Help setting up 44 BT one step die.

[southpaw]

I recently purchased a 44 mag BTSniper one step die from a fellow member here. I am not sure how to set it up. Any and all pointers would be greatly appreciated before I break it.

I have annealed a bunch of 40 sw brass and cast up some cores with pure lead. I then flared some cases and seated the core in them. I am not sure how far down to set the die or the top part. I am not even sure what each parts setting would affect.

I am using an RC2 press.

Thanks!

Jerry Jr.

[BT Sniper]

It sounds like you are close.

Don't adjust the top stop bolt if you can help it. I preset it for perfect results. The only thing you should have to addjust is the depth of the die in the press to assure proper bullet formation. If you did adjust the top bolt well... no problem....we'll get you back on track with a couple of tips.

Easiest way to make sure the top bolt is set correctly is to simply swage a cast boolit in the die. Say a 240 grain .429 or two of the 175 grain .400s. form the lead bullet till it is fully formed. Look at the top of the formed bullet, does it have a "stove pipe" or "top hat" look to it? That means the top bolt is set to high. Of course the opposite is true if it set to low you will see a crater left behind.

Stove pipe on right and just right on left.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/dieadjustment.jpg




The ejection pin is also a specific length. When the top bolt is set correctly it will be flush with the top of the top stop bolt as shone below.
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1060019.jpg




If the top bolt is set to low you will see a gap between the bolt and the head of teh ejection pin as shone in the pic here
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/BTSniper/P1060022.jpg





Hopefully you will not need to adjust this top bolt but if you lost the orginal setting this should get you back on track. This happens to be the same for all my point form dies.


So the short version instructions.

1. anneal 40 S&W brass
2. bell the mouth
3. drop a 175 grain .400 cast boolit in the case and use the same expanding die to push the core to teh bottom of the case.
4. form bullet in swage die.

It takes a little force but you should be able to form these bullets with one hand while seated.

Check bullet for complete formation at the tip (like the lead bullet if you swaged one) and check diameter of base of bullet. The rim of the 40 S&W is the last thing to expand, once it starts to expand beyond it's orginal .425 diamter you are good. Any diamter from .426 to .430 will be just fine. If you are appling a lot of pressure and the bases are .430 try backing off the pressure just a touch till you notice a difference in teh rim diamter. The trick is to ONLY use enough pressure to form the bullet and no more.

If you have any difficulties feel free to let me know and I'll be happy to help.

Good shooting and Swage On.

BT

[DukeInFlorida]

My experience with Brian's tools is that they come all set up except for the one adjustment of lowering or raising the main part (biggest diameter) of the die body for where the cam over in the press happens.

No need to ever adjust any of the internal parts, once set, per Brian's instructions above.

[mold maker]

My BT dies arrived adjusted and their still that way.

[southpaw]

Thanks Brian! I think that I got it now. most of the bullets come out looking good now. Some still seem like the need a little more or there wasn't enough lead or the case had more room in it.

Ok, from now on no more touching things until I ask.

Thanks again!

Jerry Jr.

[BT Sniper]

Good Shooting and Swage On!

BT

[RP]

Brian I need some help sir. I got the 40 to 44 die and xtp dye from you awhile back and I have some problems I need help with. My press is a herters and I had a punch made to fit it for the die. Not sure if that matters any at this point but feel I needed to share that info with you. I followed the set up in this thread to see if I could fix my problem to no avail. First ? in the first pic of the lead boolits you say a 44 240 gr or two 175 .400 to use for this correct. The 44 240 works for me but I cannot get two 175s in the die. I swaged the boolit without the top of the die in place to see if i get the stove pipe effect then adjusted it until I got a nice looking profile.
If I read it right that part of the die is now adjusted. Then I placed the top part of the die in place turning it down until the ejection rod was flush with the top of the die. I then swaged another 240gr 44 did not take much force at all but I am using pure lead. Then I tweaked everything until I got a lead copy of what I wanted my bullets to look like. BTW the tweaking was minor adjustments.
The problem comes in when i use a 40 case and a core there is no way to swage the bullet without using to much force. So I turn the entire die out of the press until I can form a bullet. I feel like I am still having to use to much pressure to form a bullet and the profile dont look right to me.
My thoughts are maybe its my press it may be big and heavy but the cam or leverage may be lacking in the power area. Have you had anyone else using this kind of press having issues.
BTW I have anneal my brass cherry red then dump the hot brass in a critic acid mix. That removes alot of the scale. Then I tossed it in the tumbler with some more critic acid media and run it until its nice and shiny.
I do not want to buy another press and my others are smaller or weaker then the herters like RCBS jr.
Your thoughts on this would be helpful thanks.

[BT Sniper]

OK,

I'll be happy to get you back on track,

Sounds like you got the top bolt set and locked in place so the top of the lead boolit looks like my lead boolit on the left pictured above. Cool! That is the only tricky part.

Now you will need to back the die out of the press a ways to allow for the size of the 44 cal bullet that will be made from 40 S&W brass and your 175 grain core.

Back it out till you are able to get to top dead center of the stroke of your press while applying pressure to the 40S&W jacket and core you are attempting to form into a bullet.

Then simply adjust the die down a little more with the same partialy formed bullet till you get the right setting that appies the corret and necessary amount of pressure to form the complete bullet.

If this doesn't work give me a call.

Could be the press and yes, it does take a little effort to make the 44s but Imade thousands on a cheap RCBS Alunimum press back in the day. I'll have to google that harters press of yours. Send me a pic if you can of the press, partial formed bullet and fully formed lead bullet.

Brian

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