Problem W/Top Punch

I've got a problem with the top punch that I bought with the NOE .311-165 (XCB) mold. This is the first time I've used it and all I'm trying to do is seat the gas check(no lube) since I'm going to powder coat.

The top punch somehow cuts into the side of the nose pretty severely. This digging in is only on one side. The only problem I can see with the top punch is that the nose of the boolit doesn't go all the way into the punch cavity so that the nose bears on the flat in the punch.

I've used this RCBS LAM2 for several years with top punches from NOE, MP and both RCBS and Lyman. I admit that I don't do a lot of cast for rifles.

If this problem can't be solved, I guess I could order a flat top punch from the KeithB over on .artfulbullet.com. I've never used a flat top punch on anything but larger caliber handgun boolits,so not sure how it would work.

Sounds like something is out of alignment. Otherwise, if you got a impression at all, it'd go all the way around the boolit.

You can make a flat top punch fairly easily.
The official redneck way is to make one out of a 1/4" bolt with a bit of a shoulder on it.
Cut the bolt off as long as the punchers are, then grind down the head to round off the hex head if needed.

I'm using a flat punch from Accurate molds.
Since most of my boolits are flat nose, these punches work great.

My top punch is even simpler than Winger Ed's. I had a bit of 1/4" rod left over from another project, so I cut a one inch piece and flattened the ends.

Turns out it works for most of my needs over .25 caliber even the RN, I don't cast any spire points so I have no idea how it will work for those. Also most of my boolits are ACWW.

Robert

Also sounds like your ram and die are out of alignment. I have used a flat punch in the past due to this exact reason.

One negative about flat punches is that they provide zero alignment going into the sizer die. With short handgun bullets this is not a problem. With longer rifle bullets, it can easily result in bullets going into the die canted. When that happens, it is obvious because the bullet will be sized more on one side than the other. For this reason, I would try to make your NOE punch for that specific mold work. If you just put the punch in the lubrisizer ram loose and spin it with your fingers does the hole spin offset to the center? If so, the punch is flawed. Also maybe you could spin it in a drill and use some kind of abrasive to round the edge of the hole so that it doesn't cut into your bullet.

As I stated, I've used a NOE flat punch a lot for handgun bullets and even a relatively short 35 caliber 200 grain rifle bullet, but that one is about the limit for being able to just pop a bullet into the sizer and size without making deliberate effort to align the bullet before pulling the handle. A long skinny bullet won't self-align, it will stick to the flat top punch and bend as it gets sized.

Once I started powder coating, I converted my Lyman 45's to pass through type sizers. I take the pins out of the sizers and size point first. The bullets just fall out the bottom. I make blunt top punches that are just long enough to get the bullets all the way through the die and big enough to seat the gas checks completely.

I have a Lyman 450 sizer that never gives me any trouble - except when I have to size something with too much force, all the play in the ram goes to the front/back and it sizes off center. I can size my 31141 bullets just fine, seating gas checks. But sizing .430 diameter bullets and seating as checks, I notice it. So, I use a push through sizer for those to seat the gas checks, and then lubricate them in a second step. Perhaps your sizer has the same sort of trouble.

Check alignment of RCBS LAM2.
with Die and TP installed, lower TP into Die. Measure gap on all sides. If it's off even a thou or two, it can be seen with naked eye, be sure to put the readers on, if you need them, LOL.

Next, NOE's TP's are sharp with grippy machining lines, he doesn't polish them. Sometimes those grippy machine lines will grip the boolit, if it grabs at a slight angle, it make a gouge. This is more likely to happen with long rifle boolits. I polish all my NOE TP's with 3M abrasive pad and Flitz.

Lastly, KeithB does have keith's korner at Artful, but is also working on his own website and is expanding reloading products.