algunjunkie
03-05-2014, 04:27 AM
After I posted a picture of one of my targets that I shot with rimfire bullets I have received a couple of PMs asking me how I did it. So after thinking about it all day I decided to share it with you here. I no longer have a press that I can use with my Corbin S dies so I will not be able to take pictures of the process and show it to you, sorry. As such I have a bunch dies just sitting in a plastic box collecting dust and I am running of bullets to shoot.
Before we start please not that all of the steps that I use may or may not benefit you. My rifle has been blueprinted, the locking and abutments have been machined for 100% contact, the barrel has been set back and re-chambered to 223 match with minimum SAMMI specs and the lead set for VLD style bullets. It is setting in a 3 position competition stock that is 2 inches wide at the barrel channel and just over 3 inches tall at the fore arm tip and only gets bigger from there. The whole thing weighs in at just under 15 pounds. It is designed to shoot small groups so I go through a lot more work to feed it.
So here is how I go about it. I spread the work out over a few days to weeks and I do large batches.
1. Separate all the shell casings by brand.
2. Separate each case brand by weight, each weighing the same. If it works for benchrest shooting I don't see why it wouldn't be the same here. (Claude)
3. Clean with SS pins for 30 minutes. (Lemi-shine, warm water and dish detergent.) Then dried by either allowing them to air dry over night or with a hair dryer.
4. Anneal with a propane torch till the casing is glowing red. (Claude) Generally I want the base of the case to be able to squeezed close with my fingers. This also helps to reduce the pressure needed to derim, core seat and point. (note: the punch needs to have a more rounded base or you run a risk of tearing the bases off. If a more rounded punch isn't available derim then anneal.)
5. Clean with SS pins till all cases are clean and polished, usually about an hour depending on the shine wanted. (Lemi-shine, warm water and dish detergent.) Then dry as before.
6. Inspect all cases for tears, rips or obvious abnormalities.
7. Measure jackets for length and separate according, you want them to be consistent so the final point forming is consistent, overall length and meplat uniformity. (Claude) (Refer to your notes as to what length and brand case your gun like best. You are keeping a data book right? (Al Nyhus) By writing things down and seeing how things work you are more able to tailor it for your needs. My gun loves Laupa, Wolf Match and Eley jackets. It is not fond of Federal and absolutely does not like Winchester of any kind.)
8. Cut or cast cores. I use 99.7% pure lead or purer for competition bullets, wheel weight for all others (plinking, hunting and practice). I go 3 grains heavier than the final core weight.
9. Lube cores and warm them up. I use a Mason jar and place the lube in it, put the cores in it and roll it it around. But I warm the jar and keep it warm while it is coating the cores. If the cores are wheel weight, I keep them warm until they squirted to final weight. it seems to make it easier and I get a more uniform final weight. I also warm up the die with a hair drier as well. (Al Nyhus said to heat up the pointing die for better consistency during point forming so I do the same here)
10. Clean the cores. I usually use Acetone and Mason jar. Allow them to air dry. Serves two purposes. 1 allows the cores to start oxidizing for better adhesion to the jacket and allows them to "rest". Whether or not this helps or is actually true is beyond me but I do a lot of cores at one time, usually all day and it is as good excuse as any and I have not had any core/jacket separations as of yet.
11. Lube jackets the same procedure as I do with the cores.
12. Seat the cores. I read somewhere to use only enough pressure the leave the cored jacket in the seating die and not on the punch. So there is plenty of pressure if you lower the ram and the cored jacket stays in the die. It works for me so I use it. I have no ideal if it is true or not but it is a guideline that I use. I have been told by many people that you don't want the heel of the bullet to be square, you want it rounded to help with seating the bullet in the cartridge case and not shear any of the jacket material off. However you seat the cores, be consistent at it. (Claude)
13. Here I might give them a quick clean and polish or if they are still looking good, straight on to nose pointing.
14. Lube cored jackets, same method as before.
15. Point form. Warm the die up first. (Al Nyhus) The die will heat as you are pointing the bullet and till it reaches the operating temperature there will be more rejects. So warm it up first with a hair drier. (I thought it was bull till I tried it, now I do it every time.)
16. Final polish. Sometimes I move them back and forth on a towel to remove excess lube but most of the time they go back into the tumbler for about an hour for polishing.
17. Final inspection and weight check. After all of the initial sorting and weighing the weight is very consistent usually around 10th of a grain for the run of the swage session and the over all length is nearly identical. Plus when you add the information to your bullet data book you can tell if things are starting to wear out and needs replacing. If the driving bands start to increase it lets you know that your dies life in nearing the end but you won't know that if you have not written it down.
There you have it. It's the process that I use when I make my bullets. On most days they will shoot well under a half MOA with an occasional flyer (usually me doing something stupid).
Soon as I can afford a press that I can use the S dies with I will take pictures and go into more details of the whole process.
Before we start please not that all of the steps that I use may or may not benefit you. My rifle has been blueprinted, the locking and abutments have been machined for 100% contact, the barrel has been set back and re-chambered to 223 match with minimum SAMMI specs and the lead set for VLD style bullets. It is setting in a 3 position competition stock that is 2 inches wide at the barrel channel and just over 3 inches tall at the fore arm tip and only gets bigger from there. The whole thing weighs in at just under 15 pounds. It is designed to shoot small groups so I go through a lot more work to feed it.
So here is how I go about it. I spread the work out over a few days to weeks and I do large batches.
1. Separate all the shell casings by brand.
2. Separate each case brand by weight, each weighing the same. If it works for benchrest shooting I don't see why it wouldn't be the same here. (Claude)
3. Clean with SS pins for 30 minutes. (Lemi-shine, warm water and dish detergent.) Then dried by either allowing them to air dry over night or with a hair dryer.
4. Anneal with a propane torch till the casing is glowing red. (Claude) Generally I want the base of the case to be able to squeezed close with my fingers. This also helps to reduce the pressure needed to derim, core seat and point. (note: the punch needs to have a more rounded base or you run a risk of tearing the bases off. If a more rounded punch isn't available derim then anneal.)
5. Clean with SS pins till all cases are clean and polished, usually about an hour depending on the shine wanted. (Lemi-shine, warm water and dish detergent.) Then dry as before.
6. Inspect all cases for tears, rips or obvious abnormalities.
7. Measure jackets for length and separate according, you want them to be consistent so the final point forming is consistent, overall length and meplat uniformity. (Claude) (Refer to your notes as to what length and brand case your gun like best. You are keeping a data book right? (Al Nyhus) By writing things down and seeing how things work you are more able to tailor it for your needs. My gun loves Laupa, Wolf Match and Eley jackets. It is not fond of Federal and absolutely does not like Winchester of any kind.)
8. Cut or cast cores. I use 99.7% pure lead or purer for competition bullets, wheel weight for all others (plinking, hunting and practice). I go 3 grains heavier than the final core weight.
9. Lube cores and warm them up. I use a Mason jar and place the lube in it, put the cores in it and roll it it around. But I warm the jar and keep it warm while it is coating the cores. If the cores are wheel weight, I keep them warm until they squirted to final weight. it seems to make it easier and I get a more uniform final weight. I also warm up the die with a hair drier as well. (Al Nyhus said to heat up the pointing die for better consistency during point forming so I do the same here)
10. Clean the cores. I usually use Acetone and Mason jar. Allow them to air dry. Serves two purposes. 1 allows the cores to start oxidizing for better adhesion to the jacket and allows them to "rest". Whether or not this helps or is actually true is beyond me but I do a lot of cores at one time, usually all day and it is as good excuse as any and I have not had any core/jacket separations as of yet.
11. Lube jackets the same procedure as I do with the cores.
12. Seat the cores. I read somewhere to use only enough pressure the leave the cored jacket in the seating die and not on the punch. So there is plenty of pressure if you lower the ram and the cored jacket stays in the die. It works for me so I use it. I have no ideal if it is true or not but it is a guideline that I use. I have been told by many people that you don't want the heel of the bullet to be square, you want it rounded to help with seating the bullet in the cartridge case and not shear any of the jacket material off. However you seat the cores, be consistent at it. (Claude)
13. Here I might give them a quick clean and polish or if they are still looking good, straight on to nose pointing.
14. Lube cored jackets, same method as before.
15. Point form. Warm the die up first. (Al Nyhus) The die will heat as you are pointing the bullet and till it reaches the operating temperature there will be more rejects. So warm it up first with a hair drier. (I thought it was bull till I tried it, now I do it every time.)
16. Final polish. Sometimes I move them back and forth on a towel to remove excess lube but most of the time they go back into the tumbler for about an hour for polishing.
17. Final inspection and weight check. After all of the initial sorting and weighing the weight is very consistent usually around 10th of a grain for the run of the swage session and the over all length is nearly identical. Plus when you add the information to your bullet data book you can tell if things are starting to wear out and needs replacing. If the driving bands start to increase it lets you know that your dies life in nearing the end but you won't know that if you have not written it down.
There you have it. It's the process that I use when I make my bullets. On most days they will shoot well under a half MOA with an occasional flyer (usually me doing something stupid).
Soon as I can afford a press that I can use the S dies with I will take pictures and go into more details of the whole process.