BRIARPATCH
02-01-2009, 10:49 PM
I'm still very much in the should I or shouldn't I stage so far as jumping into casting my own or buying (store bought) cast. I have about three questions on my mind right now that I'll include in this post and hopefully the replies will clear up some of the confusion. It's not actually confusion but just the desire to clarify a few things. I'll apologize beforehand if it turns out to be more than three questions.
1. Gas checks - Do bullets (I'm sorry, boolits) have to be specifically molded to accept a gas check or can they be applied to any flat base boolit ?
2. Bevel bases - In some of my reading it seems that bevel based boolits should be avoided yet I see many offered for sale and pictures of the boolits from several of the molds I see offered for sale show beveled bases. The question I'm asking is when and/or why should bevel based boolits be used or not used?
3. Lee gas check crimping - The Lee sizer dies supposedly crimp gas checks but I'm wondering since the boolits go into them nose first how come they don't get pushed off the base as they're pushed into the die?
4. I recently read an article on handgun bullet lubes by Mike Thomas in the Dec. '08 issue of Handloader and in it he states that for his testing, using 5 different lubes, he applied the lubes by hand to save having to clean his press each time a new lube was used. Has anyone tried this and how practical would it be for me to try the same thing while using the Lee sizing dies to get by cheaper on initial start up? The object being to be able to use some lubes other than the Alox which sounds like a messy proposition from the git go.
I'm trying not to be overwhelmed by all the info available. I've been reloading my own for 40 years but just never really got interested in the cast side of it until the last year or so as I've picked up a couple big bore leverguns and revolvers. My main interest lies in hunting and casual target shooting.
1. Gas checks - Do bullets (I'm sorry, boolits) have to be specifically molded to accept a gas check or can they be applied to any flat base boolit ?
2. Bevel bases - In some of my reading it seems that bevel based boolits should be avoided yet I see many offered for sale and pictures of the boolits from several of the molds I see offered for sale show beveled bases. The question I'm asking is when and/or why should bevel based boolits be used or not used?
3. Lee gas check crimping - The Lee sizer dies supposedly crimp gas checks but I'm wondering since the boolits go into them nose first how come they don't get pushed off the base as they're pushed into the die?
4. I recently read an article on handgun bullet lubes by Mike Thomas in the Dec. '08 issue of Handloader and in it he states that for his testing, using 5 different lubes, he applied the lubes by hand to save having to clean his press each time a new lube was used. Has anyone tried this and how practical would it be for me to try the same thing while using the Lee sizing dies to get by cheaper on initial start up? The object being to be able to use some lubes other than the Alox which sounds like a messy proposition from the git go.
I'm trying not to be overwhelmed by all the info available. I've been reloading my own for 40 years but just never really got interested in the cast side of it until the last year or so as I've picked up a couple big bore leverguns and revolvers. My main interest lies in hunting and casual target shooting.