Cutting down a .459" to 452"....

[Bad Karma]

I ahve a RCBS 300 FN mould for the 45-70. I want to use it in my Ruger Blackhawk. I tried to size about 20 and am just worried about bulging the die. Any ideas?:confused:

[Bullshop]

Cast in pure lead. Size in steps not more than .004" per sizing.
Blessings
BIC/BS

[Bad Karma]

Ah, use my .454 then to the .452 die.

[Willbird]

It is worth measuring the throats in your blackhawk, some run on the large side, so if it had .454 throats you could shoot .454 bullets and not have to size them so far.

Bill

[454PB]

If you're using a Lyman sizer, you won't hurt the die.....but you'll likely break the handle linkage. I've done it more than once!

As previously suggested, use several steps. .458.....454....then .453 or .452.

[Bullshop]

OOPS sorry guy I thought I read they were for the Ruger old army. Musta had that stuck in ma head. Disregard the pure lead thingy. Now dont I feel silly.
Blessings
BIC/BS

[Bad Karma]

No worries. I want a 300gr sledge hammer for it. I just loaded some Lynotype RCBS 255 SWC -K boolits. It's sitting on top of 26.0gr H110.

[Lloyd Smale]

I take bullets down from 459 to 452 cast out of #2 with my star all the time. Only time i do it in steps is with gas checked bullets. With those i size to 454 first then 452. What i do though is when i size them to 459 i lube them at that time. makes it alot easier then trying to run a dry bullet through your sizer.

[wiljen]

Might consider investing a few $ in the Lee push through die in 454. Put that die in a stout press and you don't have to worry about breaking anything and you can do the first sizing much faster than a lyman 45. Then use your 452 in the lyman.

[StrawHat]

I ahve a RCBS 300 FN mould for the 45-70. I want to use it in my Ruger Blackhawk. I tried to size about 20 and am just worried about bulging the die. Any ideas?:confused:


Didn't Elmer get his start this way?

[Swagerman]

Diameter resizing by swaging is another way, but it makes for a slightly longer bullet.

I've done it a lot, and it works well for smaller bullets especially when you hollow base the bullet by swaging...they shoot very accurately.

Mastercast bullets are good one's to resize.

Jim

[crowbeaner]

I size Lyman 457122 330 grain HPs down to .452 with no problems all the time. I use a .454 then a .452 and lube them with the .452. They sure look pretty in a .460 case! My friend hasn't shot any except out of his .450 Marlin, so the big S&W will be a fun experience.

[Bret4207]

Might consider investing a few $ in the Lee push through die in 454. Put that die in a stout press and you don't have to worry about breaking anything and you can do the first sizing much faster than a lyman 45. Then use your 452 in the lyman.

Wiljen said what I thought. I've sized .359 boolits down to .334 in a Lee. It works. The boolit grows longer as you go.

[Bad Karma]

Will a harder alloy cause undo stress on the die?

[DLCTEX]

I lube the boolits first in a .457 die, and then push them through a Lee .452. I think it helps support the lands and keeps them from caving. The boolits done this way seem to be more consistent in weight, but no lead is shaved off so I'm not sure. Need to research this aspect more, but haven't sized any down in a while since buying a mold that casts what I wanted. DALE

[gcollins]

Dumb answer, SORRY , see if you can find the right dia mould and sell your 459, i am looking for a 459! I just bought the reloading dies and moulds from a small sporting goods store that was getting out of the reloading part, have some 452 lyman moulds, if you know someone that works in a machine shop have him make th die the weight you want! I would think that would be easier than taking 459 and keep rezing them to 452, you might end up with no lube grooves? If I am reading your post right?
Greg

[475/480]

I have a Ballisticast .459-420gr mould that I have sized from .459 to .452 in 1 step in a Star sizer.
I first lube & size the .459-420gr in a Lyman .459 die then run it thru thr Star .452 with no problems.
Alloy is straight wheel weights- BHN 14.
Sean

[dakotashooter2]

What i do though is when i size them to 459 i lube them at that time. makes it alot easier then trying to run a dry bullet through your sizer.

I have also heard that doing so helps keep the lube grooves from filling in with lead as you continue to size down.


You are not going to hurt a hard STEEL die by pushing soft LEAD through it, though it may be hard on the press handle. Even the softest steel is many times harder than any lead alloy used for bullets.

[pdawg_shooter]

I size .458/.459 down to .4515 in a lee push through all the time. Patch them back up for my 45-70 and .458 Win. Works fine.

[w30wcf]

The Lee push through dies are great! I have a 350 gr. Lyman .45-70 bullet that I used in my .45 Colt Blackhawk many years ago on the 200M steel rams. I sized from .459" to .454". Best thing to do is lube them first in your .45-70 die and then , lacking a Lee push through die, run them nose first into your .45 Colt die.

Have fun!
w30wcf