Reloading 223 with lead bullets and other advice?

Hello All!

I've decided to finally start wading into rifle reloading. I have quite a bit of experience reloading handgun cartridges(38spl, 357mag, 9mm, and 45ACP/Super but I've never dealt with necked brass.

What I want is some basic advice on getting started with 223:What to do, what to look out for, what to definitely NOT do. I will be shooting these exclusively in a single shot and bolt action rifles. I also plan to shoot lead out of it because I'm a caster and lead runs in my veins(figuratively and hopefully not literally)

I have the case lube, Lee dies, and my trusty Lyman Book with the recipe.

So any help will GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Also I WANT to cast for 223 but not sure what mold to get. Just the quick look I've given provides no solid "THIS IS THE MOLD FOR 223". Any advice there would be appreciated as well.

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Advice for cheapest .223 and 9mm loads possible

Hi guys and girls. This is a topic that might be of interest to other like minded cheapskates, like me.

I am a little shocked by the current cost of components. Ten years ago I was able to reload 50 rounds of 9mm for about $4. I just assembled my first box today, and my math says I paid $9 for 50 rounds (cost of powder, primer, and projectile). This price doesn't include brass (or the reloader and dies, etc) bc brass can be reused, unlike primer, powder, and projectiles. Adding to my costs is that bc I'll be shooting through a silencer, I have to shoot all jacketed projectiles. I'm not sure what unjacketed projectiles would do if shot through an mp5, even unsilenced.

I don't consider time to be a cost factor bc I enjoy reloading, it doesn't seem like a job, and I can crank em out with my Dillon 650.

Question. I will be shooting .223 out of a full auto m16, and 9mm out of a full auto mp5. This means accuracy is not important. I just want the loads to cycle the action.

What is the cheapest possible powder, per load, that can be used for .223? Cheapest for 9mm?

I'm curious, per 50 rounds of 9mm, what are your costs? How about cost of 20 rounds of .223?

For anyone curious. I did the math on my new reloading set up. I'm using a fully equipped Dillon 650 with all possible upgrades. After the cost of dies and other equipment, like scale, trimmer, brass cleaner, etc, I would have to shoot 15,500 rounds just to break even.

My reloading set up costed $2500. I'm saving $8/box of 50 9mm (I save $8 a box bc at Cabellas a box if 50 is $17, and it costs me $9 a box). At that rate, I would have to shoot 312 boxes, or 15,600 rounds, just to break even.

I forgot to include, I had to pay $500 for my reloading bench. So that's $500 more.

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Looking for grip advice for S&W large frame

.

FWIW, I've bought 5 different grips from Eagle, over the years, and have never been disappointed or had an issue.

What I DO know is that is a customer has an issue with the grips, Eagle will stand behind them & make it right.

IMO, They're a good company/people to do business with.

.

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First Handgun Advice

9 mm is a good choice for a first handgun. It provides a decent self defense round at a lower price than other center fire rounds. It also has reasonably low recoil, making learning easier.

There are plenty of good choices among 9 mm, and each has its fans. In general, there is a balance or compromise to side on for every handgun feature.

Polymer vs metal is, in large part, light vs heavy. Weight is bad when you are carrying it around, good when it is absorbing recoil.

Thumb safeties give you an extra step in firing. That may be good if you don't trust your trigger discipline, bad if you forget to thumb it off in an emergency.

You can say similar things about nearly every feature for which you have a choice. The choices are there because people value different sets of features.

Triggers may be single action (SA), double action (DA), or double action/single action (DA/SA). On a SA pistol, the trigger performs the single action of letting the cocked hammer or striker fall. A DA trigger performs two actions of cocking and then releasing the firing mechanism. A DA/SA has DA on the first round, then, because the slide has cocked the pistol, SA on subsequent shots until the user decocks it. DA is typically heavier than SA - again, good for shooting, but easier to accidentally discharge. Some people don't like to learn the transition from DA to SA on a DA/SA, and others like the safety of the first DA shot. Different strokes.

Glocks and CZs are good starting places, but a better approach may be to consider what features you want and then shop for the pistol that meets those needs. I have a couple of Berettas and a Sig, too, that I like. Are they better than HK or Springfield or a dozen other choices? Not to everyone.

You are going to hear from lots of people who have favorites. My advice is to pay more attention to WHY they made their pick rather than WHAT they picked so you can make your own informed decision.

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Advice needed with ingot mold

Boolit Mold Join DateMay 2013Posts6

Yesterday was my first attempt at boolit casting. I have watched many videos and read a great deal on this forum as well as others. I am glad to say most everything went well. All of my equipment (pot, ingot molds, bullet mold) is RCBS. The alloy I am using is RotoMetals #2 Lyman. I am also using an Auber PID controller to control my pot temperature. The only real problem I have is getting ingots to drop out of the RCBS ingot molds. The first ingots were from a pot temp of 675F and the second ingots were from a pot temp of 725F. Both began with cleaned ingots that had been sitting on a 900watt hot plate with the setting on high. I did not know how long to wait after pouring into the ingots before I tried to drop them. The very first ones did not drop at 10 minutes so I tried every 10 minutes to see if cooling would help. It didn't. I finally had to pry them out with a screwdriver. After that I would let them cool for about 5 minutes and then turned the molds upside down and banged them really hard on the damp towel I had on the table. It took a lot of hard banging to get them to drop out. Maybe this is normal, but if not, I would appreciate some advice.

I also tried to mold a few boolits from my RCBS .44-40 cowboy mold. This went pretty well. I began at 675F but had wrinkled boolits. I walked this temperature up 10F at a time until the wrinkles went away at 725F and boolits are shiny. Just wondering if this is a normal temperature for the RotoMetals Lyman #2 alloy?

I've used my Lyman cast iron ingot mold for decades and they just drop right out after they solidify. It's been too long for me to remember what happened when all my stuff was as new as yours.

Is your RCBS ingot mold cast iron? I also use el-cheapo non stick muffin pans from my local X-Mart store. They just drop out of those too. Some muffin pans have the muffin cups crimped in; I've had ingots stick in them. Maybe because they were just too-cheap uncoated Aluminum.

Ingot molds are the only thing I'll use a release agent on since precision is not a goal.

Your temp sounds about right to me. When I started casting, thermometers and electronic gizmos were pretty much unheard of. I learned to judge temps by feel and outcome and that's how I do it still. The artsy-fartsy part of the process to me.

Last edited by ku4hx; Today at 03:23 AM.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.", old Chinese proverb.

Boolit Mold Join DateMay 2013Posts6

Yes, the RCBS ingot mold is cast iron.

Boolit Master Join DateApr 2005LocationKansas US of APosts831

Sounds to me like the alloy was "tinning" to the ingot molds. Yes nice and bright and clean is nice. But not in this case. It will make the lead stick to the mold.
I know what you are thinking. This guy is a nut. Boolits drop out of my boolit mold. Yeah the mold is round too. The ingot mold is square and you have 5 flat areas of contact.
Get a candle or acetylene torch and put a good coating of soot all over your ingot mold. They should drop right out in just a few minutes.
Jeff

I have 1/2 a dozen different brand ingot molds, including the Lee aluminum [use different brands to identify the different leads/alloy's] but always have a large plank or block of wood to thump them on to get the ingots' out.........some stick at times, most just fall out.

"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."

Why are you heating up your ingot molds? That don't make sense, unless you are wanting a perfect ingot like you would trying to make a boolit.
Ingot molds don't need heated up. Just pour your lead in, solidify, dump. Repeat

I season my cast iron ingot molds just like cooking with them.. when new wipe cooking oil on them , put in oven and heat at 300 for about 20 minutes .. after that ingots just fall right out .. no banging at all

I just let mine rust. Not to the point of flaking but a good coating. No sticking ever.

Boolit Master Join DateJan 2010LocationSpace Coast, FLPosts603

I would first confirm that there are no high areas in ingot mold. I polished the inside of my aluminum Lyman's and they fall out. I also have a 1" aluminum plate I pour and flop on, big heat sink. I have small fan set up to blow stink off top of pot and breeze ingot plate on backside. The cast iron will take longer to cool. The 700 temp is what I shoot for. Gtek

I do that is while the lead is still a little soft it helps to make 'em flat and stack better.I used to do that too. Now days I just dump 'em on the garage concrete floor and when they've cooled pitch 'em into one of several 5 gallon buckets. Buckets that're already in the storage location under the casting bench.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.", old Chinese proverb.

I have the RCBS CI molds also. Along with Lee aluminum ones. Never a problem from cast ONE.

If you have this problem, use a release agent. Mica powder is excellent for this. Just dust the inside with a bit before and during the session and all your ingots will drop right out. You can even use the colored mica powders sold at craft stores for painting purposes. The powder goes a long way.

Have not tried graphite which is available everywhere. Pretty messy but should work a;so.

I season my cast iron ingot molds just like cooking with them.. when new wipe cooking oil on them , put in oven and heat at 300 for about 20 minutes .. after that ingots just fall right out .. no banging at allI bought my cast iron ingots molds (Lyman and Saeco) used. someone seasoned them for me...by letting them get rusty...rust is a great release agent

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will be offering the GC seater plate for the lyman 45.
Also I have replacement springs for the Lyman 45 lubesizer, If your's is weak or missing, let me know

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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Advice needed with ingot mold

SMOKE 'EM! I'm the first to say don't smoke a boolit mold, but for ingots it's the thing to do to get the ingots to release. Another trick to do is if the molds are cast iron, to sit them out in the rain, then let them rust. The rust will provide a sort-of mold release and condition them so they never stick again.

I have a bunch of the Lyman ingot molds, I start them cold, then use them hot after dumping the first cast, they never stick. But they've been used a LOT!

Also a couple of the lee molds, they're aluminum, they work well too. That one pic shows a muffin tin, it makes 2.5 pound ingots that fit well in my preo-20 Lee. The big mold in the lower right corner is made of 3" ship & car channel, a buddy with a fab shop made it out of scrap. He borrowed it to me, I said I'd buy it, no sale, I said make another one, he said he's too busy!

Paul, the key to good fill-out and crisp shoulders is not the temp of the lead, but the temp of the mold. Since you have a hot plate, put that mold on the hot plate, pre-heat it. Get the mold up to temp, you should be able to cast great boolits with that Lyman #2 at no more than 700 degrees! Temps higher than 725 for the molten lead will oxidize that valuable tin at a much faster rate. Once oxidized, it can no longer help for mold fill-out and the strength it provides.

Using sawdust as a flux is also the best way to return oxides to the metallic state. Also, allowing the charred sawdust to stay on the surface of the melt, provides an oxygen barrier on top of the molten lead. It prevents, or at least greatly reduces oxide formation.

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They're going to get their butts kicked over there this election. How come people can't spell and use words correctly?

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Advice on what to pick as a smithing project

.

Of your 2 choices, the RIA 1911 - IMHO, it can't help but be improved, by whatever.

Actually, I wouldn't receommend either to a beginner as a learner/practice piece - I'd suggest, rather then either, obtaining a "cock-on-closing" small ring Mauser 1893, 94, 95, 96 boltgun that somebody's already bubba'd, and learn the basics on that.

FWIW, the Model 70's (Winchester, I'm presuming) worth too much to screw up, and any 1911 can be dangerous if altered by an unknowledgeable person.

Pistolsmithing is much harder, and takes more skill/knowledge than shotguns & rifles - which makes them better primers, IMHO.

.

Last edited by PetahW; Yesterday at 02:43 PM.

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Advice for rossi 44 magnum rifle.

Boolit Mold Join DateMay 2013Posts13

Just picked up a rossi 44 magnum rifle in a trade. Wondering what molds and dies people use. Will just be a plinking gun and maybe hunt deer with it. I know these have a bigger boar than normal so advice for a mold that drops fatter bullets would be nice. Thanks in advance.

it may or may not have the 432 barrel.
I shoot 430 in mine.
anyway a 240gr rnfp will be your ticket to happiness and simplicity.

it's all an educated guess,,,, till the trigger is pulled.

the more i find out about shootin boolits, the more it contradicts everything i ever learned about shooting jaxketed.

Boolit Man Join DateJul 2009LocationOakley IdahoPosts104

I use a 429244 in mine slides through my Winchester like butter.

I use the 429-667 Rf 240 grainer, mine doesn.t like SWC's, but sized .431, those shoot well.

_________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

Boolit Master Join DateFeb 2010LocationFinland, west coastPosts565

I shoot .431" in mine and it does alright, only ever needed a bronze brush and some oil to clean out the worst, usually just a boresnake through it is enough.

Mine was a tigre model with the medallion of the jaguar on the side. It did Ok with the 429421 and wc820 in quantities to hurt your shoulder.

[The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

Boolit Mold Join DateMay 2013Posts13

Thanks for the advice. When i can order a mold that is in stock i will update.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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hp mould,looking to buy,tips or advice needed

Boolit Mold Join DateApr 2013Posts5

I'm a newbie looking for a hp mould for my 44. Would prefer pb. would like a "Keith style" nose but hp'ed like a converted 240gn swc. I havent found any available yet. Double or single cavity. All my moulds are Lyman"lucked out with good ones" Thanks in advance.

Last edited by jasent; 04-26-2013 at 03:29 PM.

Either get a Cramer type HP mold from one of the custom makers, my experience
with MP molds is that they are superb quality and easy to cast with. Or have Erik at
Hollowpoint Services will convert Lyman or RCBS molds to Cramer or his own style
similar to Cramer HP for a reasonable price with superb workmanship.

RCBS 44-250-K (Keith 250 SWC) is a really fine quality mold and having one converted
by Erik would be a great choice. If you can find an MP clone of the H&G 503 design
(Keith 250 SWC) it would be also superb. Miha (MP Molds) makes batches of group buy
molds so does not always have a particular design available.

Bill

If it was easy, anybody could do it.

Boolit Bub Join DateMar 2013LocationColoradoPosts24

Check with NOE molds. They may have what you are looking for. I recently picked up a 45 ACP hollow point mold. Works great and like MiHec at MP molds NOE offers great products.

I just bought NOE's RG 4-cavity version of the Keith 429421 with HP and solid point pins. Haven't had time to cast with it yet, but if it's as good as my .38 Webley mold, I'll be a happy camper. Not sure when Swede plans to do another run - this batch didn't last long.

WWJMBD?

I like my science WEIRD.

Boolit Mold Join DateApr 2013Posts5

Thanks for the reply's. I think I found one from hollow point services that I like. thanks again for the advice

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Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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Looking at starting Swaging and looking for advice.

Boolit Buddy Join DateAug 2010Posts66

So I have thought of looking at starting to get into swaging mostly for 224 since it has around me been so hard to find or people are charging way to high of a price. I don't know much about doing this and looking for advice on cost to start and tools I need I have an old cast iron Lee press that now does not really have a job that I'm sure would work for this.

Also are all the dies $400+? Not trying to be cheap and I know after swaging 4K I would make up the money and then some. Any advice would do I'm trying to see if swaging is right for me.

40 cal from 9mm is the most cost effective option there is in my opinion whenit comes to making your own. You could by a die and a nice 40 cal pistol for less then it will take you to get into making 22 cals. Not trying to sway you from 22 cals but the 40 is just so easy and a great one to start with for those not sure and not wanting to get in to deep cost wise.

There isn't to many of us that offer the complete set of 22 cal dies. Search around, anything is possible, there are those here that can offer or have made it work with less expensive die options.

Many know of Corbins, Blackmon and myself, and I have told many that one would be very happy with either one they choose.

$225 and you could be making 40 cal JHP for nothing! Cost of scrap 9mm and scrap lead, a 3 cent primer and 2 cents worth of powder. That is cheaper shooting then 22lr! Somthing to think about when it comes to wether one is going to like making there own bullets or not. But...... you will have a tough time finding anyone here that doesn't like making their own bullets no matter how much they spent, what calliber they make or whos dies they use.

Step up to the press! Garentee you will like making your own

Good shooting

BT

Boolit Buddy Join DateAug 2010Posts66

40 cal from 9mm is the most cost effective option there is in my opinion whenit comes to making your own. You could by a die and a nice 40 cal pistol for less then it will take you to get into making 22 cals. Not trying to sway you from 22 cals but the 40 is just so easy and a great one to start with for those not sure and not wanting to get in to deep cost wise.

There isn't to many of us that offer the complete set of 22 cal dies. Search around, anything is possible, there are those here that can offer or have made it work with less expensive die options.

Many know of Corbins, Blackmon and myself, and I have told many that one would be very happy with either one they choose.

$225 and you could be making 40 cal JHP for nothing! Cost of scrap 9mm and scrap lead, a 3 cent primer and 2 cents worth of powder. That is cheaper shooting then 22lr! Somthing to think about when it comes to wether one is going to like making there own bullets or not. But...... you will have a tough time finding anyone here that doesn't like making their own bullets no matter how much they spent, what calliber they make or whos dies they use.

Step up to the press! Garentee you will like making your own

Good shooting

BT

Funny you should be the first to post because I was looking at the deal you had for the .224! I do own a 40,45 and soon a 9mm in pistol. Rifle I own 223 and 308. Right now I have the primers and powder for the small rifle a long with 5k+ brass! I would like to swag my 9mm and 45 acp at some point as for 40 I can get it for free do to my job! Yet I'd still like to swag that also since I have a few pistols that use that round.

In the end unless it is .224 for swagging I feel it's not worth the money! I have a lot of factory loaded ammo but l'm looking for something more long term!

I post here a lot as you will notice Yes I happen to offer dies too. I have seen a lot of people interested in swaging, especially the 22 cal from 22lr brass, only to get turned off from swaging all together just from the price of the 22 cal die set. Simply wanted to point out there are other cheaper options too for making your own bullets. Many here started with the simple 40 cals, with an enjoyable postive first experience the choice to invest in the cost of the 22 cal was easier for them to make since they allready knew wether or not they where going to enjoy it. Just didn't want to see another get turned away from making there own bullets because of the cost involved in the 22 cal set of dies.

Awesome you get plenty of 40 cal!

Swaging 22 cal bullets is a lot of fun and rewarding. Many here will be able to offer a lot of addivse on the different sets availble. Matter of fact it has been covered quite a bit. Anything you need to know about making your own can be found here.

BT

Boolit Buddy Join DateAug 2010Posts66

I post here a lot as you will notice Yes I happen to offer dies too. I have seen a lot of people interested in swaging, especially the 22 cal from 22lr brass, only to get turned off from swaging all together just from the price of the 22 cal die set. Simply wanted to point out there are other cheaper options too for making your own bullets. Many here started with the simple 40 cals, with an enjoyable postive first experience the choice to invest in the cost of the 22 cal was easier for them to make since they allready knew wether or not they where going to enjoy it. Just didn't want to see another get turned away from making there own bullets because of the cost involved in the 22 cal set of dies.

Awesome you get plenty of 40 cal!

Swaging 22 cal bullets is a lot of fun and rewarding. Many here will be able to offer a lot of addivse on the different sets availble. Matter of fact it has been covered quite a bit. Anything you need to know about making your own can be found here.

BT

Yet trying to sell or trade this ammo has been hard even with photos of ammo I have to sell or trade!

I can trade someone 1000 rounds Winchester 165gr Bond 40S&W or 1,000+ of Federal 55gr JSP but have found no one who is willing to trade or buy! I would like to buy dies for 224, 9mm, 40, 45, 308 for these dies!

Last edited by tayous1; 04-13-2013 at 02:01 PM.

Not trying to be a jerk,and don't take this the wrong way, but be careful what you say in a public forum. Remember, it is public. So that means ANYONE can see it, even your boss.

I know you have an "anonymous" screenname, but it may not be as anonymous as you think...Especially when I buy something from you and get your name and address to send the funds. Then I got all your info.

All it takes is one PO'd taxpayer to really make your life miserable.

Just my 2 cents. Maybe you should delete above posts. (Hint, Hint)

As for swaging you have come to the right place. I just started swaging 22 cal bullets (last night) and have already been helped immenslely. BUT, use the search function in the upper corner as much as possible, as many of your questions may have already been answered...multiple times over already. Good luck with swaging if you decide to jump in!

An armed society is a polite society.

the BB knows

Boolit Master Join DateDec 2005Posts168

So I have thought of looking at starting to get into swaging mostly for 224 since it has around me been so hard to find or people are charging way to high of a price. I don't know much about doing this and looking for advice on cost to start and tools I need I have an old cast iron Lee press that now does not really have a job that I'm sure would work for this.

Also are all the dies $400+? Not trying to be cheap and I know after swaging 4K I would make up the money and then some. Any advice would do I'm trying to see if swaging is right for me.

Just thought I'd mention making 224 bullets from 22 rimfire cases is a lot of work.
Sort & clean rimfire cases
anneal them making sure there's no live ones in the batch
clean them again as some annealing processes turn the cases a different color
run them thru the de-rim die to make them into jackets
clean them again
cast cores or buy wire and cut them
lube then swage the cores
clean the cores
load cores into jackets or do them one by one, making sure core hand is lube free
seat the cores
point the seated cores
clean the bullets
every 100 operations you do takes about 10-15 min on a swaging press. It may take longer on a reloading press as you have to knock out the core/bullet by tapping on the punch with a mallet.

Have fun.

Last edited by 30yrcaster; 04-13-2013 at 05:56 AM.

A couple of things come to mind every time I read a thread like this one.

Buy once/cry once
The tools/swaging dies your thinking about buying are an investment. They will do nothing but go up in value. You can use them for years & then sell them for more than what you paid for them.

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want to start casting 9mm. need advice.

Ok so I'm new to casting boolits and want to start casting 9mm for my hi point and want some help in setting up. I do drip my own shot so working with lead isn't new. Ive got a 10lb lyman pot and about 60 pounds of wheel weights. What mold and other equipment should I get to start this? I'm used to my mec 9000 for shotshell reloading. I've read that it's similar but also different. Your experience would be greatly appreciated.

I assume that your gun is an auto so in choosing a mold you would want a bullet that is a round nose, a conical nose or a truncated nose design. all of these will give you reliable, dependable feeding. All major mold makers, i.e. Lyman, Lee, Saeco, and RCBS offer a wide choice of designs. Independent mold makers known on this forum also make excellent designs including custom choices. A good set of mold handles is also required. Your bullets will also have to be sized and lubed...sized with the lee system and pan lubed or else a lubrisizer machine can be used. A good set of dies, a good powder measure and a scale to keep the measure honest are also necessary. And of course a decent press to put things together. There are several well known brands for these items and many ideas, choices, preferences and opinions on which to get/use. Do some reading and consulting of the resource info available on this forum and ask a lot of questions...someone will always help you. There is nothing wrong with being new...we all started out new at one time or another. If your budget allows go for the best equipment; its best in the long run. Whatever you spend will come back to you especially with the cost of ammo off the shelf these days (if there is any left on the shelf). Gather as much info now so you can make the best choices when its time to buy. LLS

Boolit Master Join DateFeb 2012LocationOregonPosts189

Slug you barrel before you buy a mold. If you don't you will be buying two molds and only using one of them.

Better to be poked in the eye with a wet fish than a sharp stick

Boolit Mold Join DateAug 2012Posts12

Make them fat. I use the lee 358-125 RF sized to .358 in my CZ 75b which slugs at .3565. I have used Titegroup, Unique and multiple alloys. I have not had any leading problems in my gun or others.

Most 9mm mold are marginal on size. Not the mold makers fault so much as bores run large. I need .358 diameter. .356 patterns at 50 feet.
.356+ are common.

Shiloh

"A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves."
Bertrand de Jouvenel

?Any government that does not trust its citizens with firearms is either a tyranny, or planning to become one.? ? Joseph P. Martino

?If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert , in five years there would be a shortage of sand.? ? Milton Friedman

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Sizing resistance - advice needed

Boolit Mold Join DateJul 2012LocationTexasPosts13

Hey all

So I had my 2nd casting session recently, after Lee sent me back my 6-cavity 9mm 356 mold. It apparently had not been lubricated well enough, and had developed tiny lead burrs that kept it from closing properly. That was why I was having so many "connected" casting failures on my first round. I don't want my boolits to literally have wings - figurative ones are just fine.

Now that's fixed as I am now using Gulf wax to lube the mould, so I started round two. I re-smelted pretty much everything.

I came out with quite a few much better boolits. Water quenched just so I could handle them faster. I had a couple problems where the same cavity kept sticking - so clearly I need to look at what is causing that. But, overall I had a much better casting session. About 99% of the boolits looked usable to me. Although I think I am still cutting the sprue plate too early, as the sprue hole area seems to smear just a little bit from time to time.

Anyhoo - on to the next step, which is where I had some problems. I have a Lee sizing die of course, to match my 356 casts. While sizing most of the bullets went nice & smooth (properly lubed & dried with Liquid Alox) a handful of them were a REAL bear to get through the sizer. Maybe about 30-50 out of 1,000 took a LOT of force to go through the die. I'm a big guy - and I was surprised how hard those were to size.

I took a photo of the before & after. There were a bunch of bullets (not just 30-50) with a great deal of shiny lead exposed, as opposed to the duller/lubed surface visible. The bullets on the right are before (lubed) and on the left are immediately after sizing.

010 by ZombieApoc, on Flickr

Here's a photo of the punch. You can see a ring of lead around the base of the punch. I cleared that off maybe 10 times during the session. It had far more metal accumulating there than I anticipated.

008 by ZombieApoc, on Flickr

What am I doing wrong if these boolits took that much force to get through the sizer? Could I have damaged the die? The only way I can avoid putting too-big of boolits through there is to size every one with a caliper. That seems excessive. But, by the time I figure out if the boolit is "too big" - it's already stuck in the die, and it's easier to push it through than pull it out.

Love to have some advice here. I'll post more casting pics shortly.

ZAG

Last edited by zombieapocalypsegames; Today at 05:17 PM. Reason: forgot 2nd photo

The Zombies, They're Coming! And those boolits aren't gonna cast themselves!

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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Asking for advice...

Hello fellas, I am in need of a shellholder adapter (the part your snap the shellholder into) to screw into an old RCBS RC press. The threads are on the inside of the ram and measure 5/8x18tpi. I need the threaded shank to be at least 3/4" long and then of course the shell holder adapter will be on top of that. Any idea where I can find one??? It looks like the previous owner used it for swaging as it has a homemade auto eject system already on it that threads onto the outside part of the top of the ram. Thanks in adavance!

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hang on to what you have as its a Dr. Blackmon swaging conversion. your 3/4 of the way there right now. Call RCBS and get a new ram your set.

Boolit Master Join DateSep 2010Posts150

If you just want to reload with it, you might find someone who would like to make a trade. That press, with that ram mod, is a pretty nice outfit as it sets there. You and I have already done some dealing in your "dies and bullets" thread.
My son has a real nice RC press on the bench, but he probably would not take it well it if I traded it away from under him.
If you get a replacement ram, you could have the best of both worlds. Faced with the same situation, I would just mount a second press. That way I could just go from one to the other without a bunch of fiddling.

Another option would be to have your friendly neighborhood machinist make you an adapter.
Good luck,
Bob;

Don't get me wrong, I am going to keep the press set up for swaging. Maybe I will PM BT to have an extra set of punches made to 5/8"x18tpi if he can.

Last edited by IllinoisCoyoteHunter; Yesterday at 12:29 PM.

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Boolit Mold Join DateMar 2011LocationQld, AustraliaPosts16

Are your sure the thread is 18-tpi, instead of the more common M & S-type 24-tpi thread?

Boolit Master Join DateMar 2011LocationWoods Cross UTPosts641

Don't get me wrong, I am going to keep the press set up for swaging. Maybe I will PM BT to have an extra set of punches made to 5/8"x18tpi if he can.If it is a Blackmon ram I bet he has punches just sitting there awaiting someone to buy. He sure is a nice guy to chat with.

Are your sure the thread is 18-tpi, instead of the more common M & S-type 24-tpi thread? Unless my thread gage is wrong.

I will have to find Dr. Blackmons number and give him a jingle. Thanks for all the info!!

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I am sure its 5/8ths 24 that is if its corbin or blackmon. there was a guy on Evilbay that made some like Blackmons conversion kit but he was using a weird size not 5/8ths if the od of the thread is with in .010 of .625 then it is 5/8-24 tpi. Corbin M and Dr Blackmons dies will definately fit it. You may have to have the internal punch modified from corbin for it to work but all in all great find. BTW I have that conversion on my RockChucker too.

Yeah, all my punches that are with the Corbin Dies are set up to fit in a standard shellholder adapter. So that is why I would like to have the threaded shellholder adapter. This would allow me to use my auto eject system which is threaded onto the outside of the ram. Thanks for all the great advice!!

Tony

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if your using blackmon or corbin M dies the ejector is from a hole in the socket that holds the ram. there should be a slot in the ram and a hardened pin sticks through the hole it ejects when you raise your press handle. the eject is already there.

Nope this press is set to eject the by pushing down from the top of the die. These swaging dies have the rod with the knurled top that you are suppose to hit with a mallet to remove the swaged piece from the die. It is set up like BT's auto eject sytem. Sounds like we are talking about 2 completely different setups. I will have to post a picture tonight. I apologize for the confusion.

Tony

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Hey Reload, I watched your video and my press is not set up like yours. Totally different. I will post a pic tonight. Thanks!

An armed society is a polite society.

the BB knows

You may not post new threadsYou may not post repliesYou may not post attachmentsYou may not edit your postsForum Rules

Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

View the original article here