Sizing question for Rugers

[dana1028]

Going to start casting for my 3 Rugers....41, .44, .45 LC - short of slugging my barrels, if there a standard I should size my bullets for a Ruger? thank you

[felix]

Check each cylinder exit hole, and the barrel. If the barrel groove is bigger, then make each and every cylinder exit hole the same or up to 0.001 larger in diameter. Now, size the boolits to the cylinder exit hole size, or up to 0.001 larger. Yes, you do have to measure these holes, all of them. Otherwise, stay with condom (jacketed) bullets. ... felix

[dana1028]

thanx for the quick response.

[cbrick]

Felix is 100% correct. To expand on it a bit, revolver throats are extremely effective bullet sizing dies. If your bore is larger than the throats and you size your bullets to anything over throat diameter your bullets will be throat diameter when they exit the throats and your in for a long day at the range. The only fix is to have the throats reamed to bore diameter by a competent smith.

In a perfect world the throats and bore are exactly the same diameter or the bore very slightly under throat diameter and all throats are the same size. Proper bullet fit is a mild snug fit in the throats.

Rick

[John Boy]

... Felix is on the money. I've found that with cylinder throats uniformly cut 0.0005" over diameter, the bullet is presented better to the forcing cone and with less blowback on the cases using both White and Black powders

PS: Using a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp die does help immensely to reduce blowback.

[Possum]

This is an interesting conversation and something I was going to take up tomorrow at the reloading bench.

So if my Ruger bore is .4295 and my throats are .4305, should I size to .430 or .431, or just do both and see which one shoots better?

[cbrick]

Possum,

.431" will work fine "IF" they fit in all of the throats. A mild snug fit is what your after but if you have a snug throat and can't get the front driving band to chamber in that throat loading the cylinder could be tough. Just check all of the throats. .0015" over groove diamter is good. With .4305" throats if they chamber in all throats sizing .430" or .431" probably wouldn't make much difference. With the .4295" bore your in good shape.

Rick

[Bass Ackward]

So if my Ruger bore is .4295 and my throats are .4305, should I size to .430 or .431, or just do both and see which one shoots better?


Possum,

With bullet design A, you might do better at one diameter and change to design B and need another diameter. Usually when a guy says this design doesn't work at all for him, you really wonder if he is using old tactics anticipating this should always work. Always try everything everytime.

[Possum]

Thanks, I'm going to sit down tomorrow and load a few up to check. That is, if I can get the lube to flow in this cooler weather.:-D

[GP100man]

ruger 45 lc is known for small throats, i measured one for cuz & it came out at.447
i told him to get it reamed ,he said it was the best $55 he ever spent, he wont
part with that 45 now!!!

GP