Bullet out of round?

[jethunter]

I picked up a RCBS .455 webley HB mould on an auction some months back. Appears new and unused. Tried it for the first time last night and cast a couple hundred nice looking boolits. Measured them this morning and of the 10-12 I measured, every one of them is out of round, with 90degree offset diameter measurements of .452" and .457".

I haven't seen this much out of round previously in any other moulds but I'm fairly new to the game. Is this acceptable variation in diameter? i'd think not...

I don't have a sizing die for this boolit yet. Is this something that can be cured by sizing or is it just too lopsided to correct?

[462]

Recently, RCBS replaced a used mould that was dropping skinny boolits. Give them a call, you may be pleasantly surprised.

[leftiye]

Make sure the mold is closing. Check to see if the mold halves are misaligned. Is the out of round big across the mold opening or vertical to the parting line?

[jethunter]

Measurement at the parting line is approx .457"

[popper]

Don't know what your bore is, but .006 sizing seems like a LOT, whether in a sizer or the bbl.

[Wolfer]

I have a lee 452-255RF that usually runs 452 on the seam and 457 the other way. I size it 452 in a lee push through to wipe the excess lube off. I didn't always size though just tumble lubed or wiped some grease on by hand. I didn't send this mold back because it is the most accurate 45 mold I own, and I have several. My cyls are 452 and barrel is 4515.

I think part of the problem is I lubed it with NRA 50/50 per lees instructions and it has built up sort of like beagleing. I could clean it but when something works for me I tend to leave it alone.

[DLCTEX]

What diameter should it be casting? I have no idea what the bore and groove on a 455 measures. If it were mine I'd give RCBS a call. They seem to take care of such problems.

[jethunter]

The mould should be throwing nominal .455". It is closing properly. I don't have a .455" sizer but i ran a few through a .452" lee sizing die and it seemed to straighten them out pretty well. Did some more measuring and the out-of-round is mostly on the skirt/hollow base portion. I think I just need to make or buy a .455 sizer die and try that.

[jethunter]

Don't know what your bore is, but .006 sizing seems like a LOT, whether in a sizer or the bbl.

That would usually be a fair comment, but this bullet is designed (i think) to shoot in the wide array of bore sizes found in the .455 webley chamberings. MKI/II pistols run .452" bore/throat, other webley models are .455", and the non-webleys are usually .455". I have an RIC with .454" throat and .456" bore.

The bands on this bullet are tiny and the nose is long so only a small portion of the bullet is .455". It should squeeze down without too much pressure buildup and the hollow base squeezes through the throat and then expands to grab the rifling and seals the bore. I'll try and get a picture of a cast bullet and post it.

[beagle]

For sure check and see if the mould halbes are closing correctly. Next, check the fit of the HB pin. Occasionally, one will be too large and that would slightly hold the mould halves apart and cause this condition. It may not be enough to see by looking at the mould half closure but would cause enough seperation to produce the oblong configuration.

Many of the HB pins were made on the large size so they would wear in some during use and produce a tight fit at the base to eliminate flashing.

Just a thought./beagle

[jethunter]

It appears that the mould is closing properly. The HB pin is quite loose and slides in and out of the mould with little effort so it appears to be OK and not causing any problem.

The HB pin retainer on this mould is really quite useful, allowing the pin to float when the mould is opened and slide back into place when the mould is closed. Much faster than the lyman system with the wooden knob on the pin. I think now that the oblong section is entirely in the HB/skirt area. Skirt thickness is fairly uniform and the pin size does not seem to be a problem. The .452 sizer seems to straighten it out so i just need to geta .455" sizer and I should be fixed.

Here's the pictures of the boolits. I got carried away and cast half an ice cream pail full before i measured them.

[montana_charlie]

Measurement at the parting line is approx .457"
Is there a raised area at the parting line that is fooling your mic?

[MT Chambers]

Jethunter, I'd send it back, even if you can even it out, it will partially size one side and fill in the grooves/s and the bullet will still be off centre....Ben

[jethunter]

Is there a raised area at the parting line that is fooling your mic?

There is a raised area but i didn't measure there for that reason.

[jethunter]

Jethunter, I'd send it back, even if you can even it out, it will partially size one side and fill in the grooves/s and the bullet will still be off centre....Ben

That's good advice Ben, I have one more thing to try and if it doesn't work then I'lll see if RCBS will replace it for me.

[jethunter]

Started thinking maybe I hadn't cleaned the mould well enough and maybe had something burned on in the cavity that would reduce bullet diameter. Couldn't see anything but cleaned it anyway and ran off a few more boolits. Same result. The mould cavities aren't round.

[mpmarty]

Not an uncommon condition for newer RCBS molds.

[DLCTEX]

If the out of round is in the skirt portion it may be that the boolit is sticking enough to let the pin distort the boolit skirt as it pushed by the base pin. Leementing the cavity may cure that, but .452 on the rest of the boolit is a problem unless the driving band is ok and the skirt being pulled is causing the skirt to flatten. Check the driving band and see if it measures up, then let a boolit cool good before dropping it to see if it remains round.

[Wolfer]

Have you shot any of them yet?

[jethunter]

If the out of round is in the skirt portion it may be that the boolit is sticking enough to let the pin distort the boolit skirt as it pushed by the base pin. Leementing the cavity may cure that, but .452 on the rest of the boolit is a problem unless the driving band is ok and the skirt being pulled is causing the skirt to flatten. Check the driving band and see if it measures up, then let a boolit cool good before dropping it to see if it remains round.

I was thinking along those same lines last night. I left the last boolit in the mould overnight and measured it this morning. Same results. The driving band, or what there is of it on this bullet is out of round but not as badly as the skirt, measuring approx .453" x .456".

[jethunter]

Have you shot any of them yet?

Nope. But i will be shooting a few just for educational value. I got in the GB for the .455 HB 265 gr Mihec mould so although this is disappointing I probably wouldn't be using this mould a lot even if it did throw round boolits.

[Sonnypie]

Here's the pictures of the boolits. I got carried away and cast half an ice cream pail full before i measured them.

My dad always said, "The truth will out."
(Meaning the truth will come out.)

NOW we know who ate all the Ice Cream! :mrgreen: :kidding:

I like to ram my bullets through sizing dies. I figure my gun has enough to worry about besides having to size the bullets, too.
When the occasional one comes up taking more effort to size, it reminds me of why I run them through the sizing die.
But those hollow bases ought to puff right up and seal tight as new packing on a pump shaft when that powder explodes behind it.
Ram one through your bore and see how it comes out. That ought to tell which way to go with it.
You might wind up playing Ping-Pong trying to get a "perfect" mold. But I also know RCBS to be some of the nicest folks doing business there are. :wink:

[jethunter]

My dad always said, "The truth will out."
(Meaning the truth will come out.)

NOW we know who ate all the Ice Cream! :mrgreen: :kidding:

I like to ram my bullets through sizing dies. I figure my gun has enough to worry about besides having to size the bullets, too.
When the occasional one comes up taking more effort to size, it reminds me of why I run them through the sizing die.
But those hollow bases ought to puff right up and seal tight as new packing on a pump shaft when that powder explodes behind it.
Ram one through your bore and see how it comes out. That ought to tell which way to go with it.
You might wind up playing Ping-Pong trying to get a "perfect" mold. But I also know RCBS to be some of the nicest folks doing business there are. :wink:

I'd think they would shoot Ok, like you said the hollow base makes up for a multitude of other problems. I'll shoot a few for edumacashunal purposes but most of them will go back in the pot.

I'll have you know that ice cream pail was purchased at the farmer's market full of health food, bean sprouts and the like. I swear. :mrgreen: