lightweight 30 cal

[cstrickland]

ok I have looked through the first dozen pages, and did a simple search but can only find information on making .308 bullets in the 150gn + range. I am interested in swaging some light 100gr - 120gr bullets for supersonic 300 blk . I have cast 155's I am getting ready to PC, but would really like to try and use some swaged bullets , say maybe a 9mm, 380 or .223 case trimmed down for this. anyone try swaging lightweights yet ??

thanks guys

Charlie

[clodhopper]

I have not tried it yet, waiting on dies. But was thinking .380 auto cases sized down into a .30 cal jacket could make bullets in the 125 grain range.
.32 auto cartridges might be close for 110 grain bullets, but threre just are not to many of them laying around.

[runfiverun]

jackets are gonna be your issue.
i need a pinch/trim die to cut some jackets back to make up some lighter 120-130 bullets for a 1-14 twist barreled rifle i have coming soon.

the 32 auto's or something similar is where i'd start looking.
you have to take into account the jacket's thickness when making a hunting bullet.
if you just want to make holes in paper then 5.7 X 28 brass at 9-10 cents each is available, you'd have to do about 9 steps to make each bullet and pinch/trim them too.
i'm just gonna break down and buy some hornady 110gr V-max's for my 300 b.o.

[BLASTER62]

You are better off getting .800 jackets from RCE and make 110 gr to 125gr 308's for 300 AAC no trim nice hollow points.

[cstrickland]

I have not tried it yet, waiting on dies. But was thinking .380 auto cases sized down into a .30 cal jacket could make bullets in the 125 grain range.
.32 auto cartridges might be close for 110 grain bullets, but threre just are not to many of them laying around.

this is about what i was thinking. I have never swaged before, but fro what I read it seems feasible.

[cstrickland]

jackets are gonna be your issue.
i need a pinch/trim die to cut some jackets back to make up some lighter 120-130 bullets for a 1-14 twist barreled rifle i have coming soon.

the 32 auto's or something similar is where i'd start looking.
you have to take into account the jacket's thickness when making a hunting bullet.
if you just want to make holes in paper then 5.7 X 28 brass at 9-10 cents each is available, you'd have to do about 9 steps to make each bullet and pinch/trim them too.
i'm just gonna break down and buy some hornady 110gr V-max's for my 300 b.o.

I am not really looking for hunting bullets yet, just looking for alternative ways to make some inexpensive plinking rounds. I current use the M80 147 grain pulls, or new hornady 150 gr FMJ's, and this each about 0.20¢ - 0.23¢ each . I would like to be closer to my lead price of about 0.02¢ each

[MarkP]

@ $0.02 each Look at the Lee 309-113 RFN

[cstrickland]

@ $0.02 each Look at the Lee 309-113 RFN

thanks for the suggestions but I am not sure they would work. I know some have tried the 30 carbine 110 grain RN in a 300 blk, and have had to modify the magazine to get it to feed and still it seems low percentage on success. these look to be about the same size. I was looking at the RCBS 7.62 130, but I would still like to see a spitzer 110 mold in 30 cal, and since I have not seen any I thought swaging might be the option

[Prospector Howard]

runfiverun is correct. Jackets are going to be the issue. I've seen this quite a bit here in the swaging section. People think they are going to swage 30 caliber or some other caliber for cheap that doesn't have the right size scrap brass that's easily available for cheap. Cane man is making 7mm size bullets from 9mm cases and I'm making 8mm from 9mm cases, but it takes work to draw them down to the right size. The 5.7 brass are about the right size for 30 cal, but good luck getting them in quantity for cheap. This is why most of us swage .224 bullets from scrap .22 cases for volume plinking, readily available cheap or free cases that are easily formed into jackets. The suggestion to shoot cast in your 300 blk is probably the way to go for cheap plinking, but heavier boolits in the 150 to 160 gr weight would probably be a better way to go than the light boolits.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Here is a thread about 5.7x28 cases into 308 brass jacketed bullets using a 101 series CH 30 cal die set, which are apparently for 30 carbine bullets.

Starting in post #36, BT let me test the CH dies (the internals were replaced with improved steel by BT). My conclusion is in post #59. I sucessfully made some 123gr. bullets, I did make some as heavy as 150+gr with those dies, but they were over sized...I was skeptical shooting a bullet with a heavy brass web for a base that is that much over sized...but at 123gr. and a size of .3084 I was happy with that.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?61720-FN-5-7x308

btw, I have found 5.7 cases as cheap as 4.5¢ each...YMMV
What a guy needs is a friend with a FN MK2 pistol who likes to shoot and doesn't like to reload.
http://www.fnherstal.com/primary-menu/products-capabilities/handguns/general/product/263/295/263/5/_/fn-five-sevenR-mk2.html

[cstrickland]

Here is a thread about 5.7x28 cases into 308 brass jacketed bullets using a 101 series CH 30 cal die set, which are apparently for 30 carbine bullets.

Starting in post #36, BT let me test the CH dies (the internals were replaced with improved steel by BT). My conclusion is in post #59. I sucessfully made some 123gr. bullets, I did make some as heavy as 150+gr with those dies, but they were over sized...I was skeptical shooting a bullet with a heavy brass web for a base that is that much over sized...but at 123gr. and a size of .3084 I was happy with that.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?61720-FN-5-7x308

btw, I have found 5.7 cases as cheap as 4.5¢ each...YMMV
What a guy needs is a friend with a FN MK2 pistol who likes to shoot and doesn't like to reload.
http://www.fnherstal.com/primary-menu/products-capabilities/handguns/general/product/263/295/263/5/_/fn-five-sevenR-mk2.html

wow those look pretty nice and are close to what I was looking for. You do not happen to have any left over do you ?? I guess I just need to get off my rear and make a swaging set.

[reed1911]

Richard Corbin has some that are listed as being for the .32 but just fine in all my dies for 100g 1/2 jackets and 125g 1/2 jackets. You can use them for just about anything down to 65g or so.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

wow those look pretty nice and are close to what I was looking for. You do not happen to have any left over do you ?? I guess I just need to get off my rear and make a swaging set.
Ya know, I never did load 'em. So there is 100+ of those laying around the reloading room somewhere. I wonder if BT still has those CH dies laying around ? After I played with the dies, I returned them to him, along with the mod'd 280 die and punch I used to size the brass...I doubt he ever sold them, as that about the time he started making his own dies. I just decided I'd rather cast 30 cal boolits instead of all the extra work and $$$ that goes into swaging them.

[B R Shooter]

There are some really good quality jackets coming available, .925", they make great 115 to 120 grain bullets. They will be around a hundred per 1000, maybe 120.

[cstrickland]

Ya know, I never did load 'em. So there is 100+ of those laying around the reloading room somewhere. I wonder if BT still has those CH dies laying around ? After I played with the dies, I returned them to him, along with the mod'd 280 die and punch I used to size the brass...I doubt he ever sold them, as that about the time he started making his own dies. I just decided I'd rather cast 30 cal boolits instead of all the extra work and $$$ that goes into swaging them.

could you be persuaded to part with a few of those?? I like the look of those and it is about right where I was wanting to be.

[DukeInFlorida]

I have been saving 5.7X28 FN cases for years now. Maybe 2-3 years before I even ordered the swage die set from BT Sniper. I have feelers out everywhere, and see them often, from range pickups.... I have most of a 5 gallon bucket full. Lots of 308's!!!

[Gunnut 45/454]

MarkP
Tried the 113 gr Lee cast I my 300 Blk. Couldn't get them to feed reliably and had to shoot them to fast to get operation in the AR, accuracy was terrible.:(