Bullets to big? help

[gc88]

Good news, I have casted my first set of boolits. Bad new, they are to big. My mold is a Lee. 401 175 grain, but it is really .404. I loaded up one of the new bullets and it would not chamber in my pistol.

What do I do?

[williamwaco]

First.

Close you mold.
Open the sprue plate.
hold it up to the bright daylight sky with the bottom of the mold up and the cavities opening down.
Look into the cavities and see if you can see any daylight filtering through the bottom of the cavities.

If you can, the mold is not closing properly. Do a search here for the term "Leementing"

If you can't:
If there is no daylight,
Order a Lee .401 push through sizing die. ( Unless you already have another sizing method.)

[gc88]

First.

Close you mold.
Open the sprue plate.
hold it up to the bright daylight sky with the bottom of the mold up and the cavities opening down.
Look into the cavities and see if you can see any daylight filtering through the bottom of the cavities.

If you can, the mold is not closing properly. Do a search here for the term "Leementing"

If you can't:
If there is no daylight,
Order a Lee .401 push through sizing die. ( Unless you already have another sizing method.)

I closed the mold and I can't see throught the mold so that's good. Do most people need to size there pistol bullets before they load them?

[uaskme]

Yep, if the mold don't cast to the size you want. It is a hit or miss with most molds. If you pay the extra for a custom mold you can get a mold that cast to size. You are lucky that it is over sized and not under sized. Do a search and you can find out about how melt content can change the bullet size.

[williamwaco]

I closed the mold and I can't see throught the mold so that's good. Do most people need to size there pistol bullets before they load them?

Many people insist it is not necessary.

I wholeheartedly disagree.

I have been sizing EVERY hand gun bullet for 5 decades.

I have tried "as cast" and believe me:

Sizing them all is less work than fooling with the ones that are too large.

[Huntducks]

Many people insist it is not necessary.

I wholeheartedly disagree.

I have been sizing EVERY hand gun bullet for 5 decades.

I have tried "as cast" and beleve me:

Sizing them all is less work than fooling with the ones that are too large.


I agree +1

[40Super]

My new Lee 175 TC mold is dropping .4015-.403, my alloy is a harder type with more lead and less antimony it will probably drop .4005-.4015.

[runfiverun]

keep your thumb off the sprue cutter handle.

[williamwaco]

Good news, I have casted my first set of boolits. Bad new, they are to big. My mold is a Lee. 401 175 grain, but it is really .404. I loaded up one of the new bullets and it would not chamber in my pistol.

What do I do?

I really should ask:

Is this a two cavity or a six cavity Lee Mold?


.

[geargnasher]

Many people insist it is not necessary.

I wholeheartedly disagree.

I have been sizing EVERY hand gun bullet for 5 decades.

I have tried "as cast" and believe me:

Sizing them all is less work than fooling with the ones that are too large.

+2 and Amen.

The giveaway is if the boolits are a ROUND .404", or are .401" or so across the parting line and fat 90 degrees around from there. Bullplate sprue lube on the alignment pins will help guide a two-banger closed every time, otherwise the things bind up badly at times and then you get lead flashing on the faces of the blocks which make the situation semi-permanent.

If it's a six banger Runfiverun gives a good tip. Grabbing all three handles together will cam open the blocks a hair and you won't see the gap under the closed sprue plate.

Gear

[gc88]

I really should ask:

Is this a two cavity or a six cavity Lee Mold?


.

It is the two cavity, and they are weighing in at 177ish give or take a grain.

[Arkansas Paul]

I was about to post this as well and found this thread in the search. I bought the exact mold and it's throwing almost exactly .404 every time. My Sig SP2022 won't chamber them either. Also, they are about 182 grains instead of 175, but I suspect that the lead you're using has something to do with that. I'm using straight wheel weights. I ordered the Lee push through die today from Midway. Hope they hurry. I'm jonesing. :)

[Bret4207]

Well, I shoot lots of unsized boolits, BUT- they fit the gun. Obviously your mould is a hair big for your gun. You could trade it off to someone ith a mould that casts slightly smaller (the normal issue) or size them. The Lee kit is inexpensive.

[fredj338]

All you need to do is size them. With Lee you often get undersized bullets, consider yourself lucky. Going to a softer alloy will reduce size a bit, less shrinkage.

[Arkansas Paul]

Going to a harder alloy will reduce size a bit, less shrinkage.


Good to know. Thanks.
I'm a big time noob at this, so any nuggets of wisdom are welcome.

[Bret4207]

Harder alloys tend to cast LARGER, not smaller.

[40Super]

I was thinking that also, part of it is right,harder less shringkage

[MtGun44]

For me, not sizing never really happens, although with some molds, the sizer really
doesn't touch most of the boolits, just adds lube.

However - if there is an oversized one in the batch - it gets fixed.

Bill

[fredj338]

Harder alloys tend to cast LARGER, not smaller.

SOrry, your correct, I got Dyslexia’s & typed that wrong.:target_smiley: