lbaize3
08-31-2011, 12:59 PM
Some time back I purchased some cast 44 caliber boolits from a friend. He got them from Butte Casting Co., Inc. . The box info says they are economy cast bullets, 240 grain swc, and .429 dia. I needed some .431-.432 boolits. Discovering that the bevel base boolit would accept a gas check I tried to bump the boolits up on my Lyman 450 sizer... without success. Then I ordered Swede's gas check tool...
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e63e5041e6.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1983)
I tried it first in my Lee classic cast turret press. I could not get enough leverage becase the ram was too high. Next I tried a C press and had the same problem. I then put a washer on the press ram and had some success, but the lever still was not going down enough to give me the pressure I needed. Then I tried my PW press above.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e64b45b71f.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1984)
I installed Swede's check tool and a large 45 caliber top punch designed for the 45-70. To make things quicker, I circled where the boolit sat, on the press base, straight in the top punch.http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e657a241a2.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1985)
The method worked well.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e6649af30f.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1986)
The boolit on the left is the boolit as cast. The middle boolit is as cast with a gas check sitting under it. The right hand boolit has been bumped using the method I described above.
Before bumping the boolit base band was .429, the top band was .430 and the nose was .318.
After bumping the boolit base band was .432, the top band was .435 and the nose was .333.
The boolits weigh 246.2 grains without the gc and 253.6 grains with the gas check.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e671588976.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1987)
I really like the bigger nose.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e67be0be53.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1989)
As soon as it cools off enough, I will be out shooting these out of my .44 special and .44 mag pistols and rifle. Will let ya know how well these bumped up boolits work.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e63e5041e6.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1983)
I tried it first in my Lee classic cast turret press. I could not get enough leverage becase the ram was too high. Next I tried a C press and had the same problem. I then put a washer on the press ram and had some success, but the lever still was not going down enough to give me the pressure I needed. Then I tried my PW press above.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e64b45b71f.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1984)
I installed Swede's check tool and a large 45 caliber top punch designed for the 45-70. To make things quicker, I circled where the boolit sat, on the press base, straight in the top punch.http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e657a241a2.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1985)
The method worked well.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e6649af30f.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1986)
The boolit on the left is the boolit as cast. The middle boolit is as cast with a gas check sitting under it. The right hand boolit has been bumped using the method I described above.
Before bumping the boolit base band was .429, the top band was .430 and the nose was .318.
After bumping the boolit base band was .432, the top band was .435 and the nose was .333.
The boolits weigh 246.2 grains without the gc and 253.6 grains with the gas check.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e671588976.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1987)
I really like the bigger nose.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_113004e5e67be0be53.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1989)
As soon as it cools off enough, I will be out shooting these out of my .44 special and .44 mag pistols and rifle. Will let ya know how well these bumped up boolits work.