11mm drill on lee cast bullet sizer

[rp85]

hello;

have a marlin 1894 with micro groves in the barrel. cast bullet accuracy is not not good at all. have the lee .430 " push through sizing die. bullet is a 258 grain keith style swc.

has anyone take an 11mm (.4331") drill bit, put it and the lee push throught sizing die in a lathe and drill out the .430" sizing die to .4331"????? if so how did it work out???

thanks for any input.

rp

[Longwood]

hello;

have a marlin 1894 with micro groves in the barrel. cast bullet accuracy is not not good at all. have the lee .430 " push through sizing die. bullet is a 258 grain keith style swc.

has anyone take an 11mm (.4331") drill bit, put it and the lee push throught sizing die in a lathe and drill out the .430" sizing die to .4331"????? if so how did it work out???

thanks for any input.

rp


They would not admit it if they had.
A 11 millimeter drill will make a big enough hole for a 11 mm bolt to go through.
Hone it instead.

[Kraschenbirn]

Those Lee sizers are hardened (heat-treated) for abrasion resistance; trying to drill one would just be a good way of taking the cutting edges off a perfectly good drill bit. Lapping compound mixed liberally with patience is your best way to go.

Bill

[kliff]

Send it back to Lee with a letter explaining what you want, they'll fix it. Call 'em first, they are good people up there.

[Longwood]

Those Lee sizers are hardened (heat-treated) for abrasion resistance; trying to drill one would just be a good way of taking the cutting edges off a perfectly good drill bit. Lapping compound mixed liberally with patience is your best way to go.

Bill

Correct!
I meant to add that they are as hard as a whores heart.

[Longwood]

Send it back to Lee with a letter explaining what you want, they'll fix it. Call 'em first, they are good people up there.

Love the Avatar kliff.

[rp85]

thanks for replys.

made no head way what so ever in 2 hours of trying to enlarge the sizer. guessed it was harden.

will have to give lee a call to check on a .432" sizing die.

thanks again for the input. you all answered my question.

rp

[Boerrancher]

+1 to what Kliff said. Lee has always been first rate in my dealings with them. Also with that being a 94c if it is any thing at all like it's Little brother the 357 mag, it will not shoot any of the SWC designs. After you have the sizer opened up, if it's accuracy does not improve go with a 240+ grain RNFP boolit and see what happens.

best wishes,

Joe

[Keyston44]

Ranch Dog has Lee make 432 push through size dies for him. Looks like he is out of stock now but you can get them from him.

http://www.ranchdogoutdoors.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_34&products_id=65

Key

[btroj]

I use some wet/dr sand paper , oil, and a brass rod and made mine go from .430 to .432 in less than 15 minutes.

Wrap some 400 grit paper around the rod, makes lt loose enough to fit thru sizer. Add some oil, slip into sizer and roll the sizer up and down pur thigh while sitting in a chair.

After a few minutes stop, clean things up, shove a bullet thru and measure. Keep going til you get the size you want.

It really is that simple. And it works.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I use some wet/dr sand paper , oil, and a brass rod and made mine go from .430 to .432 in less than 15 minutes.

Wrap some 400 grit paper around the rod, makes lt loose enough to fit thru sizer. Add some oil, slip into sizer and roll the sizer up and down pur thigh while sitting in a chair.

After a few minutes stop, clean things up, shove a bullet thru and measure. Keep going til you get the size you want.

It really is that simple. And it works.

I gotta try that one!

[SCOTT ARTHUR]

+1... I've done three of the LEE sizers like that & it works great!


Scott

[leftiye]

Drills always drill a couple of thou over stated or measured diameter. They always make a rough hole too, too rough for a sizer. That's if they cut - with a light cut on hardened metal they'll probly just polish the drill down in size. The sandpaper/dowel/thigh (or hand electric drill) method works just fine. 400 grit will wear down fast and not leave a too rough of finish. If just taking a thou out, probly 600 grit will do better if using a drill motor to drive it. Lee dies aren't near as hard as Lyman dies are, in my experience.

[dubber123]

I've honed out a bunch of dies, mostly Lyman/RCBS dies, and the heat treat isn't consistant from die to die, and I imagine LEE stuff is the same. Once or twice, I have gotten one so hard the sandpaper thing was taking forever. If you get one of these, heat it to a dull red, and let it air cool to remove the temper, it will hone easily then. Yes they will be softer, but I have a few done this way, and I will say it takes A LOT of lubricated lead boolits to produce any wear on one.

[popper]

Have one of these to sharpen knives. http://smithsedge.com/products/product.asp?id=25&cid=4. Works great for opening up a sizer. 400 diamond grit with built in rod. Just roll it. Be sure to clean out any lube that might be in the sizer.

[Four Fingers of Death]

That looks the goods popper (oops! almost put two o's in your name, lol)! I am going to the big hardware store tomorrow, I'll keep an eye out for something like that. Cost $7, probably cost me $12 to get it posted to here! :)

[MtGun44]

Normal two cutting edge drills do NOT drill round holes, they drill three-lobed holes.

If you want a round hole, you drill undersized, then ream, and then polish if you want
a smooth finish.

Drilling is ONLY for rough material removal, NEVER for making a precision hole.

Bill

[GL49]

Please explain to me how a two cutting edge drill makes three-lobed holes. I've seen them do it time and time again, but don't have a clue how to explain it.

[cabezaverde]

I have coated the sides of cast boolits with valve grinding compound and pushed them thorugh. 4 or 5 of them and just keep cyling them through the die. Clean things up and check it.

If it is not big enough, coat some more and push them through. Works well for me.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have coated the sides of cast boolits with valve grinding compound and pushed them thorugh. 4 or 5 of them and just keep cyling them through the die. Clean things up and check it.

If it is not big enough, coat some more and push them through. Works well for me.

Thats pretty neat!

By the way that quote about 'a govt big enough, etc That was Davy Crockett that said that wasn't it?

[cabezaverde]

This quotation is actually from Gerald Ford's August 12th, 1974 address to Congress.

[Four Fingers of Death]

This quotation is actually from Gerald Ford's August 12th, 1974 address to Congress.

Well, thanks for that, as my Grandfather used to say, you learn something every day!

[Calamity Jake]

I have coated the sides of cast boolits with valve grinding compound and pushed them thorugh. 4 or 5 of them and just keep cyling them through the die. Clean things up and check it.

If it is not big enough, coat some more and push them through. Works well for me.

That's how I've done it many times, works good.
The Lee PT dies I have are not that hard.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have coated the sides of cast boolits with valve grinding compound and pushed them thorugh. 4 or 5 of them and just keep cyling them through the die. Clean things up and check it.

If it is not big enough, coat some more and push them through. Works well for me.

You wouldn't want to mix these up with your boolits that are going to be fired through your guns. Maybe use them as ammo for your slingshot to deter cats, etc