Bullet size

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  • Last Post 30 May 2009
jay posted this 23 February 2009

Hi folks, right now I'am casting for 380acp but I don't have a bullet sizer. What could happen if I handload those unsized bullets? I mean could it be dangerous? I have a very solid and well made CZ83 I want to handload cast bullets for.

Thanks in advance. Jay

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CB posted this 23 February 2009

Jay, your big bullet will shoot through your bore ok, but the loaded round might not chamber. A taper-crimp die in your die set would take care of that. If you don't have a taper-crimp die you can take the decap rod out of your case sizing die and run the loaded round in far enough until it will chamber easily.............Dan

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Ed Harris posted this 24 February 2009

Better than a simple taper crimp die is the Lee Factpry Crimp Die, because this has a carbide full-length sizer which profiles the entire round, not just the case mouth, to less than max. cartridge dimensions.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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runfiverun posted this 24 February 2009

measure the inside of a fired case if your cast bullet is smaller then this size it will work fine if it is larger the above advice is what i do also.

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jay posted this 26 February 2009

Well, seems a Lee Factory Crimp Die is the way to go, meanwhile I'll try using my sizing/decapping die as told.

Looking at lee, they have a very inexpensive bullet sizing kit you can use on any press. I might give it a try too.

Thanks for all the help folks. Jay

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jay posted this 26 February 2009

Ed, the Lee Factory Crimp Die you are talking about is the one that has an adjusting screw isn't it?

Thanks. Jay

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mark1911 posted this 12 April 2009

Jay,     I have one of the Lee sizing die's for my 45ACP mine holds 0.452 and round within +/-.0005. I have been pleased with the results but make sure you slug your barrel for size first then get the right size sizer to fit your gun. With plain base cast bullets I like to run .002 over to prevent gas blow by.  

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Edubya posted this 06 May 2009

Dan Willems wrote: Jay, your big bullet will shoot through your bore ok, but the loaded round might not chamber. A taper-crimp die in your die set would take care of that. If you don't have a taper-crimp die you can take the decap rod out of your case sizing die and run the loaded round in far enough until it will chamber easily.............DanI use a Dillon 550 and I have RCBS dies for both the .38 and 9mm. The dillon provides four holes for dies and I use only three for both of these calibers. Do you see anything wrong with using the 9mm sizing die, w/o the decapper, in the fourth die-hole on the .38 finished bullets? Then the other way around when loading the 9mm? I guess that I'm just looking for a way arond spending another $20 for a Lee FC die.

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jay posted this 18 May 2009

Well it's been a while, finally I have a FCD to play with.

Some strange thing happened yesterday while using FCD, it seems this die tries to “pull” bullet when you lower the ramp (same feeling of the expander die). It actually loosen like 3 bullets from 100 rounds I made! I can spin bullet with my fingers, those rounds where discarded from batch. Rest where pretty solid and shoot ok.

It's that normal? I mean to have few loosen rounds when using FCD? Maybe I should try smaller OAL? (using 0.975” right now)

Thanks everyone.

BTW, I have a pic :) Five shots, group of 1.58” at 15mts

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tturner53 posted this 19 May 2009

Good shootin' amigo. I've always wanted one of those CZs. I like good solid handguns, don't like plastic guns. Maybe you could show us a picture of your gun?

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Balhincher posted this 19 May 2009

What is probably happening to loosen the bullets in the cases when you use the Lee factory crimp die is that because the case and bullet are being sized together, when the round comes out of the die, the brass springs back a bit and the bullet does not leaving it loose in the case.  This is discussed in the Lee handloading manual and should also be mentioned in the instructions that come with the crimp die.  There is a limit to the amount the round can be sized before this happens.

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runfiverun posted this 19 May 2009

squeezing the boolit down and it stays that small. the brass don't.

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jay posted this 19 May 2009

Reloaded 42 cartridges today and a total of 17 bullets where pulled loose... cleaned dirt (ring of lube and lead mostly) out of the FCD but no good. Well I guess I'am calling it a day.

Perhaps I'am flaring too much?? Lube problem?? Somethimes I have the same problem while seating, actually it is worst, bullet get stuck on seating die!! No big deal, I screw seating stem clockwise until bullet falls off the die.

@tturner thanks I'll try to take a pic tomorrow. It's certainly a nice little gun. Most people around here buy glock 25 instead (mexican laws regarding handguns only allow 380acp & 38spl as max for civilian usage, no 45acp for me :(  )

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jay posted this 19 May 2009

BTW, forgot to tell I'am having some unburn powder on my reloads...

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tturner53 posted this 20 May 2009

Jay, I look forward to seeing that picture. I have a question maybe you can answer. In the latest issue of 'The American Rifleman", a magazine by the NRA, there's a story that says there's only one gun store in Mexico and it's run by the army. Seems hard to believe but that's what it said. Is that true? As far as your questions about your reloads I'll leave that up to someone here that knows more about it than I do. Tim

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jay posted this 20 May 2009

tturner53 wrote: Jay, I look forward to seeing that picture. I have a question maybe you can answer. In the latest issue of 'The American Rifleman", a magazine by the NRA, there's a story that says there's only one gun store in Mexico and it's run by the army. Seems hard to believe but that's what it said. Is that true? As far as your questions about your reloads I'll leave that up to someone here that knows more about it than I do. Tim Thats sadly true Tim, actually I did buy a CZ83 for 440 dollars and a rimfire CZ452 for 560 dollars from that gun store and indeed it's run by the mexican army. They have a very low stock on both weapons and ammo, you don't see many brands neither. For example, only CZ & Tikka for hunting rifles. Most people don't know about this gun store.

//////////

I'll try some things tomorrow, those cast boolits borrow alot of dirt, I'll try to remove excesive lube and dirt. Maybe that's why they are getting stuck.

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jay posted this 20 May 2009

Here's what happened, bullet was seated as normal, then I remove all lube left with tumbler, next crimp with FCD.

A very tight ring of lead and dirt build up every 4 or 5 rounds on FCD. I guess that contribute to loose bullet from case. As stated by runfiverun & Balhincher, brass seems to spring back a bit.

So... I'did really need a bullet sizer isn't :P

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rbdave posted this 30 May 2009

might be same with 44 mag?. my srh has been leading with 430 sized swc since i started casting about a year ago.mix was ww and some lead free.solder mixed in. tried water quench and heat treating all with lla as lube. still leaded badly. almost gave up and redued load even knowing elmer pushed some fast loads. after reading this post i pulled and measured some loaded rounds. most were .424-.426. resized brass and seated new .430 swc that i used previously without crimping.  pulled these and they measured .430. crimped some of these after seating in another process and pulled these. they were .430!!. maybe problem solved? 38, 357 and 454 probably similar but they dont seem  to lead as much in my guns. thanks rbdave

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