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Hutzpah
10-17-2008, 04:13 AM
I'm having trouble trying to size my 6.5 130gr cast bullets.
Pure lead is very hard to get through the lee sizer and is causing it to have a
flare at its base.

Grove-0.268
Bore-0.259
sizing die -0.269 and 0.259

The bullets fall from the mold around 0.270.

Do I need anther die in between 0.269 and 0.259?

What if I opened up the 0.259 die a little would that help?

again I appreciate the advice.

Hutzpah

45 2.1
10-17-2008, 07:05 AM
I'm having trouble trying to size my 6.5 130gr cast bullets.
Pure lead is very hard to get through the lee sizer and is causing it to have a
flare at its base.

Grove-0.268
Bore-0.259
sizing die -0.269 and 0.259

The bullets fall from the mold around 0.270.

Do I need anther die in between 0.269 and 0.259?

What if I opened up the 0.259 die a little would that help?

again I appreciate the advice.

Hutzpah

Lube the outside of your boolit with case lube before you try to push it thru the Lee die. It will make it very easy to size. Remove lube after sizing before patching.

pdawg_shooter
10-17-2008, 08:19 AM
I have no trouble with grooved bullets, smooth sided bullets always seem to displace a little lead at the base. I clean them up with a razor blade.

bcp477
10-17-2008, 02:51 PM
A resized bullet, once put through a Lee die, should not have a flared bottom. Actually, the lead (alloy) should displace in such a way that the bullet actually gets LONGER, rather than lead being removed from the bullet, or the base flaring. What you describe happens if the bullet is not lubed properly - either an ineffective lube, or not enough of it. This leads to excessive effort required to push the bullet through the die (and the force required exceeds the bullet alloy's yield strength), with corresponding damage to the base of the bullet, just before the base gets all the way into the die. Whether a grooved bullet or a smooth-sided one, there never should be any flaring or damage of the base, if all is as it should be. So, I would try a different lube, or more of it.

JDFuchs
10-17-2008, 03:17 PM
10 thou is a big chunk to take off all at once. If lubing dose not do what you want I would try another sizer. Im still new at this myself. The most ive ever needed to take off has been 6 thou

docone31
10-17-2008, 05:32 PM
I size, .312 to .308 for wrapping for a .311 bore.
Sometimes it gets real difficult.
I use the Lee Sizing system, and I use dish soap to lube with.
Were it me, I would use two sizers to go down that size.
I size to bore, at .312 being the bore size, and .314 being the paper patched size. .3135 works ok, but .314 is great for accuracy in my .303 British.
Were it me, I might shoot for .261 as bore wrapped size. I would go slowly and check for pressure signs. The main point is gettting your casting through the sizer.
My groove is .304, I size the casting to .308. My bore is .312, I wrap to .314.
I do not know if my sizing will help out with that missle. It should shoot real well. I like 6.5s. With the flare at the base, is the casting going through the die?
If it is, I might just trim the base flat. Lubing is a must in those dies, the lead will smear in the die and stay there. Dish soap comes off in hot water and a little rinsing. I get fair once in a while, no biggee. I had one that flared so badly it would not go through the die. None of the others did that.
If the soap does not work, I might have Lee make an inbetween die. Certainly will take some of the pressure off the press and die.

montana_charlie
10-17-2008, 07:40 PM
Did Lee make you a custom die in .259"? I don't see that size offered on their website.

If it's a die you 'opened up' from (say) .243", the pushrod is undersize for the new diameter. That would leave room for lead to extrude into the gap between the die and the pushrod.

In any case, you are trying to size the bullet down by a lot.
CM

docone31
10-17-2008, 09:08 PM
You know, I thought of that before I proceeded to open up a die, I did not think of that with Hutzpa's original post.
I have gotten major flares when the casting goes into the die a little off center. One was remelt category.
It sounds like a very large step, and maybe no lube.
I still put my vote on sizing to bore, and wrapping to groove plus .002.
I am .004 over bore on my .303, and I size .002 over groove. Works pretty well.

Hutzpah
10-18-2008, 09:15 AM
Man life can be frustrating.
Anyway thanks for all the replies.

Its worse than I thought, the pictures say it all.
I'm losing bullet weight as a small ring forms over the push-rod, by the way the push-rod measured 0.239 is that too small?

As has been mentioned a new sizing die at 0.264 may do it, what do you think?
My workbench and my back are saying too much I know I should have a better
bench but I'm renting.

thanks

Hutzpah

bcp477
10-18-2008, 11:32 AM
I size from .324" down to .314", for paper-patching to shoot in my 8mm rifle.....with no problems whatsoever. That is 10-thousandths - so, I cannot believe that this is an issue with the amount of sizing. Hutzpah is going from .270" to .259", 11-thousandths - this should not be a problem. Of course, I am assuming that his tools are in order (and that the die is not defective, in some way). It is very hard to judge at long distance - but, there really should NOT be a problem with this. The effort required through my Lee .314" die is rather low, actually. I buy my bullets and they are pre-lubed with a waxy dark green lube - and I have found that just leaving the lube in place until after sizing the bullets works best. I still believe that the problem here is a lack of lubrication - or an ineffective lube.

*****One clue here that may well provide the answer (in Hutzpah's last post). Hutzpah, you say that the push rod that came with your die measures .239" in diameter ? That is for the .259" die, right ? If that is true, then you have the WRONG push rod, for sure. The rod should measure either exactly the same as the diameter to which the die is designed to size the bullets (.259")....or perhaps a couple of thousandths smaller than that. Probably, it should be 1 or 2 thousanths smaller. .239" is WAY too small to work properly with that die - hence the displacement of lead on the bullet base. That could well also explain the diffculty in pushing the bullets through - the push rod is actually deforming the bullet, INSTEAD of pushing it through the die. I think that (Montana Charlie) and you have the answer - a defective die (a defective push rod, actually).

I just checked Lee's website - and they don't list a .259" or .269" die. So, as Montana Charlie asked.....are these custom dies ? Or, did you open them up yourself ? In any case, the push rod is too small.

montana_charlie
10-18-2008, 01:37 PM
As has been mentioned a new sizing die at 0.264 may do it, what do you think?
While that might be a make-do work-around, a new mould is the best cure.
CM

docone31
10-18-2008, 05:28 PM
Gads, with that pushrod, and diameter sizing die, I am suprised you got the quality you did!
There is too much room for flex while going through the die.
The flaring is from the small pushrod. In effect, you are obturating the bullet as it is sized.
Since Lee does not make the sizes you need, I would have make Lee make them. Wrap some good ones you got, and see if the sizing is in order when fired.
A paper patched 6.5 should be an incredible shot.
I find, when I have mixed up pushrods, even a small difference between pushrod, and die makes a big difference in the finished sizing.
Lube is real important when making large sizings, especially in the Lee Push Thru System.
Dish soap works well for me.