boolits too big to size

[watkibe]

I just got out my Lee 0.458 405gr HB 45-70 mold for the first time in quite a while. I has worked well in the past. This time it throws bullets abot 0.470" in diameter, and I cant get them through the Lee 0.458 sizing die. The alloy is water dropped WW, lube is LLA. I'm wondering about adding some lead and leaving out water dropping so that the bigger bullet will be softer and size more easily.
What about ways to get the mold to drop smaller bullets ? Lightly emory cloth the faces of the mold halves ?
I dunno, its a new one on me. Any ideas ir experiences ?
Thanks !

[Southern Son]

.470, wow. Is the mold closing properly? Could be something on the face of the mold. That is all I can think of.

[Themoose]

Are you sure about your lead? I got some "lead" from the scrap yard that was very very hard... it expanded greatly when cooled...I'm still not sure what it was, but when I went back to a pot full of lead that I knew was good my problem went away... I then used the cast bullets that were oversized and too hard to add to mix of softer lead to bring up hardness without increasing size..

[243winxb]

If the bullets are oversize or out of round the mold is not fully closing. A build up of lube, splash of lead, or a burr on the mold block faces are holding them apart. Inspect the mold block faces and carefully remove anything that might hold the mold apart. Make sure to lubricate the locating pins with solid alox/beeswax bullet lube, Lee part number 90007. If these steps are followed the bullets will cast dimensionally correct.

[HORNET]

243winxb, There are no locating pins, it's the Lee hollow base.
If the mold has worked well in the past, then something has changed. Check the mold faces for any little lead stick-ons and check down all around the core pin and the mating grooves for any little pieces of extraneous crud/lead that might be holding things open a hair. I usually use a little dry graphite spray on the aligning surfaces of the core pin to help keep it from binding, Bullplate would probably work better (if I had some). The Alox/Beeswax lube tends to char and gets gummy after a while and can cause sticking problems.