? ? Better Bullet Seating ? ?

[Ben]

I ordered a Lee Expander Rod for the .303 British, it is the new tapered style.
The largest portion mikes .3098" ( Lee Part # SE2358 , Cost $3.00 )

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/2358.jpg

I removed my " stock " expander rod from my .308 Win. die which was set up for jacketed bullets ( as you'd expect ).

When seating bullets of .310 , 3105 and 3115" even when I used a Lyman M Die I was experiencing " hard seating " when using the " stock " expander rod. We all know that the internal neck dimensions were set up for a good friction fit with a .308 jacketed bullet . Sometimes seating my .3115 cast bullets was very difficult to the point that I would see minor deforming on the nose of the bullet.

I've changed out the expander rods now and have already loaded some 308 Win. today with .3115 " dia. SAECO # 315 bullets.

WOW ! ! What a difference. These seem to seat with just about the right amount of resistance. Hopefully this change will give me optimum case neck tension.

I'll be interested in seeing what the targets have to say about this change.

Ben

( By the way, I could easily have remedied my neck tension problem with the purchase of a set of Redding bushing dies.....Catch is that I couldn't do that for $3.00 )

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Good for you following into such issues: the proof is in the shooting. BvT

[CWME]

Waiting impatiently to see your targets. From what I have seen of your photos your 5 shot groups are aproaching the diameter of the caliber=)

[Ben]

CWME:

Thanks, my .30 cal. rifles have been shooting these plain based bullets pretty well, I hope my " keen logic " that I have applied today ( by introducing another unknown variable ) doesn't blow my groups all over the target.

Like my old grandaddy also said when we were testing a rifle......" Son, that paper don't lie !"

[noylj]

Did you ever tear apart a round or two and determine how much you were swaging down the bullets? How were the groups and leading?
You can't beat Lee. If you need a custom expander or seating stem, they generally charge something like $25 or less.

[Ben]

noylj

Did you ever tear apart a round or two and determine how much you were swaging down the bullets?

No, I didn't . They were very accurate with the super tight neck tension, here is a target that I shot with the " tight necks ", prior to putting in the larger expander.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/SAECO%20%20315%20Plain%20Base/009800x600.jpg

I'm hoping that the accuracy will still be there with the " normal " neck tension that I have on my rounds right now.

Ben

[Rick459]

you might want to try one of these. they really help in smoth seating of cast bullets.
http://www.kmshooting.com/catalog/case-neck-chamfer-tools/controlled-depth-tapered-reamer_large_6mm-338.html

[Larry Gibson]

Regards the "stock" M-die. I always use the .31 M-die for use with .311 - .314" cast bullets in all .30 and .31 cal rifles. The "stock" .30 M-die works ok for the few .308 and .309" sized cast bullets I use. Probably serves the same purpose as the oversize expander mentioned but you only need one M-die for multiple cartridges, if that is a need.

Larry Gibson

[Doby45]

Let us know how it goes Ben. I will wanna get one of those for my 30-06 and .310 boolits..

[mdi]

Excellent info., thanks. I've been "thinking" (and that's all, just thinking) about this same process, but in .44 caliber. I'm waiting on your results, too...

[Doby45]

Would this be what you got Ben?

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=115820

[brimic2]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=115820
you'd want a .303 brit expander. http://leeprecision.com/xcart/EZ-X-EXP-303-B.html

These are pretty commonly purchased to replace the expander in 7.62x54r dies.

[Ben]

Doby45

No I think that one would be too short.

This is the one :


http://leeprecision.com/xcart/EZ-X-EXP-303-B.html

[Doby45]

I just ordered me two of them for my 30-06 loading..


Doby45

No I think that one would be too short.

This is the one :


http://leeprecision.com/xcart/EZ-X-EXP-303-B.html

[zomby woof]

Got mine today!! Thanks for the heads up.

[Ben]

Keep us posted on how they work.

Ben

[zomby woof]

Shot my 03A3 loads today with the new expander plug. I don't shoot off the bench. I shoot position, Highpower. I shot one of my higher scores today with the new sized cases.

I ordered the .310 expander for my RCBS neck sizer the other day.

I'm happy.

[onondaga]

Lee did the right thing offering the parts for expanding for cast boolits. The 7.62X39 Full Length Sizing die set I got from Lee comes with 2 expander pins and the larger one is perfect for cast boolits. I got the extra pin for my .308 Win die also.

Lee also offers a mandrel for the 7.62X39 Collet Neck Sizing Die. That part is from the .303 Brit Collet die and it can be adapted to use in the X39 for cast boolits. That has also worked for me .

I use the Universal Expander Die from Lee to flair all my case mouths for seating lead boolits and like that too.

The Lyman "M" dies look great and many are very happy with them because they save a step on a turret press and don't need a separate case mouth flair station.

Gary

[Ben]

Let us know how it goes Ben. I will wanna get one of those for my 30-06 and .310 boolits..


Well, you wanted to know how it went..............Guess what, a total failure.
The bullets seated with less resistance, but the groups opened up. Not
horrible, but accuracy went south.

I've since pulled the oversized expander ball out of my die and gone back
to what I had. I made certain that the only " variable " in the accuracy equation
was the change of expander ball, that would allow me to know if accuracy was
improved , I could know it was the expander ball change. Unfortunately for me, it was the opposite.

This idea may or may not offer help with cast bullet shooting in your rifle ? I think everyone will simply have to try it and see what happens with their own particular situation.

I'm wondering if the tight neck tension ( in my particular case ) aided combustion and assisted powder burn and uniformity ? When I removed that tight neck tension, the groups opened up ? ? ?

Ben

[zomby woof]

I ordered the .310 expander for my RCBS neck sizer the other day.

I'm happy.

Shot my neck sized loads with the RCBS .310" expander. My 03A3 has taken on new life with the 311284 and the new sizers.

Next is the Garand.