Lee Mold Correction: which method?

[jcadwell]

I have a Lee 90577 500 grain bullet that should be .459" or greater. I'm currently getting .460 along the seam, and .451 perpendicular to the seam, indicating a substantially ovalled bullet. I'm sizing to .459, and the sizer barely touches the seam, and nothing else. I'm casting 10:1 WW to 95:5 solder.

What methods might I use to correct this? I'm aware of lapping and beagling. I tried lapping with a slug, and didn't get much result. I've also heard it will take eons to lap 4 thousands (8 thousands total) from each side.

Can I compensate for this big of a gap with beagling? Should I use a more aggressive lapping grit (I've tried strop abrasive, flitz, and JB)?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

[Buckshot]

....................Beagling is about your only option. I don't know if Lee will do anything about it since it's been lapped (as sending it back with a couple slugs would have been my first suggesiton).

.....................Buckshot

[44man]

Sending it back should have been the first thing to do. It is almost impossible to lap a mould and make it round. The lap will always cut more at the parting line.
If the mould starts out round and just needs opened a little, it sometimes works but even then there will be some out of roundness occur. A small amount out of round doesn't seem to hurt anything.
I have had some luck turning brass the exact diameter of the boolit and turning it slow by hand with abrasive on it. I then make disks that fit in the grease grooves to round them out one at a time.
Casting a boolit to lap with in an out of round mould can make it worse.

[jcadwell]

Impatience strikes again. Oh well. Another 15 dollar mistake. Thanks for the replies. Looks like I'll probably just order another one.

[MTWeatherman]

44Man is absolutely correct. I've both lapped and Beagled Lee Moulds. No matter how hard you try, the lap will cut more at the parting line and make it out of round. It almost sounds like a poor lapping job has already been done on the mould.

With an undersize Lee mould, I usually plan to both lap and Beagle. Lapping makes the bullet oval along the parting line...Beagling makes it oval perpendicular to it. Lap until the bullet is of correct size along the parting line...and then Beagle to even out. Usually works pretty well.

In your case, it will take more Beagling than you'd likely want to use. Send it back to Lee if the mould is new.

[MTWeatherman]

jcadwell:
Sorry...thought I'd read your reply thoroughly before responding...just realized that you'd already lapped and it wasn't a new mould.

Looks like you may indeed be faced with purchasing a new one.

However, I'd still contact Lee. Even though you've tried lapping the mould, it is still obvious that the mould was defective...it was obviously no larger than .451 to begin with...your work on the mould certainly couldn't have made it smaller. .007 undersize is inexcusable!