Help a Newb answer his questions...

[strahd_zarovich]

Ok let’s see if I can get everything into one question.

I currently have a Hornady Classic single stage that I pretty much only use for primer pocket swaging. I would love to start making .223 bullets. I have a small collection of 22lr, 22s and 22m brass seating around.

While my press work and do they make a solid shaft for it?

Being budget minded who and where is the best place for dies?

If I cast my cores were can I get the mould?

I think I have asked everything I needed. I have been reading around, but am just getting more confused instead of finding answers.

[Jim_Fleming]

Hello, and welcome to the Zoo!

I'm simply going to post my opinions/answers within your posted questions, in bold face type.




Ok let’s see if I can get everything into one question.

I currently have a Hornady Classic single stage that I pretty much only use for primer pocket swaging. I would love to start making .223 bullets. I have a small collection of 22lr, 22s and 22m brass seating around.

While my press work and do they make a solid shaft for it?

If your press is modern, (it is!) it'll work for making .224 diameter bullets, and it'll do it with ease.


Being budget minded who and where is the best place for dies?

That varies, by the bullet maker, not the die maker. Bear in mind you're going to be paying HIGHLY SKILLED Craftsmen to make your tooling. They don't come cheap, nor is their work of an inferior quality. They MUST do good work, forums/boards like this one would spread the word of shoddy work so fast it'd make your head swim! I feel they deserve every darn dime they earn!

I used Corbin's ( www.corbins.com) years ago, but from what I'm reading, they're so jammed up with orders that 9-10 month waiting periods aren't unheard of.


If I cast my cores were can I get the mould?

Again Corbin's sells moulds. However in that aspect I've made mine, a four cavity and five cavity mould. In .224 and in .312 diameters.


I think I have asked everything I needed. I have been reading around, but am just getting more confused instead of finding answers.

Sometimes it's a lot easier if you can find a mentor that knows his way around...

[strahd_zarovich]

Ok thanks for the comformation on the press thing. I would like to replace the ram with a solid one someday.

As far as the dies I have seen about the long wait for Corbins. I really don't want to do the wait and would love to find a set that will duplicate the open base bullets I use now. I currently use Rainers open base 62gr rounds and like them. I haven't seen any dies that do this but have seen people make them.

[sagacious]

Strahd,
The ram on your press is OK. You definitely do not need a solid ram for .224" bullets. It would just be an added expense for no benefit.

Yup, it's too bad that every reloading company doesn't offer swage dies. That would make a world of difference.

[Jim_Fleming]

sagacious, if every reloading company offered swaging dies and equipment, the world'd be a better place!


:drinks:

[strahd_zarovich]

So that just leaves one question:

Who make a quality open base die set for .224?

[sagacious]

sagacious, if every reloading company offered swaging dies and equipment, the world'd be a better place!


:drinks:
It makes one's head spin to even think about it!

[Jim_Fleming]

Yup, you know what I'm sayin' lol!

It'd be a cross between the Wild Wild West, (with Robert Conrad) McGuyver, and the laws and way of life, of the country of Switzerland!

And ornery rascals like you and me'd damn well love it!

My good Lord what a pleasant AND pleasing thought!

Almost as good as eating chocolate... or better, all those bullets, guns, and well behaved people...

[Jim_Fleming]

Strahd, sorry to ignore you, but my experience says Corbin...

Even after all these years since I did business with them, (1992) I'd still go to them... Even with the terrible waiting period...

In fact I've been kicking around setting/tooling up making jackets on a commercial basis, and I've been talking to them... I just need to be sure there's enough of a market for good quality jackets, to justify the setup and tooling costs... Plus being able to support my own personal swaging/casting/reloading/shooting habit when I need a fix... [smilie=w:



So that just leaves one question:

Who make a quality open base die set for .224?

[Bollocks]

For info on waiting times.

I recently ordered the kit to make 224's from 22 hulls for the S-press from Dave Corbin. It took 2 weeks for it to arrive and I'm overseas in Europe as well.

Guess waiting time greatly depends on what you are ordering.

Cheers,
Bollocks

[strahd_zarovich]

Well I guess I need to give Corbin a call and talk to him since his website is rather hard to follow.

[Jim_Fleming]

Good luck, and thanks Bollocks, what you posted makes me feel better!