BTSniper 308 custom die progress!

[BT Sniper]

As it turns out I just machined a 308 die today. It got a little big and it so happens I lapped it up to .313

I need to check on it's possiblities first but I bumped up a couple 30 cal Sierras today to 313 and it looks pretty good!

BT

[truckjohn]

Shoot me a pm. I got a couple rifles that need a 313...

Thanks

[BT Sniper]

IT IS TIME!

I have spent a great deal of time and effort perfecting these dies and my skills used in making them as well as testing the bullets they produce. I feel I have now reached a degree of perfection that I will be very proud to offer for sale.

I am starting a preorder list so all of you may post your interest as well as post any questions you may have.

I have finalized the designs and have began production. I personally worked out all the details of these dies and their design ahead of time using computer aided AUTOCAD programs and again I am very pleased with the results. I have built and designed these dies to be as user friendly as possible, still they are an advanced set of dies. Making quality rifle bullets requires a quality set of dies. I am positive anyone will be able to master the use of this great set of dies. Matter of fact I will make sure your learning curve as easy as possible by providing a DVD set of instructions. Follow my guidelines with the recommended components and you will easily be able to produce a life time supply of quality bullets.

What I have to offer is a 3 die set including point and core seating dies as well as a jacket reducing/sizing die to size down either FN5.7 brass or 5/16" copper tubing jackets (soon to be available). The point and core seating die is made from quality heat treated 4140 tool steel to ensure long life. The sizing die is also made from quality steel with hardened tool steel bushings that give a great smooth finish to the jacket being reduced.

These dies are threaded for 7/8-14 and will work in any "decent" reloading press. Base punches will be offered for both 1/2-20 threaded rams and standard shell holder rams. I will also offer an automatic ejector (new ram top will be included for those using the Lee Classic Cast Press) with the set of dies as it is highly recommended for the proper ejection of the bullet from the die.

The bullet profile is a 7.5 ogive with a .093 diameter meplat nose. I actually fdid a rough figure on the BC potential and will get back to you all on this data. The bullet and dies will be of exactly the same proven design and profile I have posted my previous success with. Here is the link to my progress involved in the testing of these dies I have to offer. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=109892

The dies will allow for a jacket length up to at least 1.5" long and the point forming die has 2" of room availble to form any bullet weight imaginable, within reason for a 30 cal of course. Certainly anything from 100-250 grains is possible. Myself, I like the 176 grain bullets made from FN5.7x28 brass.



I have enough materials on hand for at least 50 sets and hope to have first 10 orders ready to ship possibly by July or in the month there of. As is the case with all my products I have to offer I will always error on the side of quality should there be any delays. I have sold several sets of dies on this sight with very positive feed backs. Now that I can control every aspect of these custom BTSniper dies I am very pleased with the results and quality.

Please feel free to post your intrest and any questions you may have. I may consider a discount to the first few customers on this one too but I'll post those details in the final offer thread.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Good shooting, thanks for your support and as always Swage On!

Brian


Here are a few pics of what I have to offer.



This is the 257 set I offered with the copper tubing jacket upgrades. It is the exact same design and look of dies you can expect in this 308 offer. Sizing die not pictured yet.



Bullet is capible of great accuracy with proper load development when shot from a capible shooting platform and dependent on shooter skills of course.















Ejector as well as new dedicated swaging ram top for the lee Classic will be offered. A universial ejector will also be offered to fit any other press such as the RCBS Rock Chucker but a dedicated ram for presses other then the Lee Classic will be extra.

[BwBrown]

BT,
I am so pleased with the.257 set, I already put my hat in the ring for a set on your other .308 thread. Either sizing down 9mm cases, or using 5/16 tubing - preferably both.

Keep up the good work - just don't go at it so hard and heavy that you burn yourself out.
Bob

[BT Sniper]

Thanks Bob. Future sets will be even better and yours is top notch for sure. I'm putting together a list of items I have to offer and I look foward to many great products to come.

No don't want to burn out and maybe initial wait times maybe a couple months but it is time for me to jump in with both feat. Got to pay the bills like everyone else.

I expect a copper tubing die for the 308s will be in the future very soon Working on it right now as a matter of fact. Sizing dies are also in the works.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Brian

[Mountain Prepper]

Sizing dies are also in the works.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Brian

Yea....



If any of you wondered, all new things in the swaging market are about to break out now...

This is the best news in a long time.

Several people and several projects, good news for swaging no doubt.

[michiganvet]

BT, is there a bushing available to reduce the 1" tapping in my CHP-1 to 1/2" x 20?

[BT Sniper]

Shot the Savage 112 BVSS 300wm yesterday. Been a while since I took her out. Got the same great results as the last time I shot the .215 group.

I put a new stock on her, slimed her down a bit and shed a bit of weight. All the better to hunt with.

I was shooting my 176.5 grain bullets made from FN 5.7 x28 brass. As before these bullets are capible of very tight groups. It may take a bit of load developement to get the best groups of course.

I don't know if it was me setteling down and getting reaquainted with her or if she needed to settle down a bit but the groups got tighter after I had shot 10 rounds threw the clean barrel.


73.0 grains of RL-22 with a OAL of 3.400 went .220 MOA for me at 120 yrds. This was shots #13-16.

Shots #4-6 went .6 moa with this same load.

to campare and possibly show her prefrence for the perfect load

71.5 grains of RL-22 with OAL of 3.34 went over 2" for me at the same distance. These where shots # 7-12


Here is some pics








shots #4-6 .75" at 120 yrds! with teh 73 grain load and 3.4" OAL



Shots #7-12 with 71.5 grain load at 3.34" OAL Not nearly as good!




and now for my group of the day! Shots #13-16. I was aiming at the intersection of the #5 line. I put the first two shots in the same hole a little low and right. Then I got excited, heart rate went up as I imagined the third shot in the same hole so of course I pushed the shot high left. Kind of pissed me off so I fired the forth shot right where it should have been on top of the first two shots. As you can see, when we do our part behind the trigger and find the right load these bullets will shoot very well.





Good shooting and swage on!

Brian

[Twmaster]

Brian,

On your 5.7 cased boolits do you expand the mouth of the case so you have essentially a straight wall case before you seat the core?

Thanks.

[DukeInFlorida]

Yes, I have been prepping 5.7X28 FN brass for a while now, waiting for my dies to arrive.

Don't forget that the 5.7 cases are coated with a plastic coating (makes it easier to extract from the pistols they were designed for). That plastic coating needs to get removed.
So, immediately after expanding the case mouth (making it a straight wall), I do my first full anneal in my Lee 20 pound casting pot (which is only ever used for annealing brass, it has never seen lead). The plastic coating burns off to a white ash. They get dropped into a Lemishine bath, and then bright tumbled in SS pin cycle. You don't want to go too fast with the annealing cycle.

Brian,

On your 5.7 cased boolits do you expand the mouth of the case so you have essentially a straight wall case before you seat the core?

Thanks.

[BT Sniper]

Yep! As Duke described, expand neck, anneal then clean.

[Twmaster]

Thanks guys. Duke, I especially like the tip for annealing in a lead pot. How long do you leave the brass in the pot and at what setting?

[DukeInFlorida]

I crank the controller on the pot to the MAX setting, and leave the brass in there for about 10 minutes. Just long enough so that the brass glows the same red color that the pot glows. Be mindful that only the lower 1/3 of the pot has the coils around it, so that's all that gets hot enough to anneal the brass. Unlike steel, brass is annealed as soon as it achieves temperature. I use a piece of sheet steel as the cover, to keep the heat inside the pot.

When the brass comes out of the pot, it gets dumped immediately, and directly, into a bath of warm Lemishine solution.

BTW, FULL credit for the Lee pot for annealing goes to Brian Thurner! It was not my idea, it was his. And, it works very well.

[Twmaster]

Awesome! Thanks again! That beats the snot out of the other means of annealing I was looking at.

[BT Sniper]

I'm not even sure is was my idea but it does work well.

BT

[newcastter]

Fyi

i use the lee 20 lb lead dipper pot to anneal my brass for making slugs. I fill it all the way up, put a double layer of alumium foil on top, turn it to 8 on the dial and wait for 1 hour. I have a dial temp gage into the center of the pot and it shows over 850 degrees f. The 22 cases i do it it comes out great/soft.

a note on annealing 22lr jackets. I have an old 4# lee pot i got in a garage sale, never figured out what to do with it. It makes a perfect kiln for doing 100+ jackets @ a time. Dump them in, crank it to #6, cover w/ heavy tin foil or a ceramic tile & stir once after 5m. Let them go another 5 & turn it off. They come out quite soft & ready for ss pin cleaning & when bt gets me the rest of the dies, i'll be makin bullets.

ok! I had been saying it for a while but today i finally tried it and i must say it worked pretty darn good. Using the lee #20 lead pot to anneal brass in. I used a new pot that can be found and keep it sepperate from any melted lead.

It is quick! Faster then anythign else i have tried yet and cheap! Only takes elc. I let them soak for maybe 20 minutes and wow! That was too much! Things where glowing! Probably only needed 5-10 minutes max or possibly less. I was able to anneal probably 4-500 24 cal jackets at one time. Quick, perfect and awesome!

Give it a try if you haven't all ready, just make sure you use a clean pot.

Good shooting

brian

...

[newcastter]

BTW, FULL credit for the Lee pot for annealing goes to Brian Thurner! It was not my idea, it was his. And, it works very well.

Duke, that couldn't be any further from the truth, this one is very simple to follow just read the Annealing Sticky.

[DukeInFlorida]

OK, but.....

Here's the thing... I don't want people attributing the idea to me.

I got the idea directly from Brian. I had no idea where he got it from.

I shall go back, and immediately begin to MEMORIZE every part of the internet.

Thanks for setting us straight. When this question comes up next week again (and you know it will), I will send them to you for the genealogy lesson.

Thanks.

[newcastter]

No problem.

[Cane_man]

in think Lafaun started doing this annealing in the Lee 4-20 and shared it here on CB with us, if i remember the archives correctly!