If you want something from NOE, why not just go to NOE?
Leo
If you want something from NOE, why not just go to NOE?
Leo
carbide will cut hardened steel but taking small amounts like your talking they also tend to pinch grab and bind. Spade drills do good in die steels and hard steels but do best with a full cut to keep centered and cutting to size. your talking .0075 on a side going from .243 - .265. A carbide reamer may be more appropriate, it will give a better finish and size and is meant for these smaller cuts. The reamer will also give a rounder hole.
The lees dies are relieved to a narrow band that is to size. there is the leade in to the sizing band and then they are relieved down from the top. You can easily re-cut the leade with a wood dowel and tapered end and lapping compound or sand paper on a tapered mandrel. I use a 5* on a side angle cut on a wood dowel and lapping compound to cut / polish it in. The upper relief may be enough for the new bullet on a .243 die. If so then use your leade in dowel to reach in and break the sharp edge on the band.
The leade into the die is important so it squeezes down not shaves lead off.
Well the good news for me is Buckshot has a couple lee type sizing dies in .265 still in his inventory. So I'm going to buy one of his and the problem will be solved. Mailed everything off to Buckshot today, and now I wait till it arrives.
A letter G drill is .2610", a letter H drill is .2660", and you can order them from Amazon, Ebay, or Grainger. That will be between .007 and .002 to get to .268 by lapping or honing. That assumes the drill is properly sharpened and doesn't drill oversize. A lot of drills will drill oversize by a couple of thousandths of an inch.
Not for nothing, but have you slugged your bore?
Also, what size are the bullets' diameter as they come from the mould.
Maybe worth a look see and a little work with a mic.
It is just to give you a little more info to work with unless you already know these dimensions?
I have a couple .30 cals that I can hand lube the cast bullets and shoot them the size they drop from the cast.
They are from LEE moulds by the way.
Last edited by Alferd Packer; 04-02-2021 at 05:21 AM.
I would check the size as cast and if is .265 or larger, I would lube it and shoot it. Your barrel works like a sizer die and it will size down anything within 3 or 4 thou oversize to a perfect fit.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |