Initial sizing

[Goatwhiskers]

As it happens the smallest die I have right now is .357. My bore slugs at .357. My first experiment with PP for my Max involved sizing to .357, patching with paper from my copier 2 wraps, and sizing back down to .357. These worked OK for the few that I fired. Now that I've gotten my feet wet, should I try first sizing smaller before I wrap? Was playing with some today that I patched yesterday and noticed that some of the patches tore--no good I'm sure. Goat

[geargnasher]

Measure the bore dimension of your gun, and order a sizer from Buckshot or someone else that's spec'd to about a thousandth and a half larger with your alloy. Be sure and mention you'll be sizing .357" or larger down with it. Two wraps of wet copier or lined notebook paper should get you to .358-.360" after it dries and shrinks. If they chamber ok, no need to final size them.

Gear

[303Guy]

Good advise from geargnasher. You say they worked 'OK'? That's a good start, so in the meantime, why not develop what you have they way you're doing it right now and see what you can achieve? That'll give you practice and also something to report back to us for our interest.[smilie=1:
And it is interesting to us! :drinks:

[Goatwhiskers]

Loaded 5 RD359190, sized .357, two wraps of copier paper, resized .357, allowed to age a few days, they settled at .358. I did have to bell these cases a little, then crimp. Crimping didn't allow the cartridges to make it all the way into the chamber of this Martini, so used the case sizer as a taper crimp, solved the problem. Incidentally I have since found that a .358 boolit will fit into a fired case with finger pressure so will try that next go-round. Anyway, fired these ahead of 28gr A1680, same as I use with the GC version of this boolit for a hunting load. I did find a trace of lead out at the muzzle that pretty much wiped out. Next experiment I'll be trying tracing paper over .357 sized boolits, after they dry I'll see if they need any sizing. Pic of the target enclosed (I hope). This was 25 yds.