Need your ideas to put a bell on a case...

[StratsMan]

I'm looking for a newer-better-faster way to bell rifle cases (30-06 and 308Win) before inserting cast boolit into the neck... Never had an issue when shooting boattail j-lets; case mouths didn't need to be belled....

Currently, I use a piece of tapered steel rod and a hammer. It's awfully slow, and inconsistent...

Anybody have a slick way of putting a slight bell on their rifle cases????

[Shiloh]

LEE makes a bell die and the Lyman makes the M die as well. My M die nees a bigger modified mandrel as it is a bit small for .312 boolits.

I keep the cases trimmed so everything is consistent.

Shiloh

[45 2.1]

Lyman makes a die called a "M" die and RCBS makes a die called a neck expander die especially to do what you want. I much prefer the RCBS version myself.

[geargnasher]

The Lyman M die doesn't put enough of a true "bell" on the cases for my tastes, they use a two-diameter expander spud that often isn't quite the right size for cast boolits (the small shank is too small and the large shank isn't big enough to start the boolits).

The RCBS expanders can usually be had in the exact sizes needed and apply just as much or little bellmouth as you desire while giving the correct amount of expansion to the case neck for the entire length.

Gear

[462]

Lyman's M-2 expander die (M-die) with a 31R plug -- originally for .303 British jacketed bullets -- works perfectly for .310" boolits.

[trk]

I use a two-diameter expander that fits into the WILSON expander holder/body (7/8-14).

Smaller diameter expands to diameter that (for that brand of brass and that bullet) expands to give .002" tension. (By sizing bullets to different diameters I can then control the clearance around the neck - it usually takse making 3 to 5 different ones to get JUST the right diameters).

Larger diameter (again for that brass and bullet diameter) expands to allow a close slip-fit.

THEN there is a slight flair AND a shoulder for a stop.

THe stop allows consistant depth of expansion and consistant flairing regardless of brass length.

[.22-10-45]

Hello, StratsMan. I have Lyman M dies..but I'll be the first to admit, they are not perfect. I usually end up making custom sized expander plugs. But that came to a temperary halt when I transfered jobs..we had regular grinding dept & heat treat..I needed an expander..for..of all things..a .236 (6mm) Lee-navy ctg. What to do? I ordered a couple of .25 expander plugs from Lyman..visited a local industrial grinding shop at lunch time..had drawing of what I wanted..they told me to come back in an hour. For less than $20.00, I had two nice custom expanders..They ground the smaller dia. plug portion .001" & .002" under my bullet dia. Instead of the abrupt step in original Lyman..I had them grind a 1 1/2 to 2 deg. angle..blending into smaller plug dia. I have been doing this on all my M die expanders..that slight angle is nearly invisible & works brass less, yet allows bullet base to be pushed in mouth without scraping.

[runfiverun]

while you are waiting for the die to come bump them in your 8mm die it will flare the case mouth.
but do nothing for the neck diameter.

i don't own an m-die, but i got lots of hornady neck sizing dies.

[sthwestvictoria]

I have the Lee expander die, which has worked well on the singular .30 bottle neck cases I have tried it with. This is to the case to accept the Lee TL314-90-swc which has a plain base. It only flares the case mouth, there is no expander button to go down into the neck. You can easily vary the amount of case mouth flare.

I don't crimp my bottleneck cartridges with jacketed but have tried it with the lead boolits to make the mouth flare disappear. I didn't notice any difference in crimped or not crimped however in accuracy or chambering. Maybe if you had a very tight chmaber/throat it would be important?

[ku4hx]

I've used the classic Lyman "M' dies since the mid '60s. I don't let the expander go into the case far enough to form a "step"; just enough to add a bit of flare is it were.

Works well; lasts a long time.

[grouch]

Unless your boolits are big enough to make a lump in your case neck, you probably don't need to bell your cases unless you're shooting plain base bullets. A good job of champhering works. If you are getting lumps in the case necks, a larger expander plug solves the problem.
Grouch

[Mk42gunner]

I have loaded a lot of thirty caliber boolits by using the expander die from a set of RCBS .30 Carbine dies. It will also put a bell on most cartidges up to .45 cal, with no neck expansion.

I have started getting caliber specific neck expanders as finances permit; but the fact remains that the .30 Carbine expander will work.

Robert

[D Crockett]

get a lee universul case expander die it iell do small case mouthsto big case mouths I have one and it works great for me D Crockett

[williamwaco]

One more vote for the Lyman M die.

.

[rintinglen]

I have several M dies, but I also have a Lee universal expander for those odd balls that I can't bring myself to spring the 20+ bucks for--like the 348 winchester stuff I am working with.

[nwellons]

I use the Lee on everything from .30 Carbine to .43 Egyptian and have no complaints at all.

[1Shirt]

I also use the Lee expander die for everything from 22 up! No complaints.
1Shirt!

[Larry Gibson]

I've also been using Lyman's M dies since the '60s. I also have a couple RCBS and the Lee dies along with a couple lee tools for use with Lee Loaders. If a correct M die is available I use it. It will not only bll the case mouth correctly but will size the inside of the neck to the correct diameter and concentric to the belled case mouth.

I use a .30 M die for bullet sized .308 - .310. I use the .31 M die for bullets sized .311 - .314. These are for GC'd bullets. For softer PB'd bullets to avoid sizing the bullets with too tight a case neck I use a bushing die or a collet sizer to size the neck just enough for .001 - .002 neck tenstion. The Lee die is then used to put a slight bell/flair on the case mouth.

I most often reach for a Lyman M die though, simply because they work very well and have been working well for a lot of years............

Larry Gibson

[para45lda]

I do like Robert. 30 carbine expander werks good.

Wes

[Swede44mag]

I use a LYMAN chamfer tool it keeps my bullets from shaving brass.
It has a longer chamfer than the RCBS I have used in the past.
I would imagine it would work on rifle shells also.
The only rifle shells I currently load with boolits is for my 45-70 Marlin leverevolution.

[hardy]

Hello all,I,m with runfiverun.I use an 8X56R die with a teardrop expander ,works great.Just use the next largest die you own.If you don,t have one take your pick of the above selections.
Good Luck,Mike

[Hank10]

First saw a M die in the early 60s and within a few yrs. I had one for every set of dies that I have (around 150) I rarely load without them, jacketed or cast. For cast bullets in 30 cal. I use the .31. I also have the Lee for a few oddball calibers.
Love the M die.
Hank10