new need help

[morgan303]

Hi, Got some cast 303 cast bullets sized to .314, been reading up here and I am confused a little. Barrel throat as good as I can tell (5 grove) is .313-.314 I neck size only and am wondering how to and what size to expand the neck to as to not shave off the lead bullet. Also what neck expander do you use or recommend. Sorry if I sound ignorant but I am.
Thanks James

[littlejack]

Hey Morgan:
Welcome to the CastBoolits. The best cast boolit forum on the net.
Lots of folks here ready to help.
I use an expander that is .002 smaller than the sized boolit/bullet. With that being said, I use Lee dies
for my 7.62x54 cartridge.
I have ordered and use two other expander rods from Lee for different boolit/bullet diameters.
You can buy a Lee "Universal Case Expanding Die" to flair the mouth of the case to seat your boolits
without shaving off lead.
You can also buy the Lyman "M" die to open up the case mouth to start your boolits and not shave
lead. I use the "M" die for my 45-70.
Regards
Jack

[morgan303]

Thanks for the help Jack

[KYCaster]

We're talking about two different things here......expand and flare.

You expand the case neck to get the correct neck tension. Too tight and you can reduce the boolit diameter when seating. Too loose and you can get poor ignition and/or boolit set back on the feed ramp.

Case mouth flare opens the case mouth so you don't shave lead when seating. The Lee Universal Case Mouth Expander does not expand the case neck, it only flares the case mouth to prevent shaving. The Lyman M Die does both when properly adjusted.

Welcome to the forum.
Jerry

[curator]

The Lee Universal expander is a help with oversize lead bullets. Better yet, get the Lee Collet die to reload .303 British with cast boolits. Here is a link to a website that specializes in .303 British guns and ammo and an article specifically about shooting cast:http://www.303british.com/id37.html

[calgunner]

I agree with what everyone has said above. I also neck size my 303 case with the Lee Collet die and while I have both the Lyman 31 M-Die and the Lee Universal Case Mouth Expander it is the Lee flair die I use the most. However the hardness of my boolit alloy that I use is between 22 to 24 bhn. Some time ago I did a test on a boolit to see if the diameter was being reduced due to the case neck tension using the Lee flair die. I seated a boolit that measured .316 at its base in a 303 case, remove and measured it again. The boolit was still at .316 in diameter but ( don't remember how much as I did this several years ago) the case neck had increased its diameter. If I was using a softer lead alloy for my boolits than the Lyman M-Die would be a better one to use to prevent reduced boolit diameter.

[nhrifle]

Another user of the Lee collet dies here, they work great and don't overwork the brass. Also, since many military chambers tend to be generous, this allows the case to stay fire formed after the first firing. Just anneal the necks every so often and all will be well. I also use the Lee universal flaring die to prevent lead shaving. I adjust it so the boolit will just enter the neck with finger pressure (will go in maybe 1/32") and then seat in the normal way. The Lyman "M" die will work equally well. Until you settle on which flaring method is for you, you can use the pointed end of a pair of needle nose pliers to open the case mouth. Put the point into the mouth, apply gentle pressure and twist. Will bell the mouth gently and keep you from shaving lead. Not very elegant, but it works.

[Larry Gibson]

The proper M die is the "31" for your size bullets if you're not aware of it already.

Larry Gibson

[badbob454]

i also will chamfer the inside of the neck before expanding this helps clear the boolit lead http://www.midwayusa.com/product/465641/rcbs-chamfer-and-deburring-tool-17-to-60-caliber?cm_vc=subv1389104

[morgan303]

Thanks guys for the info
James