gitano
02-13-2008, 10:01 PM
Gentlemen,
I've been a member for a while, but haven't really done enough with casting to warrant much input. Drinksgin keeps me taken care of there. However, I have become quite taken with big bore rifles, especially things in 50 caliber and up. I've been bothering Dave Corbin for a couple of years about swaging, and find him a very good resource for general information, but I can't seem to get an anwer that 'sets' quite right with my personal experiences when it comes to his equipment recommendations. I hope no one is offended by that comment, I certainly don't intend to insult.
I am most interested in producing jacketed bullets for the .50 Alaskan (0.510" OD). I have made some of these already using belted magnum cases for jacket material and stuffing 0.458" cast bullets in butt-up as the core. I turn the belt off of a 7mm Rem Mag or .338 Win Mag case leaving a 0.512" diameter and then cut to length. The .458 cores are simply pressed in, and I swage to final OD in a Lee 0.510" bullet sizer. These bullets actually work pretty well, but I'd like to get a more pointed nose on the finished bullet than the base of the 405-grain Oregon Trail cast bullet provides. I'd also like to use something a bit softer than case brass for jacket material, and something softer - like pure lead - for the core. And finally, I'd like to run the jacket farther towar the nose, leaving only a relatively small amount of exposed lead.
Based on my experience with the "magnum jackets", my thoughts are that I should be able to perform the swaging on a Rock Chucker or similar reloading press. Dave Corbin insists that with bullets of this diameter, "It can't be done". Disregarding the fact that I already have, is there some reason that you know of that I cannot? Am I missing something obvious?
Next, I was thinking that I might remove the handle of the press, and fit a hydraulic bottle jack beneath the press's ram. If the standard lever of a Rock Chucker can't provide sufficient power, (that according to Dave Corbin), what's wrong with applying hydraulic power - other than the slowness of raising the ram? (Actually, I'm working on a pneumatic charger for the hydraulic jack, but that's another story.)
All that said, I am also interested in making jacketed bullets in all sorts of diameters from 0.375" up to 0.510. Therefore, I am interested in your opinons regarding the realisitic viability of making my own dies sets I have read the thread that discussed the manufacture and use of the home-made reamers, and intend to do just that. (Great thread by the way.) Any advice before I 'wade right in'?
Thanks in advance for your opinions, suggestions, and assitance.
Paul
I've been a member for a while, but haven't really done enough with casting to warrant much input. Drinksgin keeps me taken care of there. However, I have become quite taken with big bore rifles, especially things in 50 caliber and up. I've been bothering Dave Corbin for a couple of years about swaging, and find him a very good resource for general information, but I can't seem to get an anwer that 'sets' quite right with my personal experiences when it comes to his equipment recommendations. I hope no one is offended by that comment, I certainly don't intend to insult.
I am most interested in producing jacketed bullets for the .50 Alaskan (0.510" OD). I have made some of these already using belted magnum cases for jacket material and stuffing 0.458" cast bullets in butt-up as the core. I turn the belt off of a 7mm Rem Mag or .338 Win Mag case leaving a 0.512" diameter and then cut to length. The .458 cores are simply pressed in, and I swage to final OD in a Lee 0.510" bullet sizer. These bullets actually work pretty well, but I'd like to get a more pointed nose on the finished bullet than the base of the 405-grain Oregon Trail cast bullet provides. I'd also like to use something a bit softer than case brass for jacket material, and something softer - like pure lead - for the core. And finally, I'd like to run the jacket farther towar the nose, leaving only a relatively small amount of exposed lead.
Based on my experience with the "magnum jackets", my thoughts are that I should be able to perform the swaging on a Rock Chucker or similar reloading press. Dave Corbin insists that with bullets of this diameter, "It can't be done". Disregarding the fact that I already have, is there some reason that you know of that I cannot? Am I missing something obvious?
Next, I was thinking that I might remove the handle of the press, and fit a hydraulic bottle jack beneath the press's ram. If the standard lever of a Rock Chucker can't provide sufficient power, (that according to Dave Corbin), what's wrong with applying hydraulic power - other than the slowness of raising the ram? (Actually, I'm working on a pneumatic charger for the hydraulic jack, but that's another story.)
All that said, I am also interested in making jacketed bullets in all sorts of diameters from 0.375" up to 0.510. Therefore, I am interested in your opinons regarding the realisitic viability of making my own dies sets I have read the thread that discussed the manufacture and use of the home-made reamers, and intend to do just that. (Great thread by the way.) Any advice before I 'wade right in'?
Thanks in advance for your opinions, suggestions, and assitance.
Paul