the mold just came back from LEE, call them and talk with them about it. I've found them to be very reasonable in correcting problems with their new products.

[troy_mclure]

ive already paid $8 to send it back once, im not investing any more in the mould.

the other .30 mould is the lee 309-150, got them from a friend, his mould drops them at .313, and the die sizes them fine.

[pdawg_shooter]

I fail to see how a out of round bullet can be pushed through a round barrel with thousands of pounds of pressure behind it and exit in any shape but round. Unless someone bored the barrel oval!

[BulletFactory]

Can anything me done about an out of round sizer die?