Sort of an odd idea?

[jonk]

I was thinking, I have a number of bullets that fit my bores well on the bands but due to rifling and mold dimensions, the nose doesn't ride all that it might.

I was thinking of a half paper jacket just around the nose portion of the bullet from just above the point at which the taper starts down to the driving bands. Maybe 1 wrap of masking tape? Failing that a regular patch, just one leaving the bands exposed. So a thin one.

Might turn a non-bore rider into a bore rider.

Anyone ever try this? The reason I'm favoring the tape is, it is already sticky and might stand a better chance at making it down the barrel without slipping off.

Could do a wrap or two of plumber's teflon tape too, I've heard of guys doing that.

Specifically I have a P14 Enfield. Bore slugs .314. The bands on my 314299 run about 315 as cast, so fine there. But the distance across the rifling is about .305 and the mold nose runs about .303. I can with little effort push the bullet in to the bands on a muzzle test. It shoots these surprisingly well and doesn't lead, but think I could do better with some nose work.

Thoughts?

[docone31]

I have the same thing with my .303.
Six the tape idea, and the Teflon.
Get some computer printer paper, cut it in 1" strips X 1 3/16" with 45* on each end. Wrap twice. Size to .316.
Problem solved.
Run full tilt loads. Start load data for jacketeds of same weight.
I get my paper in packages from The local Dollar Store. I have had great success. It might be the crap paper works well for this.

[jonk]

You saying to do a full patch job the whole length of the bullet?

[docone31]

No, the 1" width of the patch, split the difference on wrapping. You still need a tail to twist.
We are talking smokeless here, not Black Powder.
The stiffness of the paper, should duplicate the nose portion.

[jonk]

Ok now I am confused. If I understand you correctly you are suggesting a 1" wide jacket that protrudes below the base of the bullet a bit to twist, but doesn't go up as far as a normal one would. Last time I tried that the jacket just got pushed off the bullet and leaded the snot out of things.

Ah well. I'll play around a bit. I might toss the 314299 entirely if I'm going to paper patch and just do it up right- in which case the Lee 200 gr 309 double wrapped should come in at .317- pretty good starting point to size down a bit from there (or not...?)

[docone31]

Man, I just posted on this, and it went into cyber space.
The base of the casting, I put 1/2 way on the 1" width. I also use a cigarette roller. I lay my patches on soaking wet, place the casting on it, close the roller and wrap it up. The roller squeegees off the water. The sizing to .309, reduces the lube lands, and I believe that also helps grip the patch.
If it dries to .317, and chambers, you might have a winner. You can fire the loads without lubeing, I do, or you can dab a bit of Auto Wax on the paper to size it.
I would use the Lee mold. My Lee molds patch real well.
Give it a try.

[runfiverun]

jon you could try to use thinned alox on the nose also. a couple of coats alowed to dry could gain about 2 thu.

[303Guy]

Like this?
http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/MVC-722F.jpg

Mine is melted on.

[Zeek]

I was thinking, I have a number of bullets that fit my bores well on the bands but due to rifling and mold dimensions, the nose doesn't ride all that it might.

I was thinking of a half paper jacket just around the nose portion of the bullet from just above the point at which the taper starts down to the driving bands. Maybe 1 wrap of masking tape? Failing that a regular patch, just one leaving the bands exposed. So a thin one. . . . .

Anyone ever try this? . . . .

Thoughts?
If the nose needs ~three thousandths, use a 1X (single time around) adhesive label patch with ~0.040" of overlap at the ends. It will have SQUARE ends and a length of a bit more than [(pi x boolit-diam) + 0.040"]. You cut the row of square-ended labels to that width, then peel one off and cut it lengthwise to a width equal to the distance from your front band's forward face to the rear of the boolit's point, then wrap it on (just eyeball it and do it in your hands). Be sure to get a bit of solid overlap of the last end over the beginning end.

Once you have them done that way, put them in the oven at 200F for one to two hours. Do NOT smear with a penetrating oily lube, as that will play hob with your now-set adhesive! If you want lube, try a light application of car/floor wax. The 1X nose-patch adds ~0.006, but will compress, upon seating, to as little as 0.003" over the boolit's as-cast nose diameter before things get difficult (past that point, you will be ocmpressing the boolit's nose, NOT the paper).

This is one way to adapt a long-nosed 30 caliber boolit to work in a SMLE with a bore diameter that is no more than 0.003" over the boolit's as-cast nose diameter.

So, what do you do if you need only a couple of thousandths instead? Try using the same 1X nose patch, but only 0.1" wide and placed just behind the point. Be SURE to cook it on well, so it will not move back when you chamber the round. The short "length" (axial) will act like an engraveable NEI "DD-band," centering the boolit's point across the land tops.

Before the lovely Starline 2.126" long waaay-thin-walled 38-55 brass came out, I used this approach to give a seal on the nose of 0.378" diameter boolits (lube-filled-groove type), in a 0.381" groove diameter barrel, by applying a 2X narrow nose patch (no end overlap above 1X) to the finished boolit. The lil' thaaaang would seal well enough to allow ~1700 fps loads whereas the no-nose-patch CB would not hold accuracy above 22LR velocities.

I got this basic idea from that WONDERFUL cast boolit genius, Veral Smith, and have been working on it ever since. It has many variations, some of which actually work!! Once you get used to having no "snow" falling after you shoot, it will seem almost normal ~~~> the baked-on adhesive label patch should stay on the boolit from muzzle to target. It is a bit like gluing-on bed linen . . . your rifle then shoots the sheet out of it.
Regards, Zeek