BT's 44 cal dies

[Lizard333]

I just recently purchased a set of BT's dies used off of a member here. I'm am getting his universal notching die and the auto ejector for my RCBS. I will be using 40 cal brass as my jacket. I know I have to anneal the brass, but what size bullets are you guys getting out of a full length 40 cal brass. I want my bullets to look like the Hornady XTP's, without trimming the brass. What size core are you guys using? I will be shooting these out of my Ruger redhawk, and my Winchester 94AE. Does anyone have any picks of there bullets. This will be the first dies I have purchased from BT, so I'm looking forward to this. Thanks!

[BT Sniper]

255 grains using a 40 cal 175 grain cast boolit core with untrimed 40 S&W brass.

There is quite a few links here some where. Some else will chime in too I'm sure. I'm sort on time, more later.

BT

[Lizard333]

Thanks BT, I didn't want to bug you with a pm. Good to know.

[runfiverun]

it depends on the case you use some too.
i use a 180 gr mold 357 boolit as my core.
and get 250 gr boolits [on average] at 430 diameter from win and fed cases. which the model 94 and browning 92 really like.
with the rem and speer cases i can get another 5 grs of lead in them easily.

[DukeInFlorida]

Use only brass cases. Don't try to swage the nickle plated ones.
I use a 175 grain cast Lee Tumble Lube style .40 boolit as the core.
LEE 6 CAVITY BULLET MOLD .40 CALIBER 90433
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/315q7oOu-uL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

The assembled swaging comes out at 250 grains (the Hornady's are 240 grains). Mine look just like the Hornady's.

I find also that when I shoot them, some of them (even with a tight crimp) will walk out of the case because of the recoil. By the 4th or 5th round, the cylinder of the gun gets locked up.

I got a CH cannelure tool (hand cranked) through Brian, and now run a cannelure around the bullets and crimp into that. I never have bullets walk out any more.

[ReloaderFred]

I use Federal Military .40 S&W brass (FC 08), since it's plentiful from the Coast Guard using our range, and very consistent in weight. For cores, I use a .38 caliber 158 gr. SWC mold, and cast from pure lead that tests out at BHN 6. I get a 225 gr. bullet with the untrimmed brass, making it into a HP, and using Brian's notching die. The swaging die simply folds the excess brass back into the hollowpoint.

There are some pictures of my setup somewhere in one of the threads. I anneal my brass with the cores in place in a ceramics kiln. I take the kiln up to 1150 degrees F, with the brass and cores loaded on stainless steel trays. Once the kiln reaches the desired temperature, I turn if off and let it set overnight. This seems to bond the cores to the jackets, since they don't separate, even when impacting hard dirt berms. The only way to get the core out of the jacket is to melt it out. I get perfect mushrooms in soft materials with these bullets from both my Marlin carbine and my 8 3/8" Model 629.

When loading these bullets, you've got to remember that they're longer than commercial bullets of the same weight, which reduces the volume in the case. If you try to use powder charges for commercial bullets the same weight as your cartridge case bullets, pressures will go through the roof. I've been using midrange data for 240 gr. bullets with my 225 gr. bullets. If I get much over the midrange loads, I get sticky extraction from the 629, which tells me I'm over the limit.

There's a lot of satisfaction making your own bullets from cartridge cases, and you'll get some blank looks when you show them to people. I've shared mine with both Berry's Manufacturing and Sierra Bullets people at the SHOT Show, along with Speer bullets. The comments ranged from laughter to admiration.......

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Lizard333]

You guys are awesome. This is the kind of feed back I'm looking for. I have already bought the canalure tool from CH. I have been using it on my 55 grain HP for my AR15.

I have a 175 gn die from RCBS that has traditional grooves, will this be a problem, or should I just get the TL mold from lube. I think I read somewhere that the traditional lube grooves can cause problems.

Thanks for the info about the nickel plated brass, I was wondering if it was possible, you saved me some headaches. I will get some brass annealed in the mean time and await the dies.

Thanks again!

[DukeInFlorida]

Even regular cast bullet molds can be useful for our purposes. Just make sure to deeply and firmly seat the cores.

I use the expander insert in BT Sniper's Universal Crimp Die to expand the brass, and than use the same insert to firmly and deeply seat the core (cast boolit). As long as you scrunch the core/boolit to the bottom of the brass, you'll remove most of the air, and also remove the grease grooves that would otherwise have been somewhat troublesome.

I just happened to have lucked out with the Lee TL mold. I already had the mold and was making cast boolits with it for my .40 S&W guns. Turns out that it was also perfect for making cores. Who knew??

[ReloaderFred]

As long as the cores are cast from soft lead, the lube grooves aren't a problem. You just seat the core like Duke said and that irons out the groove. Or more accurately, smashes it.

When using cores that aren't melted into the brass during annealing, some bullets work better inserted into the annealed brass nose down. Some work better nose up. You'll find which works best for you.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[runfiverun]

good thread.
the cool thing about the hollow point punches is you can use a slightly smaller boolit and the hollow will help fill the cases.
it just depends on your core weight.

[a.squibload]

Cannelure tool helps a lot.
Using soft lead my cores are a little heavy, swaged 44s
come out at 260 grains.
Don't have the notch die.
Will try a lighter core, try to get the brass to fold into
the HP, like the way those look.
No bonding, but haven't had any separate, even in dirt.

[Jailer]

I've made 250 gr HP's with my 45 cal dies with a 180gr core. They are standard lube groove and they form just fine.

From left to right, standard HP, notched HP, notched HP rolled over.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/Boolits2.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/posting%20pics/Boolits1.jpg

I've also made some 285gr FP for the 450 Bushmaster with a drilled out 2 cavity Lee mold and 114gr cores.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/Jailer/Gun%20stuff/452285flatnose5.jpg

[taminsong]

WOW, AWESOME!

One of these days when my piggy bank are full, I will get BT's 357 dies for my GP100!