cast 25/20 problem

[hound-1]

hello all,this is my first post,but I've been snooping around for a while.
I have a marlin 1894cl in 25/20,I've fired a pile of jacketed bullets in it and now I want to try some cast,I slugged the bore and got the right dia boolits,but my problem is in when seating the boolit, I crush the case.I am using lee dies.I did manage to load a few in unsized cases by punching the primers by hand,seating the boolit,and crimping.they shoot good but it would take me a month to load 20 rnds. thanks

[Mk42gunner]

I'm not familiar with the Lee 25-20 dies, but it sounds to me like you aren't getting enough neck expansion before trying to seat the boolits. The standard answer is to recommend the Lyman M-die instead of any makeshift way of flaring the neck; and I must admit I have never ruined a case when seating the boolit using an M-die.

Whie I know you can order just an M-die, it may be more cost effective to just get the whole three die set in .25-20 from Lyman. It will probably give you different case sizing options also.

Good Luck, the .25-20 is a fun little cartridge to work with.

Robert

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

I load for 25-20 with a set of Lee dies. I use the Lee Universal Flaring tool. No problems with crushed cases.

The 25-20 is famous for thin case necks so there is a problem there but not one that cannot be overcome with the flaring tool.

Another link that may be useful:

http://www.marlinowners.com/forum/reloading/26002-25-20-reloaders.html

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[Larry Gibson]

I use the Lee Universal Flaring tool.

Are you using this or the Lyman M die to flair the case mouth?

Larry Gibson

[Reg]

The little 25-20 has a very thin, delicate neck, you must be very careful in seating cast bullets.
Jacketed bullets are hard and generally have a rounded corner that makes seating less of a problem but the soft lead and sharp edge of the cast bullet requires you to "bell" the mouth of the case either with the Lee Universal Flaring Tool or the Lyman M die. Both work well. Do not "bell" too much, just enough to allow the bullet to seat without scraping on anything or you will quickly over work the brass at the mouth. Also to prevent over working, I seldom crimp very much at all, just enough to allow good feeding. I also carefully chamfer the inner edge of the neck with a hand held chamfering tool. Not much, there isn't much to work with but just enough to make sure the edge of the cast bullet doesn't scrape on anything sharp as it seats. This all applies to many of the smaller caliber shells, Hornet, Bee etc.

[smilie=s:

[hound-1]

I wasnt flaring the necks at all,loading like I would a jacketed bullet.I'm new at shooting cast,but I've been reloading for 30+ years.I just ordered the lee universal flaring die,I'll let you know how it works out.I'm sure I,ll have a pile more ???.thanks for the help....Ed

[Frank V]

Hound-1

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you are on the way now. The .25-20. .32-20, .38-40, & .44-40 cases are all thinner than say a .38 Special, .44 Special or mag., & most other handgun or rifle cases. You will have to guide the bullet into the case straight or you will bend the case. I keep it alinged with my fingers till I've raised the bullet up into the seating die. Belling/flaring the case will help a bunch. It's almost impossible to seat a cast bullet without a bell/flare to your case.
Good luck, good shooting.
Frank

[runfiverun]

you have to flare the case mouth there is no way around it.
i load my cast 25-20's on a dillon 550.
i get around the case flair by using a 30 carbine powder drop tube to just open the case mouth enough to take a boolit . [and some trial and error]
with many of my cases that i don't have a flair die for i use the tapered spud [in my hornady neck sizing dies] the next caliber up, to bump the case mouth open just enough to take the boolits base.
or one of the old style rcbs expander balls.

[Bret4207]

As was mentioned the 32-20 family all use very thin brass. The Lee tool may work for you, I have one and it more or less does the job. Just be warned, you don't need a lot of flare, just enough to get things started.

A Lyman M die is likely the better tool for the 32-20 family. It does a much more complete job of opening the case. You still may need a slight belling even with the M die if your seater dies are tight. Opening the seater a bit can help if that's the case.

Don't forget about annealing after 5 reloadings or so. That thin brass splits easily when it gets work hardened. Just keep it in the back of your mind.

[hound-1]

thanks a bunch all,now how,and what is meant by "opening the seater die "

[runfiverun]

polishing the neck area of the die enough to accept the bigger diameter boolit.
versus the 257 diameter jaxketed bullet.
i need to do this to my 44-40 die.

[Bret4207]

thanks a bunch all,now how,and what is meant by "opening the seater die "

The seating die is likely cut for jacketed ( too tight), so is the sizer for that matter. It's fairly simple to lap the neck area out with abrasive paper on a split rod and open it 2-3 thou. That can make all the difference. The proper way to do it is to send to to someone who can precision ream and polish it out to your desired spec.