BTSinper Anticipation AA meeting

[clodhopper]

My name is Clodhopper, I am a bullet swager.
I find myself checking the vendor sponser section twice a day or more, hoping for BTS to ship some more tools.
Being down the list some, my tools are still weeks away at best.
Just can't help my self.

It's hard to wait for Christmas, even worse when you don't know what day it is.

Really, I need to focus on something else.

[BT Sniper]

Just got off the phone with the Nitride facility, they are taking their time doing it right with this latest batch they informed me. I told them that I'll wait for quality and keep me informed. Typically they are able to turn my dies in about two weeks or less. This shipment though is 3 times more dies then I have ever sent them so it is taking them a little while longer.

I'll be continuing to put together as many dies as I have currently available and getting them to you all as soon as possible.

Thank you all as always for your patience.

Good shooting and swage on!

Brian

[R.Ph. 380]

Hello, My name is Bill, and I swage Bullets......................................heheh e

May-be some 12 step if you know what I mean.

Step 1: Admit you have a problem
Step 2: Seek help for the problem.

etc,,,,,etc

[gmsharps]

I have a pile of MiHec molds, a ton of lead bars just begging to be cast up.BTS 22lr swaging dies and a large flat rate box of fired 22lr cases ready to be processed. All of this just beggin me to come home and to get to work. I get to take a look at them when I go home for R&R but to much to do around the house for the short period of time I can make it home for. It will be like Christmas when I make it home sometime this year.

gmsharps

[Stephen Cohen]

Now that is funny.

[R.Ph. 380]

I have a pile of MiHec molds, a ton of lead bars just begging to be cast up.BTS 22lr swaging dies and a large flat rate box of fired 22lr cases ready to be processed. All of this just beggin me to come home and to get to work. I get to take a look at them when I go home for R&R but to much to do around the house for the short period of time I can make it home for. It will be like Christmas when I make it home sometime this year.

gmsharps

Just be sharp and come home safe.

Bill

[just bill]

Hi, I'm Just Bill and I have a problem......................................!

[clodhopper]

Amen to come home safe.

So in the 12 step program, is scrounging all the soft lead I can step 3?
Or just swirling around before getting sucked under?

[just bill]

My name is Clodhopper, I am a bullet swager.
I find myself checking the vendor sponser section twice a day or more, hoping for BTS to ship some more tools.
Being down the list some, my tools are still weeks away at best.
Just can't help my self.

It's hard to wait for Christmas, even worse when you don't know what day it is.

Really, I need to focus on something else.

I can feel your pain, I just checked the list for the * time and the red has not descended in to the next zone, always so close but no cigar (dies).

[clodhopper]

I have fallen, bought 30 cal bullets yesterday, loaded them this morning, going to shoot them today.

[bbailey7821]

I may have found some kindred spirits...

[oldrodder]

Hello, My name is Bill, and I swage Bullets......................................heheh e

May-be some 12 step if you know what I mean.

Step 1: Admit you have a problem
Step 2: Seek help for the problem.

etc,,,,,etc

Read my signature line!!!
Mike

[Waldoone]

Hello, My name is Bill, and I swage Bullets......................................heheh e

May-be some 12 step if you know what I mean.

Step 1: Admit you have a problem
Step 2: Seek help for the problem.

etc,,,,,etc
Hi Bill

[just bill]

My name is Clodhopper, I am a bullet swager.
I find myself checking the vendor sponser section twice a day or more, hoping for BTS to ship some more tools.
Being down the list some, my tools are still weeks away at best.
Just can't help my self.

It's hard to wait for Christmas, even worse when you don't know what day it is.

Really, I need to focus on something else.

Have you heard of Christmas in July??

Bill

[just bill]

Oh boy, since the 430's are on the way, does that mean the .458's are close? Since 458 is closer to 430 than 500.

"I received notice my 430 dies shipped today from nitride facility. I expect to have them here by end of week.

Brian"

[BT Sniper]

430 dies total :)

[clodhopper]

My name is clodhopper, I am a bullet swager....yesterday I traded two boxes of .22 cal 75 grain Amax for a box of berger 155 grain 30 cal.
And 69, 80 grain 22cal amax for 1lb can of CFE223 powder.

[Fetzner808]

My name is Fetzner

I recently added my name to a waiting list

Let the months of anticipation begin.

[clodhopper]

Welcome to anticipators anom.

[Salmon-boy]

Hi, My name is Chuck and I swage boolits..

I was once like you. I saw the nice dies he creates (up close and personal!) then sent him a PM. That pushed my derby car over the bump and started the downhill race. First it was Paypal, then it was seeing his taunting posts of how awesome the dies were progressing.. It only fueled my desire more...

And then there were the videos. Duke in (formerly Maine) Florida posted the pneumatic derimming setup.. Oh if only I could get some time at home! Next, BT made videos of the process.. I was in agony. Lurking around the forum, checking posts here and there... I had to remind myself that I was an early adopter and funding the development of great dies, but no.. I wanted them -- No WILLED them to appear, delivered by my friendly Brown Truck driver, or even the Blue Uniformed Jeep driver but no!! More taunting posts!!!

Until finally. One day.. My wife calls me at work. "Are you expecting a package from Oregon?" The day couldn't end soon enough! I couldn't get home fast enough! When I finally made the arduous trek out the Mass Pike, I found a box!

There was a hand-scribbled note on the end: "Lee".. But that's not MY name.. Oh Yeah! Duhh! Out came the dusty box containing the Classic Cast press I had ordered for reloading the 50BMG I don't have (yet). A quick setup and I opened the box. I read every word on the papers BT had included, savoring each misspelling. I had to set these dies up right the first time and produce some seriously beautiful swaged boolets! But then it hit me.. I hadn't de-rimmed any 22s!!

NOOOOOOOO!O!!!!!!!

[clodhopper]

I do have some derimmed .22s ready, but thanks for the warning, will get on the prep of 5.7 brass to make .308.

[clodhopper]

Todays meeting of anticipators annom.
My name is clodhopper, I'm a bullet swagerer,
I have fallen back to logging on to cast boolits several times a day hoping to find some note of progress.
With a thought, Hey! its springtime. BTSniper might be spending time with his kids while they have spring break.
As the father of two girls my self, now that they have left home and have families of their own I regret not spending more time with them when they were kids.
Days spent with your young children are precious.
I promise to quit mopeing around the computer and head out to the range!

[R.Ph. 380]

I do have some derimmed .22s ready, but thanks for the warning, will get on the prep of 5.7 brass to make .308.

I got a hundred 5.7 x 28 the other day and was wondering what you do just to expand the neck, do you anneal first, where did you get a punch to fit? Looking forward to 308 swaging later when BT gets around to my dies.

Bill

[clodhopper]

I have not done any yet, but have some advice from runfiverun.
He recommends do not anneal first to avoid crumpled shoulder, and to stretch out neck out to 30 cal.
My plan is to take a hornady .308 resize die, remove the decapping pin and with the proper shellholder should be easy.
Hornady dies have long pointy expander ball coated with titaninum nitride. The expander ball is all that should touch the 5.7 case.
Runfive says that by going 30 cal inside the neck it makes a better looking bullet later.
Seems like the same operation coud be done with a varitiey if sizing dies.
I did have a good day of shooting today at the range. Fired some 6mm creedmore with bullets swaged from J4 jackets.
Did some test with .357 mag ruger bolt gun, .38 special case, 358-430, 2400 powder 1300 FPS. That will knock the socks off of gophers. Worked on position and sling support fireing .308 cal AR. Sure need work there!
Picked up 35 lbs of bullets and 1/2 gallon of brass.

[clodhopper]

I did stretch the necks on all my 5.7 brass. Used the hornady .308 win resize die.
But with out changing the die, or removing the decap pin.
I took a spare die lock ring, screwed it on the die to use as a spacer, this left the primer in the pocket and reformed the neck nearer the top of the press stroke.
Had 272 pecies, 9 necks split.
Have also been annealing 9mm brass in anticipation of reciving a set of BTSniper reducing dies. I have been decaping the 9mm, thinking the empty primer pocket will provide some relief for brass flowing from 4 reducing steps, in order to make 30 cal jackets, getting close to four gallons of of nines decapped, annealed, and cleaned in stainles media.

[R.Ph. 380]

I did stretch the necks on all my 5.7 brass. Used the hornady .308 win resize die.
But with out changing the die, or removing the decap pin.
I took a spare die lock ring, screwed it on the die to use as a spacer, this left the primer in the pocket and reformed the neck nearer the top of the press stroke.
Had 272 pecies, 9 necks split.
Have also been annealing 9mm brass in anticipation of reciving a set of BTSniper reducing dies. I have been decaping the 9mm, thinking the empty primer pocket will provide some relief for brass flowing from 4 reducing steps, in order to make 30 cal jackets, getting close to four gallons of of nines decapped, annealed, and cleaned in stainles media.

Well, I do have one of the LEE long 30cal Neck expander with no decapping pin. I'll use that and leave the 5.7 with it's primer but opened up for the core.

Bill

[DukeInFlorida]

For expanding the necks of the 5.7X28 FN's, you need to get BT Snipers Universal Die with expanding/case prep mandrel ,$125, and ask him to send you the expander for it, for the 5.7X28FN > .308 conversion set. He'll sell/send you the proper tool for expanding the necks. The tool drops into the same tool that you use for the NOTCHING of the hollow point cases. You use a shell holder for holding onto the 5.7X28 cases, and run them up into the mandrel. Expands quick as a bunny. Use the same mandrel for pushing the lead core (not the same as the core seater) into the case, as a first step in marring the lead to the case. However, after expanding the necks, anneal completely which will anneal the brass, and burn off (anneal until the plastic is ASH) the plastic coating. Then, tumble to get the brass clean and shiny again.

Forgive me, for it has been a week since I have swaged any bullets. I sent my Rockchucker Ram off to chuckbuster so that he can re-measure it (and create a drawing this time), and haven't been able to swage anything. BTW, I also sent my CH4D cannelure tool off to chuckbuster also. He's going to create a new, easier to use, cannelure tool for me, and should have them available for all to purchase really soon. I'll post pictures when I get it back from the shop.

Ten reloads and a novena for mercy.

[clodhopper]

I will use BTs tool once it gets here.
Trying to keep busy until then.
I'm off to Great Falls for a marksmanship/American heritage seminar, back online Sunday night or Monday.

[just bill]

Hello, My name is Bill, and I swage Bullets......................................heheh e

May-be some 12 step if you know what I mean.

Step 1: Admit you have a problem
Step 2: Seek help for the problem.

etc,,,,,etc

I am Bill. I fantasize about swaging bullets. Little LEE and ROCKY are lonely, Lee has his reconstructed brace and now I am seeing things. I thought I saw boxes in front of my door, and low and behold it was a dream(probably the pepperoni pizza).

Just Bill

[clodhopper]

May Meeting of anticipators anom.
My name is clodhopper, this month tempation seem so easy to ignore, spring finally got here.
The grass needs mowed, garden planted, trees trimmed, dead branches burned, not much time for sitting around the reloading room.
Gophers are out, the 22lr shortage has farmers worried that no one will be out to shoot their gophers. Fortunatly some years back a wise man told me to buy it cheap and stack it deep. I still can do some rimfire shooting.
Dusted off the ole gopher getter, it uses a ruger reciver, and the excellent 10 round rotary mag, but 10-22 does not describe the rifle very well.
Green mountian barrel. Kidd 2 stage trigger group,bolt, recoil spring and guide rod. Custom walnut stock with vertical hand grip, which actually fits my body. Weaver extreme 30mm tube 2-10x scope with side parrallax, mounted with 55 minutes, 20 in the burris signatue rings and custom ground 35 minute EGW scope base.
Along with a laser range finder and drop chart with 5 yard increments. I have dialed and fired this rifle out to 430 yards where groups get about the size of a house door.
It shoots pretty good out to about 200 yards with cheap walmart ammo. I was out on an alfalfa feild where hay had not yet sprouted this year so the gophers were pretty visable with range finder and drop chart they getting it pretty bad from win 22 lr hollow points. First day out the longest hit was 140 yards.
Second day out I got a first round hit at 158, I have to admit the wind was really kind for that shot.
Another week or so and the hay will be to tall to be out on it hunting, and to see them.
Gotta get the honeydoos done enough to slip away on a warm sunny afternoon.
(For those of you not from Montana, what we call gophers are ground squirrels, less than half the size of prairie dogs but similar in shape and habits)
Also shooting with the local CMP group every other thursday evening.
And have plans to attend the Free State Wyoming Jamboree, a thursday-sunday campout with freedom minded indivuals who have a 300 yard pop up range and 75 yard pistol range set up at the camp ground. The 1911, national match AR, stubby AR and 357 mag will all get a work out!
So right now I do not have time to be swaging bullets.
Hope Brian does well and has fun at the 50 cal shoot!

[DukeInFlorida]

You know...... He's just teasing all of his most loyal fans, especially ME..

He knows I am tooling up for a 50 BMG gun. I have the sizing tools and a dedicated press for them. I also have a mold for casting LINOTYPE bullets for the beast. And, a gas check making tool for making the gas checks for it.

Now................. I will have to...................

BUY another tool for swaging the 50 BMG bullets. Dang!!

God grant me courage.....

[clodhopper]

Good products require painstaking developement. It must be an onerous chore for Brian to properly test 50 cal spitzer boatails

[DukeInFlorida]

I received my 30 caliber die set from Brian! OMG, it's a work of art. I have been very fond of the tool sets from him so far, but this is certainly his finest work yet!
I'll start up a new thread to document the tool set.

I am so darn happy I can't even begin to describe it.

[clodhopper]

Duke,
Congratulations!
Now instead of being an anticipator, you should consider becoming a consuler!
You can tell us all how wonderful your tools are and how we should all order some!
Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!

[Randy C]

He Haw My name is Randy and I'm a bullet Sager and I have to buy more every chance I get.

[clodhopper]

Hey Randy, how about sharing some of that popcorn?:popcorn:

[scarry scarney]

My name is Steve, forgive me I have sinned.

I recieved Brian's swag dies for the 40, 50 and 223, and other than trying them, I have not swagged. :-(

I am soon to be recieving a set of 308 dies as well.

BUT.......
I am looking at retiring in 31 days, and will finally have time to enjoy the Treasures that Brian has sent me. Until then.......

[Bonz]

My name is Steve, forgive me I have sinned.

I recieved Brian's swag dies for the 40, 50 and 223, and other than trying them, I have not swagged. :-(

I am soon to be recieving a set of 308 dies as well.

BUT.......
I am looking at retiring in 31 days, and will finally have time to enjoy the Treasures that Brian has sent me. Until then.......

Steve - I'd be happy to help you break in that .50 swage die set, just ship it on over to me ;-)

[DukeInFlorida]

Bonz, if you wanna ship me some cores, and some small primer 45 acp brass, and pay for the shipping back to you, I'd be happy to make you some 500's. I'd get to keep a few for myself, of course! Casting cores to keep up with my own usage is weighing me down.
LOL

[Bonz]

Bonz, if you wanna ship me some cores, and some small primer 45 acp brass, and pay for the shipping back to you, I'd be happy to make you some 500's. I'd get to keep a few for myself, of course! Casting cores to keep up with my own usage is weighing me down.
LOL

Just picked up 500 'blemished' .500 mag bullets from the MidSouthShooters sale but I'm sure that I will run out of .500 bullets before I get my custom BTSniper .500 swaging set. And I will gladly take you up on your generous offer, fellow 'chuckbuster NASA cannelure tool' owner ;-)

[DukeInFlorida]

Which means that I don't have to put a cannelure on yours!


Just picked up 500 'blemished' .500 mag bullets from the MidSouthShooters sale but I'm sure that I will run out of .500 bullets before I get my custom BTSniper .500 swaging set. And I will gladly take you up on your generous offer, fellow 'chuckbuster NASA cannelure tool' owner ;-)

[Bonz]

Which means that I don't have to put a cannelure on yours!

LOL, send them all back to me and I'll cannelure yours too :-)

How does a 452-255 RNFP sound for a core ?

[just bill]

There here, there here, there here arrived Monday , took me this long to get over the shock. Did I say there here, oh yes that's right. Made a little swaging station last night, started to work the brass but had to shut down, to tired and reality set in, got house stuff to finish first. Gotta say the Black is a nice touch, machining is great. If there is a brass crunchers AA I may have to join, not being to successful resizing shell casings from rifle cartridges. Hang in there the wait is worth it.
Bill

[runfiverun]

that black coating is there for more than just looks...

[just bill]

that black coating is there for more than just looks...

Gee, thought it was to match the Black Boxes the dies come in, kindlike a sniper thing.

[jimbull34]

My name is Jim and I swage bullets, boolets and bull-its! And just to prove to every one that I am "certifyable" I also make dies. Yes I have sinned, I was tired of waiting, tired of be screwed, (without at least a kiss) and so I ventured down that dark road of die making. Yes, it is darkest just before dawn, and midnight and ten oclock and well, you get the drift. And then to make matters worse, I could not find a press that was worth a **** without selling my children on the street corners nightly, which in retrospect would have been the best thing to do. And seeing that doing .45 ACP's got a little tiring doing the cores, I decided on a hydraulic press. Well Corbins 9k was out of the question and having just enough knowledge of hydraulics to be dangerous, I made a simple, straight forward swage press, and for a HELL OF A LOT LESS THEN 9K! Yes it works, works well in fact and it does not get tired! Now, the virus in my blood made me do .50bp rounds out of .45 cases. I have an addiction to bp shooting, I make my own powder and now rounds, so I do it a lot. Plus the fact that doing this, that ingrate in washington dc can't stop me from doing it!
Some one please tell me where I have strayed....oh hell with it, everyman has to believe in something, I believe I'm going to have another drink!

[clodhopper]

Jimbull,
You have not strayed my freind.
Just shown more devotion, making dies, making powder.
I look forward to the day you build your own rifle.

My own report, I have been making attenpts at a core swage die to fit in my heteres 9ton swage press.
The die is fairly simple with no threads two diameters on the out side, a cylindercal .25 hole down the center.
First attempt came to .265 long before the interior was smooth, second attempt smaller, but still to big.
With the order of a chucking reamer my next attempt might work better.
The punches for the nine ton press should be fairly easy to make on my toy size benchtop lathe.

[jimbull34]

Hey Clodhopper,
Just to let you know alford-polk, http://www.alvordpolk.com/catalog/dept.asp?id=31, they do aircraft tools and their reamers are great and half way reasonable. You can go to the metric ones and find just about anything you need. Good service too. Finding tooling for us, "poor" folk is hard to find and the people who are die makers for profit will NOT give people like us a break and help us out with tooling. Guess thats the way of the world right now...
The though of making a rifle has entered my mind more then once. Maybe before I die I will get a chance to do that, while I'm thinking of it, the .45 cases that I make into a .50 ca; work great in my CVA Optima. They are dead nuts right on. Beats the hell out of a $1-1.25 each bullet!!!!!!

[clodhopper]

It's good to hear you are swaging accurate muzzle loader bullets, with almost free components.
Drilsandcutters.com also has resonably priced goods. But alvordpolks web site look easier to find cutters desired.
How is their shipping charges?

[jimbull34]

Clod,
They're shipping is 12.50 and thats the first 25# I think they said. I wait until I get everything I need before ordering as they only ship UPS, it is fast but pricey...everything is today. The quality of their stuff is excellent. I have also went to Mason reamers in MI. Their stuff is calibur orientated and it is expensive, like a $100 a reamer, hence using AP which their reamers are in the 18-25$ range depending on size

[just bill]

Looks like the anticipation has ebbed, how ever I didn't know where th put this message. THANK YOU BRIAN!!! I am in the middle of a total renovation of my reloading/swaging center as well as finishing 15 years of put off work in the house. I needed a little mental health break and went to the case prep bench and put into application the advise you gave me about the case pre trimming prep. With a little thought out planning right now I can get two jackets per case, however I will need a couple more tools from you to make the finished product. The .458's will have the jacketed hollow points I started to build, and the .44 will have the same with a couple more tools. Not much to show right now got a lot of work to finish on the house, however this winter will be very busy in the new loading corner.
Bill

[clodhopper]

Anticipation here is weak right now, I signed up for a CNC machineing class, was not working and now have a part time job rebuilding frac pumps. Not much time for the reloading bench.

[just bill]

I looked into the CNC class, it was to far to travel and way too expencive.
Bill

[clodhopper]

Local community collage here first offered it this fall. If a new program starts in your area they might have a few bumps smoothed out the second or third year.

[scarry scarney]

Brothers

I have sinned! I received my "gifts" from the Great BT, and became "retired" on 1 July. I kept putting off using the wonderful tools that BT sent me, thinking maybe tomorrow. Well, 1 Oct came around, and I accepted another J@b (I used the @ not to insult anyone....). Forgive me, I have sinned. I had the time and the tools, and I didn't use them. (no I'm not returning or sending to someone) I will repent and use them soon.

[clodhopper]

Scarry, going back to work really makes days off valuable. Hope you can break out the tools and use them soon.

[R.Ph. 380]

Brothers

I have sinned! I received my "gifts" from the Great BT, and became "retired" on 1 July. I kept putting off using the wonderful tools that BT sent me, thinking maybe tomorrow. Well, 1 Oct came around, and I accepted another J@b (I used the @ not to insult anyone....). Forgive me, I have sinned. I had the time and the tools, and I didn't use them. (no I'm not returning or sending to someone) I will repent and use them soon.

You need to free yourself of the opportunity to err, that is send the press, dies and brass on to another damned soul.............................................. .say, maybe .......................................ME!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[clodhopper]

Got a package from Hood River Oregon today, it was full of goodies, now I have to get busy so I can use them.
Need to make a threaded ram for a rockchucker, and a bushing to thread into 7/8X14 Walnut Hill that accepts the BT standard 1/2X20 threaded punch.
I still have anticipation issues in the form of some 30 cal dies.

[midnight]

Fiinally I am up to #4 or 5 on BT's list and am hoping to get jacket maker & draw die for Christmas. That Alfordpolk site for reamers is a great site but it makes me glad I haunted all those machinery auction sites. You can never have too many reamers & I now have 400 to 500 reamers, all at a cost of around $1 each. I did find a site that lets me order drill bushings by ID, OD, & length http://www.drill-bushings.com/product_selection.asp. Kind of handy when making draw dies.


Bob

I see that at least on my computer, the link I just posted flashes the correct page but then goes to a blank screen. If you google drillbushings.com it should take you there.

[just bill]

Fiinally I am up to #4 or 5 on BT's list and am hoping to get jacket maker & draw die for Christmas. That Alfordpolk site for reamers is a great site but it makes me glad I haunted all those machinery auction sites. You can never have too many reamers & I now have 400 to 500 reamers, all at a cost of around $1 each. I did find a site that lets me order drill bushings by ID, OD, & length http://www.drill-bushings.com/product_selection.asp. Kind of handy when making draw dies.


Bob

Ah, the infamous list placement, I remember when the list stopped at my number. It seemed to hover there in complete defiance. Like a watched pot never boils so goes a watched list never moves!!!! Remember it's about the journey not the arrival, not.
Bill