anyone ever cut down a block to make a shorter lighter bullet

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

how did it work?

I am looking at 44 molds and thinking i really like the shape of the lee c430-310rf

but i am not sure i like 310 gr , or that i want to push it fast enough to need the gas check

and i like to avoid gas checks when i can cause i am also cheap

so i start thinking well if i load the 310 without a gas check it would only touch the inside of the case till the point of the gas check base and i know it could be loaded without a GC


but has anyone ever put the mold block on the mill or surface grinder and taken it down to make it a plane base , , i suspect you would have to drill and tap the holes deeper for the sprue plate screws?


however in the long run unless you had a mill or surface grinder in your shop it probably wouldn't be worth it , and i don't , i used to run both 18 years ago


I think it will just be more cost effective to buy the RD CTL432-265RF and maybe have him make it a plane base

[RobS]

I've filed the block off to remove the bevel on a Lee mold and it worked out well. Filing is not the easiest but if you are good with tools as such and take time working the mold block in different directions it helps. Removing the entire GC shank though would mean taking a lot more of the top off though and probably not a file type job.

There are a few on the board here that could do the work for you at a fair price. One that comes to mind is buckshot but there are a few others and if serious, starting a thread asking if someone would help you out is a way to start I suppose. It most definately could be done and I'm guessing you loose around 20 to 30 grains of weight.

[Ausglock]

I took a Lee 230gr TC 45 6 cavity and milled the Bevel Base off it.
The mould now throws a 205gr TC.

I have a Lee 200SWC mould with a bevel base as well. I'm going to ream the bevel off and see how it goes.

I hate Bevel base boolits. or should I say... My Lyman 450 hates bevel base boolits...:-)

[GP100man]

I`ve seen some pics of 1 milled to the last driving band but never shot any .
Have shot some with out the GC & this long 44 boolit is an acception to the rule , it worked purty good rite to the point of max loads then the GC was needed.

If ya mill it off ya end up with a 265 gr boolit (if memory serves) but I feel the limiting factor will be the thin bottom driving band if ya gonna try to drive em fast .

Unlike my 38/357 boolits I`ve settled on 3 boolits for my 44 shooting :1 a deshanked 429215 for pure plinkin, 429421 for general farm/shooting what needs shooting & the lee 310 for dropping the sledge hammer.

I think I found this info searchin "modifying molds"but not sure .

As usual YMMV

[44man]

I would not cut the 310 blocks down. The boolit is just too good.
Take the inside of the gas check area out to make a true flat base. I remove the bevel portion of BB molds that way too.
There are great fellas here that can do it for a reasonable price.
I have milled blocks that had boolits too long for the brass but it is not fun to fit everything back.

[dragonrider]

"I think it will just be more cost effective to buy the RD CTL432-265RF and maybe have him make it a plane base "

I think that is your best bet.

[Kraschenbirn]

What you're suggesting is feasible but I'm not certain it's all that economical in your case. Not so long ago, I had an old NEI mould for my .38-55 milled down to lighten the boolit by removing the gas-check shank and the results were more than satisfactory but (1) I already owned the mould and (2) I'd already determined the boolit was a bit too heavy for the 1-18 twist of my Uberti Highwall's barrel. In other words, I didn't have all that much to lose. Rather than buy a new mould and have it reworked, I'd take Dragonrider's suggestion and order from RanchDog

Bill

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

"I think it will just be more cost effective to buy the RD CTL432-265RF and maybe have him make it a plane base "

I think that is your best bet.

I think so , i really like the way lee 6x molds drops boolits

it might make more sense to modify if i already had a mold, but i would be buying either


i have heard nothing but good about RD molds

does anyone have a plan base RD 265 , how fast can you push them without to much difficulty it just doesn't seem like it should need a gas check for the 11-1200 fps i see for book velocities in a pistol

or has anyone shot the RD 265 without a check , what were it's limitations


44MAN , I thought I saw a post a while back that you shot some RD265 and had nice groups at 150 yards , were those plane based or gas checked ?

[Lonestar22]

A while back I took a LEE single cavity .30 caliber 200gr RN mold and drilled out the GC shank. It took a while to find a drill bit with the correct diameter. The one I found was a few thousands over. I measured the GC shank depth and set the drill press stop to that depth. I did two molds the same way and both are perfect. Hope this is of some help.
Tim

[mdi]

FWIW; I have 2 Ranch Dog's molds in .44 cal. 240 gr. and 265 gr. I don't think it necessary to drive a 265 gr. well designed bullet to 1200 fps., unless you'er going for BIG game. I'm confident my Puma in .44 Magnum will do well on any animal in Oregon (within reasonable distance) with a RD 265 at 1,000 fps. Also easier on the shoulder...

I've removed the bevel base on a Lee mold with a drill in a drill press. Work very carefully and your sizing die will eleminate any miscalculations, or at least mine does. I now have .45 cal. RN flat based bullets from my "fixed" mold that can't be identified as anything other than designed that way.

[paul h]

My buddy had lee make him a custom of the 45 caliber 300rf gc mold, they milled the base down to make a plainbase mold that dropped ~280 gr, though IMHO they should have milled slightly more to completely eliminate the gc section as the bullet was a bb.

Using a surface grinder would take forever and is not needed, it's a simple mill job with a flycutter. You might have to shorten the sprue plate pivot and stop screw, other than that a very straightforward job.

[44man]

I think so , i really like the way lee 6x molds drops boolits

it might make more sense to modify if i already had a mold, but i would be buying either


i have heard nothing but good about RD molds

does anyone have a plan base RD 265 , how fast can you push them without to much difficulty it just doesn't seem like it should need a gas check for the 11-1200 fps i see for book velocities in a pistol

or has anyone shot the RD 265 without a check , what were it's limitations


44MAN , I thought I saw a post a while back that you shot some RD265 and had nice groups at 150 yards , were those plane based or gas checked ?
Sadly, they are GC boolits. The are wonderful except for GC expense.
RD is smart and has molds made to fit guns instead of boolits too small. He just covers all bases with GC boolits.
I would not shoot a GC boolit without the check until you test. It reduces drive length, some work, some fail. Making a GC boolit into a PB and using a harder lead can work.
Maybe RD can offer the mold both ways. I would love a PB to keep from paying for unobtainium checks! :roll:

[L1A1Rocker]

There was a very good thread a few years ago (08 or 10) that I came across last week detailing a .32 mold that this was done to. I can't seem to find it again though. I was planing on doing the same exact thing but came across the Miha 32 HP mold and got that instead.

[KCSO]

Chuck the block in a 4 jaw lathe chuck and center it. Make sure the face is square and cut away. With a Lee mould you will have to take the crimped in pins out and then replace them when you are done. If it is a 2 or 6 mould you will need to face it off on a milling machine. Obviously you will need the bases of the bullets plumb square for and accurate bullet.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Sadly, they are GC boolits. The are wonderful except for GC expense.
RD is smart and has molds made to fit guns instead of boolits too small. He just covers all bases with GC boolits.
I would not shoot a GC boolit without the check until you test. It reduces drive length, some work, some fail. Making a GC boolit into a PB and using a harder lead can work.
Maybe RD can offer the mold both ways. I would love a PB to keep from paying for unobtainium checks! :roll:

last i looked at RD web site he offered to make it a 3x3 3 checked 3 unchecked for 10 extra dollars or for 15 he would make the hole mold plain base i suppose for 15 he might also make a 1x5

i think that will be the plan

[375RUGER]

It's been done.
One example can be found in the sticky that Geargnasher started in the smokeless paper patch section.
about page 2 or 3 i think.

[Larry Gibson]

Taking some off the top of a mould can be a practical solution in some instances such as the mentioned removal of the bevel or the GC shank. I've also been involved with one mould where the PB was removed so the bullet was lighter and what was a lube groove was now a GC shank for the use of a GC.

Many times it is best to leave a good mould as just that; a good mould and get a new mould with the desired feature.

Larry Gibson

[Catshooter]

I cut down a single cavity Lyman 358156 to remove the gas check portion and lighten the boolit. The mould cast at .364 and I wanted a bit lighter boolit for the .38 S&W. Came out at 143 grains, just about perfect.

I used a Sherline mill.


Cat

[casterofboolits]

Yup, several times. With iron moulds tho. Saeco #456 45-225 RNPB. An eight cavity to cast 45-200-RNPB and four cavity to 45-195-RNPB. An Eight cavity and four cavity old style H&G 68 that had a .060 long BB and thin front driving band to cast a 45-185-SWC.

[44man]

I use many boolits in my .44. The 310, the RD 265, LBT's and some of my own molds.
They all shoot as good as my gun and I can shoot.
The RD 265 is a stupendous boolit, doing 3/4" at 50 and 1-1/4" at 100. I do use the GC but think it will work fine as a PB. PB just needs WW boolits water dropped.
It is good to hear RD offers it in different types.
It is a TL but I use Felix lube on it. Good lube turns the little lady into a Princess!

[WARD O]

While perrusing some used moulds at a local gunshow some years back I came across a Lyman two cavity for a gas checked boolit for the 375 H&H which had been cut down to where it casts a very nice 255 grain plain base. So for all of $5 I got a useful good shooting mould for my 38-55!

ward

[williamwaco]

Erik Oehler did it for me on a .375 caliber bullet.

It worked great.

The shorter bullet was MORE accurate than before the modification.

see:

http://www.hollowpointmold.com/

[NoZombies]

I have cut molds down for multiple reasons, including damage to the top of the blocks. I've never had a problem with the bullet being less functional after the mold mod. That said, I rarely push PB bullets to their limits, so thinner base bands have never presented a problem for me.

[FergusonTO35]

I'm wondering how feasible it would be to simply enlarge the top of that cavity on a Lee GC mold so that it casts a plain base boolit. Lee has a nice looking C309-113-F that I bet would make a dandy target and varmint boolit for the .30 WCF but I don't need the gas check.

[paul h]

If you have a drill press and can be carefull with your work, all it'll take is a chucking reamer

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=619-2166&PMPXNO=16719921&PARTPG=INLMK32

http://www.use-enco.com/ProductImages/0231003A-11.jpg

I have the lee C309-113-F and have used it as a plinking bullet in the .308. I've never tried to get extreme accuracy out of it, but ~1" at 50yds seemed pretty good. I was given a partial box of 30 cal gas checks so have always used gc's with the bullet, though they shouldn't really be necessary.