.338 vld

[BT Sniper]

How does the Lee sizing dies work? I want to make .338 300 grain VLD bullets by sizing down a .223 case or 30 Carbine case used as jacket. Looking for ideas. First step is to reduce to to .335 or so and seating core? Then swage it up to .338 in the point forming process? As far as the initial core seating diameter is .003 reduction from final diameter about right?

A 32 S&W long hase a case dia of .335 could I use these dies as a reducing and possible core seating step?

Does Lee make a .338 bullet sizing die and would it work to reduce these cases to .335 or .338?

Any idea of their cost for custom sizing die? I wish I had a lathe. Could I chuck a 7/8-14 bolt in a lathe and bore a .338 hole threw the center? Would it need to be hardened afterwords?

Any help or ideas would be welcome.

Thanks,



Brian

[Ballard]

Hardened would certainly prolong its life, Brian. I am afraid you have to keep making dies. Am really thinking about your idea, as I would love to be able to make 300gr VLD .338s. Do you have a point die for this? Who made it?

B

[Ballard]

Also, ,338 would be too large for your core seat, as well as your point form die, wouldn't it? So, a .338 sizer would not work. I figure you would need it to come out of the die at .335-336. I don't know how much springback the brass would have.

[BT Sniper]

Don't have any dies yet. Have friends with lathe and skills. I'm still on the first step of this project, how to size down the jacket and to what size and with what die. So if I had a Lee sizing die made to .335 does anyone think I could reduce a 30 carbine or .223 case down. I think corbin makes a jacket reducing die but I have a very limited budget.

Or possibly use some 30 cal sizing die, cut the lower half off so just the tapered shoulder and neck is left to push case threw to reduce size.

I have made 6.5 sweed brass from 30-06 by simply running case threw 6.5 full lenght sizing die. This left about an inch long neck of probably 7mm cal that could be used for a jacket. Seems like I could do the same for .338.

Thanks,



Brian

[bobk]

The .223 case would be way large, but it should make a dandy .375 bullet. I bought my first thousand cases in that caliber for just than reason, never got around to it. .30 Carbine is a little chunky in the butt, might make a good .35 bullet, though.

Bob K

[Ballard]

Brian, PM sent.

[BT Sniper]

Thanks guys,

Here is my thoughts. I was looking at the lee bullet sizer dies to reduce the .223 brass down. First .356 than a .329, this would be a .020 reduction and a final .027reduction. Only $12 a piece. Then I would think a core seating die to bump up from.329 to .335. Final swage in piont form up to .338. I just pulled the .335 number out of the air, should this dia be different coming out of the core seating die? Does this process so far sound somewhat correct or doable? I know the rim of the .223 is .378 and would work great for .375 or .35 but I have a .338 ultra mag with long range barrel and the serria 300 gr Match Kings are over $35 per box of 50.:( I recently put a 40 S&W case upside down in my .429 swaging die and reduce the base .040 before I knew it. .338 has to be possible from good annealed .223 brass, surly 30 carbine.

The point forming die has me alittle stumped though. Seems the core seating should be straight forword. Here is my toughts so far on the point forming process. With no machine working skills I would imagine the trouble comes from boaring out that small of dia to form a 10-14 ojive point. As far as I know with available dies once the point is formed you push out the final bullet with a small piece of spring steel correct? What if the point forming process was no more difficult than seating a bullet in a case?

With a .223 case I would have a rim to remove the case from the point forming die. Instead of boaring out a die to form the complete tip, how about just enough to form the initial ojive up to a point were the nose dia reachs .223? Then use a existing 22 cal bullet as the tip seated into a hollow void that looks like a hollow point .338 with a flat .223 dia meplat to form the final bullet. Using a serria 300 gr. match king as an example the nose is .85 long. If I cut it of at the .223 dia mark it would be about .55 long. Surly a point forming die can be made for a .55 long nose with a .223 dia opening at the tip couldn't it? Then seating the tip should be just as easy as with convential dies? Final step would either swag the rim in a final push through or cut it off completly.

I know this could work just wracking my brain tring to figure out how.

Thanks for you thoghts and advise, sure can use some of the expert advise out there.



Brian

[BT Sniper]

Pics of ideas, this can be done I just know it. Cut top from 300 grain Serria MK and boared out to .223 (this would represent formed 223 brass after ejecting from first point forming swage). Seated a 55 grain fmj. Could seat any bullet thought as tip. The 223 brass jacket bullet has got to be cheeper than Serria Match Kings at $.75 a piece.

Thanks

[MIBULLETS]

Brian, I don't know how this will work. One you will have to reduce the 223 case quite a bit. The case head will be the hard part. If you can reduce it, the rim will be pretty much wiped away by the reduction. When I reduced some to .355 for making .358 rifle bullets the rim was a bout half of the original size. So I doubt if you will be able to use the rim to pull the bullet out of the point forming die.

I will post a picture of the .358s I made from M1 Carbine and .223 cases if I can.

Dan

[BT Sniper]

Better yet,

[BT Sniper]

Reduce body length first make bullet on top and reduce the case head last. So it looks like it was a belted mag. Same technique as using 7mm mag brass for 50 cal. Just turn down the belt when completed.

Again just my thoughts 30 carbine should be easier.

Thanks,



Brian

[MIBULLETS]

Ok, poor pictures I know, but here they are. The two bullets on the left are made on full length M1 Carbine cases. One is lying down so you can see the fired primer. They are 250 gr open tips. The bullet on the right is a 225 gr with a small soft nose made from a cut .223 Rem case.