RN Top Punches for SWS's?

[Blackwater]

Just curious. #1: How many of you use round nose top punches with SWC handgun bullets, or with the longer RNFP rifle bullets, and

#2 - do you think the RN top punches offer any advantage in centering the above bullet types for better concentricity and in-line sizing?

[PPpastordon]

Duh; you mean there is a nose punch other than just a flat one???

O.K.; I do know of, or have heard of others - especially for those skinny boolits. For the really flat nosed .357 (like LBT's 150 gr. OWC) and larger boolits I have frequently used a flat nose punch a friend gave me. He had another and used it the same way. When used carefully, he could shoot my boolits better than I could (he is a far better shot than I) - and I was satisfied with my meager marksmanship.
I have even used it (carefully) on the .357 Keith boolit with great results. But it is certainly no good (for me) on the RN and pointy boolits.
Perhaps i will be more careful when casting for Rifles - like my 6MM TCU through .30 and .32 calibers.

[Bass Ackward]

Just curious. #1: How many of you use round nose top punches with SWC handgun bullets, or with the longer RNFP rifle bullets, and

#2 - do you think the RN top punches offer any advantage in centering the above bullet types for better concentricity and in-line sizing?

Blackwater,

I have some formed nose punches, but my lubrisizers are only used for lubing. Actual sizing is accomplished in some type of a nose first arrangement so the base is the key, not the nose. I do try to use formed punches when available.

I prefer formed posts in seating dies too. We take a lot of pains loading ammunition going on trust. We periodically need to test ourselves that what we are loading quality ammunition that will present a bullet straight each time to the bore. Because final sizing occurs violently in the bore.

So when some guys claim favorite bullet designs for their guns. Maybe it's really favorite bullet designs for their reloading dies and they just don't realize it.

[Blackwater]

Bass, you always make me think. Thanks.

I have about 15 top punches and 35 or so moulds, and I was looking for a top punch to use for sizing my Lee 158 RNFP's with. Just got to thinking that when I was shooting a LOT of .45 ACP's w. SWC's, I'd always use my RN seater die plug, and that it seemed to self center the bullets in seating a bit better (most of the time) than the SWC seater plug that I had. If I laid a bullet on the case mouth a bit crooked, and I loaded in a big hurry then, the RN seater plug (which always had at least a thin coat of lube in it, and I'd polished it very smooth to help align bullets), just seemed to do a better job for me. Thought it might work similarly with sizing the bullets in the lubrisizer, provided of course that the RN top punch was contoured to do this pretty well.

Just wondered if anyone else did this, or had noticed it. The whole purpose, of course, was just what you mentioned - trying to load for better concentricity, and yet keep the speed up. I've been remiss in my shooting for far too long now, and need to bone up on what I've probably lost, especially in the speed dept. Was thinking this might help my speed of loading and keep good concentric bullet seating.

[DLCTEX]

Unless you are casting some really hard boolits you will deform the nose, but this may not affect accuracy. Depends how anal you are, I guess. I don't shoot so well anymore, so I want boolits as perfect as possible , I don't need anything contributing to inaccuracy, I need all the help I can get. DALE

[Shuz]

Folks--I've been using the Lyman 303 top punch for many years on all .44 designs. For me, it's imperative for boolits like the Lyman 429303 and Saeco 449, but merely an easy excuse for not to having to paw thru the top punch bin, looking for the "correct" top punch according to the pundits.--Shuz

[Four Fingers of Death]

I generally use a flat top punch for most everthing that has any sort of a flat point. When I use CBE moulds I tend to use the correct top punch because these moulds come with their own top punch and are stored together. Using the wrong punch just leaves a ring or tide mark on the boolit. Doesn't effect much I think, apart from the asthetics.