243 jacket maker

[Randy C]

Which one do you think would be the best to buy for my 243wssm I have J4 jackets on the way from Berger. I thought it would be fun to try one of these I have 22lr brass :smile:

http://rceco.com/MN.asp?pg=products&specific=385&from=75

http://rceco.com/MN.asp?pg=products&specific=130&from=75

[Reload3006]

I have both. To make 243 jackets from 22lr brass you use the same draw die that you would use for .224 you dont push it all the way through just far enough to pull the rim off and it has a chamfer up to a larger diameter where you flair the case mouth. On the WMR set you do it just like .224 push it all the way through. the wmr will make heavier bullets than the lr brass.

[Randy C]

I ordered this [243 jackets from 22lr brass] I don't have WMR brass I will get it next time need to find some brass first.
Thanks My order for The Walnut Hill press is $449.00, the three die FBOT swaging set is $542.00, a core cutter is $73.00, and swaging lube jar $25.00/16 ounce bottle. Lead wire is $78.00/25 pounds. A core mould is $105.00. All is going to be shipped today. YaHoo
Randy C

[Smokin7mm]

My only concern with either the 22lr or 22mag cases would be in the cartridge you are going to shoot them in. It is a factor of twist, fps. I make 107gr bullets out of 22mag cases and shoot them in a XP-100 in 6TCU. The barrel is a 1-7 twist and I am pushing them at 2200fps. In hot weather (I think it was around 97º) I have had an occasional bullet come apart after leaving the muzzle. In cooler weather dont recall it happening. I have shot these bullets except I made them 100gr to shoot in my 243 rifle with a 1-10" twist. I ran these at about 2900fps without problems. I would assume the ones made from 22lr will be an even thinner jacket and a lighter bullet. Just dont push them too fast. My 2¢
Bret

[Randy C]

Smokin7mm / I understand what you are saying my 243wssm is a fast bullet 3200 to 4200 ft. a sec I will most likely use them for plinking and use the core mould for led and slow them down, I will use the J4 jackets and wire for factory loads. I think it has a 1/10 twist just guessing.

[clodhopper]

Randy, I got my 8s .243 dies today. Hope yours arrive soon.
Be Careful!
I just got done ordering .078 music wire to replace my point form ejection pin.
Made five bullets, and need to spend more time reading the instructions.
Both times that I stuck a formed bullet with to big a hollow point back in the die, the ejection pin got stuck in the bullet, making the bullet stick in the die.

[bullet maker 57]

Stuck bullets could be from not enough lube. To much lube will give you dimples. I found I had to experiment to get the right amount of lube. Good luck with your dies. Half the fun is figuring out what works and what doesn't work.

[Cane_man]

Randy, I got my 8s .243 dies today. Hope yours arrive soon.
Be Careful!
I just got done ordering .078 music wire to replace my point form ejection pin.
Made five bullets, and need to spend more time reading the instructions.
Both times that I stuck a formed bullet with to big a hollow point back in the die, the ejection pin got stuck in the bullet, making the bullet stick in the die.

clod, a few things you can do that will help prevent stuck bullets in the point forming die... 1) make sure swaged cores are shiny clean before putting in the point forming die, i mean brand spanking new shiny looking like a mirror by using lemishine and dawn in a vibratory tumbler with ceramic media, 2) for $18 from Brownells you can get rifle bore moly lube treatment and treat the inside of your die... do this and your eject problems will be reduced significantly... been there done that, i am a pro at taking out stuck bullets with dry wall screws and i got my own stash of music wire to replace damaged eject punches to last for the next three family generations [smilie=b: :groner:

[clodhopper]

Need to to do a bit more measuring, but it seems like my core seat punches are a little loose, with lead forming up the jacket (.22 mag) wall.

Can moly treatment be done with powdered moly mixed in a volitile vehicle? Like acetone.

I have stainless steel media and wet tumbler, a sonic cleaner, dawn, and lemishine.

[Randy C]

Thanks for the heads up, when I started to use my new RCBS PRO 2000 press I new if I didn't keep my primer feed clean it would jam and break, well I wasn't paying attention and it clogged up, my fault I lost my rhythm and had to take it apart, but I didn't total it. I was able to salvage it and keep on loading.

[Randy C]

My order !!! It will most likely all be here buy the first part of next week, Richard was mailing everything Mon. 8/19 He was boxing it up Sunday and wanted to know which die I wanted 22lr or WMR for jackets, I Know some will be UPS and the rest will be Local postal service, I would think that the Press would be in one box and all the rest in a second box.

[Randy C]

Need to to do a bit more measuring, but it seems like my core seat punches are a little loose, with lead forming up the jacket (.22 mag) wall.

Can moly treatment be done with powdered moly mixed in a volitile vehicle? Like acetone.

I have stainless steel media and wet tumbler, a sonic cleaner, dawn, and lemi shine.

What weight bullet will you get out of 22 mag brass? did you have to trim to a specific length?

[Cane_man]

dont know about moly powder, but i am sure if you mix in some type of medium it would be fine... the stuff i get from Brownells is like an oily paste...

[Smokin7mm]

What weight bullet will you get out of 22 mag brass? did you have to trim to a specific length?

From a 22 mag case I have gotten up to 115gr 6mm bullets but usually make a 107 wit a more open tip. You can get a 100gr out of a 17HMR by cutting the neck & shoulder off and up to a 107 if you make it a lead tip. Here is a lead tipped 107 made from a 17HMR that was trimmed sorry for the poor picture (cell phone). The jacket was not ultrasonicly cleaned or polished prior to forming as I was just experimenting with trim and weight.
79932

Bret

[clodhopper]

Randy, 109 grainers with the cores swaged last winter. Thought five grains might compensate for the lack of boattail. Have been shootin 105 Amax. My twist is 1 in 7, rimfire jackets may not hang together through flight.
When things are not so crazy I may order some jackets.
Loaded the three worst looking ones, a freind snagged one and that just leaves me one for show and tell.
Off to the range in the morning.

[Randy C]

What are you using for led? I plan on using wire I bought with my press and pour some just for fun, Do you see a difference in weight between the 2 types of led.
Good to see some one shooting what they swag give a range report when you get time.

[sprinkintime]

Randy, I got my 8s .243 dies today. Hope yours arrive soon.
Be Careful!
I just got done ordering .078 music wire to replace my point form ejection pin.
Made five bullets, and need to spend more time reading the instructions.
Both times that I stuck a formed bullet with to big a hollow point back in the die, the ejection pin got stuck in the bullet, making the bullet stick in the die.
clodhopper; I never heard of using music wire for ejection pins, does that work well for you? I have been using drill blank or tool steel heat treated.
Sprink

[Cane_man]

music wire aka "spring steel", ASTM A228, has a yield stress something like 150,000 psi, which is 2 or 3 times that of tool steel... its the only way to go for small meplat eject pins and you can get it easily in small diameters... they come in 12" to 36" straight lengths and easy to cut to length for your die...

[clodhopper]

Randy, I have been useing lead scrounged from the bin a Pacific recycling, flashing and pipe with the joints cut out.
Air rifle pellet dumped out of 4H shooting sports traps.
Cast into .44 bullets, then extruded with a die purchased from Lafaun. (alfloyd)
Darn it! four bucks a pound for wire is just too much! insert sarcasm emoticom here. I will make my own! it only takes about an hour to make a pound!

Sprinkintime, I sure hope it works!

Cane, thanks for the affirmation on music wire, read about it here on the casting forum being used for point form ejection punch in the past. When I wrecked my punch the thought of waiting months to get something from RCEco was unpalatable. I went in search of music wire locally. Steel yard had 1/8" cold rolled, welding supply shop had welding rod wrong size, and not nearly stiff enough. Music store tried to sell me some gitar strings. = wasted afternoon.
Got home wondering where the heck do you get music wire?
On castboolits web site the was an ad from Grainger. Went to the web site and found 45' of .078 music wire for about 16 bucks, shipping 9 and some. Lots of other sizes too!

[clodhopper]

dont know about moly powder, but i am sure if you mix in some type of medium it would be fine... the stuff i get from Brownells is like an oily paste...
What does the moly treatment paste smell like?

[clodhopper]

Continuing with total hijack of Randy's thread...At the range this morning three 109 grain bullets formed from un cut .22 mag brass.
Fired at 25 yards. two in same hole, third round hit the backer sidways a foot out at 3 oclock.
The hole cut in the paper did not indicate the bullet had spun apart. Of course that is no proof it did not.
The were my first few bullets. The rimfire jackets had not been annealed, one of them had the core unevenly squirt around the core seat punch in the jacket.
more testing is needed.
The 1in7 twist could be a bit much.

[Randy C]

Keepem coming, I trying to learn from what everybody else is doing, still waiting on my order from Corbin.


Continuing with total hijack of Randy's thread...At the range this morning three 109 grain bullets formed from un cut .22 mag brass.
Fired at 25 yards. two in same hole, third round hit the backer sidways a foot out at 3 oclock.
The hole cut in the paper did not indicate the bullet had spun apart. Of course that is no proof it did not.
The were my first few bullets. The rimfire jackets had not been annealed, one of them had the core unevenly squirt around the core seat punch in the jacket.
more testing is needed.
The 1in7 twist could be a bit much.

[Randy C]

Its all here but the core cutter my j4 jackets were delayed they changed my order then I had to talk to them softly today to get Berger to send a bucket of J4 jackets, she was going to make me wait 3 to 4 months. The samples that come with Dies.
80595

80596

[supe47]

clodhopper- have no idea what speed you're pushing 'em at. With my 223's with 22LR jackets I found the max twist was about 265,000 rmp's. 243 being larger in dia. maybe the max rpm for those might be a wee bit less. I lost a couple 22 cals at 3500 fps in a 1-9" twist. I've got a 1-12" 22-250 barrel coming and I'm going for over 4000 fps.

[clodhopper]

Back home today after being gone for 7 days.
Music wire arrived in my absence.
supe, I do not have any data on velocity but should get a chance to do so soon.
I'm going to have a minor modification on my knee next week. That should not slow down the elbow that runs the press handle to much.
Just not going to get the oxycodone prescription filled.

[Randy C]

I don't have time to work or look at my new press and dies I get up at 3 and get home around 7.30 to 8.30pm does any body have a powder they like the best for 243wssm my model 70 Winchester is new in the box about 6 to 7 years old how should I break it in with factory or home made bullets.

[clodhopper]

If you do not have the factory bullets might as well use homeis.
Breaking in is mostly a matter of keeping the pores of the barrel clean until they get smoothed by bullets passing over under heat, pressure, and velocity.
My earlyer attempts at making bullets were with out annealing the jackets, today I got the stuck bullet out of the point form die with several attempts and replaced ejection pins.
Slow easy pressure works better than brute force when bullets are stuck.
When setting your dies make sure you relube every bullet you stick back in the point form die.
Have spent the day annealing and cleaning brass. Will give bullet making another go when the jackets are dry.

[Randy C]

I just made it home I bought a STM stainless media cleaner earlier this year that will make life easier.
80681
I have bought several boxes of bullets to try out in the gun over the years.
I was wanting to buy a RCE press for years that is why I have not shot the gun sense I bought it.

[clodhopper]

With that selection of bullets you can find out what your rifle likes, and hopefully make something similar with your dies.
The lighter bullets might be hard to duplicate with your 8s profile dies.
I want long heavy bullets.

[Twmaster]

Music Wire....

Guys, any good hobby shop will have music wire in lengths of either 1 foot or 3 feet.

[clodhopper]

Music Wire....

Guys, any good hobby shop will have music wire in lengths of either 1 foot or 3 feet.
Good info

[Randy C]

We went to the lake for 2 days. post 32 http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?211884-quot-Working-quot-on-Labor-Day&p=2374521#post2374521
I have several powders on hand, I'm going to have to break out a book or Quick load.
IMR 4064 / 4350/ 4320, Hodgdon Varget / Hornady Superformance / Most of the rest are pistol or shotgun powder. H-6 / H 110 / Alliant 410 / 20-28 / Unique / Bullseye / Reloader 22 and 4Lbs of Ramshot True Blue Pistol powder. It has been a long wait and now I get to join in on swaging my own.

[clodhopper]

That doesn't look like Sakakawea.

[Randy C]

Clodhopper there here, I'm going to be busy Sunday and Monday it is going to rain / Its time to make bullets. I need to weight these but I'm to lazy to warm up my Lyman scale. I'm ordering the 243 WMR Jacket Maker Monday.

81226
81225

[clodhopper]

My bullets made from .22 mag brass are a doing very poor in 6 creedmore with fast twist. I borrowed my grandson's .243 for testing to be done Sunday.

[Randy C]

I'm doing some online load hunting my 243wssm can be finickier, and I have to slow them down with 22 brass for jackets. my bed time .

[clodhopper]

My experimenting with 22 mag jackets in fast twist (1in 8 or7) 6mm creedmore has produced 8 of 8.
Bonded bullets hit sideways at 25 yards, I could slow them down but this rifles' reason for being is long range hits on steel.
Should have a small supply of J4 jackets in a few days. If they shoot for me Im going to have to get more.