Taking out the bevel base on Lee 200gr SWC

[milprileb]

The Lee 200 gr SWC for 45acp has a bevel base. In the sizer lubricator, lube forms a ring around this bevel base (BB) and is a nuisance to wipe off. A flat base would be ideal but Lee does not offer that.

I have pursued solutions with no real great success:

a. Have blocks fly cut to remove BB and I now have a less than 200 gr SWC bullet: cost is under 30 bucks
b. Have cavities cut to remove BB and thats about 65 bucks (for 6 cav. mold): now I am holding a $110 mold if that mod cost is added to original mold cost.
c. I can go down to a 4 cavity heavy Lyman mold for this HG 68 clone but I like a 6 cav aluminum mold
d. I can buy those dished ejector rods from one of guys on this forum but there will still be some lube to wipe off bullet bases. He warned me of that. Not as much as now but still there.

I guess, short of finding a custom maker of 6 cavity HG 68 type 200 Gr SWC 45acp molds, I am stuck with wiping BB bullet bases off or doing a little less wiping if I get the custom made dished ejector rod for my Lyman 450 size.

I don't want to Tumble Lube so stick lube is what I desire to use.

If I missed any options, please tell me. Otherwise, I am where I am.

Oh, to be fair now, the Lee BB bullets are accurate so its only the issue of lube on BB that has my focus.

Lee tech rep said he could take BB out but its a 150 dollar set up charge... I don't see the value in that approach for me.

[Pilgrim_still]

What does it hurt to just leave it?

[deltaenterprizes]

Star lubsizer is an option.

[Box13]

I have the same problem with a lyman 4cav 452 rnfp.I know some guys like the bevel base but most of the casters I know dont like the lube problem...me included.Im either going to trade it off for something I like better or try to remove the bevel myself.That or trade off my sizer,add some cash and get a star.....Robin

[Doby45]

The bevel in the Lee aluminum blocks is easily removed with a sharp knife. Take your time and simply "peel" the bevel out. I did that with two cavities on my old 6 cav mold, sold it to a guy and he thought it was done professionally.

[milprileb]

For the short term, I will put up with the lube as the mold does make outstanding bullets. I have been told BB bullets contribute to leading but I have not seen this personally. If that RCBS 201 gr SWC with flat base had not spoiled me, I would not be sniveling about lube and BB.
Regretably, my RCBS mold is a 2 cav and it takes as you know tons of time to work a 2 cav for bullets. I shoot 250 rds now per range session and am up to 500 rds per week on average. I can't feed the addiction using a 2 cavity.

I am thinking of that ejector punch option as the board maker says it will be less of a lube ring than I am getting. Less to wipe off might make this less of a chore.

Thanks to all with suggestions and confirmation of where I am with this. Its good to have that experience to confirm where I am on this map sheet !!!

[Nobade]

A chucking reamer of the correct size and a drill press works very well. Allow the blocks to float and let the reamer find center.

[hunter64]

I had the same problem with the Lee 6 cavity 158 gn .358 mold. I tried the old Styrofoam in the bottom of the die trick on my luber and it works good for about 100 bullets and then needs to be changed.

Had my friend mill off 60 thou and get rid of the bevel base and problem solved. Some day I will get a star machine but money is tight right now and way down on the the priorities list if you know what I mean.

[milprileb]

What did your bullets weigh after milling mold down? Its already 200 gr and I have a Lyman 185 gr SWC so I am a bit leary of ending up with nearly the same 185 gr bullet . I suspect your mold drops 190 grain ??

If this option makes a 195 gr bullet, I am on this fast.

[thehouseproduct]

A chucking reamer of the correct size and a drill press works very well. Allow the blocks to float and let the reamer find center.
Hmmmmmm, I like.

[milprileb]

Buy drill press and chucking reamer: won't that

a. cost more than $65 for expert to ream out the mold of BB?
b. buy this equipment and I foul up the cutting: where am I now?

Its a good idea if you are skilled on this gear and own it already.

For me: this dog won't hunt.

I got to get there without dropping a ton of money and time.

[thehouseproduct]

A chucking reamer of the correct size and a drill press works very well. Allow the blocks to float and let the reamer find center.
Are boolit molds oversized? If a boolit drops at 0.358", is the mold 0.358" or 0.361" or something like that?

[Wally]

Remove the Sprue plate and use a coarse Silicon Carbide stone with plenty of water (to keep it from "loading up"....after you have it down low enough polish the blocks with a finer grade sandpaper...I have used 260 or 320 grit...

[cbunt1]

An outside the box solution worked for me...

Back off on the pressure screw on your lubri-sizer...enough so that there's no lube pushed to the boolit...

insert a bollit, pull the handle, then apply pressure on the pressure screw...

now back off the pressure screw, and raise the handle. if everything's adjusted right, you will have a boolit with very little or no lube in the bevel base.

If your lube machine is a lyman, you'll want to use something besides the ratchet they provide--I'm not sure how interchangable that is though...

Something else that helps there is to plug all but one row of holes in the lube die...lead shot works here, as does duct tape :)

May not solve it, but worth a try, and costs about $.06 to try...

[milprileb]

CBUNT1:

You caught me on a blind side and got me. That part of shot or duct tape approach. I will try it.

As for the pressure screw: I tried that and I get lube ring so thats a no cigar option here.

Shot or Duct Tape: That is on the menu and if it works, I will post results.

[MtGun44]

Check with Erik at Hollowpoint services on the web. He does very good work.

Bill

[thehouseproduct]

An outside the box solution worked for me...

Back off on the pressure screw on your lubri-sizer...enough so that there's no lube pushed to the boolit...

insert a bollit, pull the handle, then apply pressure on the pressure screw...

now back off the pressure screw, and raise the handle. if everything's adjusted right, you will have a boolit with very little or no lube in the bevel base.

If your lube machine is a lyman, you'll want to use something besides the ratchet they provide--I'm not sure how interchangable that is though...

Something else that helps there is to plug all but one row of holes in the lube die...lead shot works here, as does duct tape :)

May not solve it, but worth a try, and costs about $.06 to try...
A 1/4" wrench, $3.99 from Autozone. Also RCBS lube dies have only one row of holes. I am trying this solution in earnest now.

[Recluse]

A 1/4" wrench, $3.99 from Autozone. Also RCBS lube dies have only one row of holes. I am trying this solution in earnest now.

I've used a 1/4" nut driver from day one with my Lyman 45's.

As far as the boolit in question, that's my number two best all-time shooting boolit in the inventory. I'm not changing a thing. I use a bit of styrofoam that I cut with a .45 ACP shell that I've chamfered until it is razor sharp.

Between the little foam pieces and using a nut driver, I get very little lube around the base of the boolit.

:coffee:

[HenryC460]

Possible solution for you here (group buy plug-warning):

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=116811

The other thing I was thinking; I've done this with nose punches on my Lyman. Alright, with one nose punch, but it works very well.

What if you put release agent everywhere except the top of the die's plug first and then a drop or two of epoxy or steel-filled Acras-Glas on top of the plug and put a boolit on top of it inside the die body? Then, potentially, you have a perfect leak-free fit.

You might have to monkey with whether you want to size the boolit first or size it with epoxy under it. I will feel bad if you have to monkey with a torch and sledgehammer trying to get that boolit and plug out of the die. Maybe it's not such a good idea. Something to think about eh?