.577 sizer

[fredw1324]

Can anyone tell me who makes a cast boolit sizing set? I shoot a 577 BPE and want to properly size the slugs.
Thanks, All

[Doby45]

Are you wanting to size these in a lubrisizer or are you wanting to do something like a push through press mounted sizer?

[fredw1324]

I would want to push them through for correct size and roundness

[Wayne Smith]

PM Buckshot. I think he's made his own.

[elk hunter]

Fred,

I hope I'm not preaching to the choir.

If your are using a lube/sizer like the Lyman 450 you will have to have a custom size die made and the walls will be quite thin. Because of the thin die walls I size my bullets to .5885 with a push- through die and then lube them in the Lyman 450. I made both my sizing and lubing dies, not a hard job if you have a lathe.

You will need to size your bullets to at least .585 diameter and possibly as big as .588 depending on the rifling form of your rifle. Henry rifling likes paper patch bullets or if grooved/lubricated made quite hard as in linotype or water dropped.

If I may ask, what make is your rifle? Single or double? Case length?

[fredw1324]

My rifle is a double rifle in 577 . It started out life as a Remington ten bore hammer gun, and I had a smith turn and install the rifled barrels ( he's made a few of them) the cartriidge is a magtec 28 gauge 2.4" full length sized...works real well and is super cheap compared to those 3" Bells. The Dr is regulated at 58 grains of 4198 or 80 grains by weight of ffg. Will handle up to 135 grains of ffg with no problem, just your shoulder...... I wish i had a lathe, I could make a lot of things, but then would have to give up something else.

[Bradley]

If you use a Lyman or RCBS L/S, getting the sizing die out is almost impossible.

[elk hunter]

Fred,

Sounds like a very interesting rifle. I'm surprised that the Remington hammer gun is stout enough for that load. I'm surprised that it regulates with 58 grains of 4198 and 80 grains of FFG. The formula for most black powder doubles using 4198 is 40% of the black powder load by weight. What make of barrels were used to build it?

I'll agree on the price of Bell brass. When I bought my rifle, I got 20 rounds of mixed Red Willow and Bell brass with the gun. At that time Bell 3" 577 brass was selling for $8.00 each. I only bought 20 of them. A few years ago I did buy some Jamison brass from Huntingtons, I got 40 rounds for $117.00, which I thought was reasonable compared to what I paid for the Bell brass.

Some pictures of your rifle would be nice.

[fredw1324]

Fortunately I haven't purchased any sizing or lubing equipment, so am completely open to suggestions
TC

[Doby45]

I would say with that size you need a simple press mounted push through die. I am sure Buckshot could hook you up with the needed die.

[JIMinPHX]

The Minor diameter of the O-ring groove on a Lyman style size die is about .605". a .577" bore would leave you around .016" of wall thickness in that area. It can be done, but it's a little close. Alternately, since you would be having a custom die made anyway, you could ask to have it cut with no O-ring grove & just deal with the little bit of lube leakage that would result. The body is at least .700", so you would have over .06" of meat left. That should be OK.

Post #97 in this thread shows a drawing - http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=48453&highlight=die&page=5

A 7/8-14 thread has a minimum minor diameter of .798", so there is plenty of room to make a .577" bore in a push through sizer. If you are just making one, you can start with a 7/8-14 bolt from a hardware store or industrial supply place & just cut it down as needed. 7/8-14 thread rod is available from places like McMaster Carr in short lengths. I prefer to work with the version that is not plated. It's less expensive & easier to work with. You can get fancy & get some B-8 grade, but I don't think that it's really necessary.

[Doby45]

That is the coolest thing Jim, I did not even think about using a grade 8 bolt. Fred, I would touch base with Jim or Buckshot then and ask them about the possability of boring out a grade 8 bolt for ya. ;)

[fredw1324]

JIMinPHX,
That link would not load and gave a error. Could you check it again as I really would like to better understand what you are describing with the bolt.
Thanks, TC

[fredw1324]

Elkhunter,
The 56-58 grains of 4198 would be a near max load according to the rifle maker who tested (but not regulated ) it at 135 grains FFg by weight not volumn. Joe Williams was the barrel maker. If i follow the regulated number of 80 grains FFg and use the "less 60 % then I would load 32 grains of 4198 that is a trap door level of pressure. My 45-70 is loaded at 56 grains of 4198, so that was were I started . The remington action with double underlugs and those modern steel barrels with a thinkness at the breech of .358. Thanks TC

[Buckshot]

............I have a friend who wanted me to make a .580" Lyman lube-size die for him, and I really wasn't wanting to :-) Lyman used to make them but haven't for some time. Besides not having much meat in the body and an 'iffy' 'O' ring groove, and a VERY narrow sealing seat, I think most importantly you really don't have much of a lead in taper. Since he worked part time for a gunsmith he used his lathe and made his own. It DID work (no 'O' ring groove) so it leaked a bit but I was somewhat vindicated by his admission that it WAS a bit of a booger to not get a slug that sometimes wanted to start a bit off.

http://www.fototime.com/A37BF0DBB116936/standard.jpg

For those really big ones I suggest pan lubing and then for sizing I like to make the push through die body 1-1/4 x 12 tpi and this allows it to take inserts. The die body and inserts pictured above aren't threaded for a press, but were made for a guy to take to the range and hand press his soft lead Minie' boolits through.

http://www.fototime.com/A2AD50DF287541E/standard.jpg

The difference between this one and a press mounted set, besides being threaded is that there'd be a ram mounted push rod, the inserts would be shorter and setscrew retained. Oh, and no nylon hand operated pushrod. The lead in taper is pretty much all in the die body.

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

[fredw1324]

Those look great!! Are they difficult to make? Could a hobby machinist make a set?

[Buckshot]

Those look great!! Are they difficult to make? Could a hobby machinist make a set?

..............I'm not a machinist by trade :-)

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