Have been using RCBS 7mm 145 SIL-GC & 168 SP-GC in my Rem 700 7mm Magnum with no issues. Bought a Savage Axis and found both cast bullets have noses that are much too wide and most will not chamber. The sizer doe doesn't size the noses. The noses measure .278~.279" Using a Lee 7mm cast bullet; no problem as the nose is at .276". Can anyone suggest what I can do to resolve this issue...please?
RCBS 7mm cast bullets
- Thread starter Wallyl
- Start date
Spindrift
Well-Known Member
I don't know what alloy you are using, but you might slightly reduce size by using an alloy with lower antimony content. Increasing the temp of the melt might also slightly increase the amount of shrinking as the bullets cool.
The nose sizer from NOE is more like a "nose uniformer", in my experience. It will clean up mould seams and high spots. A niche tool, that nevertheless have it's uses. But trying to reduce size by a full thou will leave a ring of cut lead at the base of the nose.
If you need a full 0.002in size reduction, I'm afraid this will be difficult. But maybe you don't need that much?
The nose sizer from NOE is more like a "nose uniformer", in my experience. It will clean up mould seams and high spots. A niche tool, that nevertheless have it's uses. But trying to reduce size by a full thou will leave a ring of cut lead at the base of the nose.
If you need a full 0.002in size reduction, I'm afraid this will be difficult. But maybe you don't need that much?
I once borrowed a 7mm-08 700BDL Varminter and won the match. I flew back to Illinois and shot at the Windhill range under very extreme wind conditions. This made me a 7mm fan.
I've got a 7mm BR and a 7mm-08 with a similar problem. The RCBS molds are: 7mm-168-SP, 7mm-168-FN and 7mm-145-SIL. When seated, the gascheck is well below the case neck. I shot the SAECO tapered nose 162 grain bullet in competition to avoid the problem you are talking about.
Once Large Rifle primers are more abundant and cheaper, I want to try these rifles again. I've got access to a 1 1/2 degree throating reamer. I'll make dummy cartridges with the two 168 grain molds to set the SP mold within the bottom of the neck and then see where the FN mold is. I'll sell the 145 grain mold.
I've got a 7mm BR and a 7mm-08 with a similar problem. The RCBS molds are: 7mm-168-SP, 7mm-168-FN and 7mm-145-SIL. When seated, the gascheck is well below the case neck. I shot the SAECO tapered nose 162 grain bullet in competition to avoid the problem you are talking about.
Once Large Rifle primers are more abundant and cheaper, I want to try these rifles again. I've got access to a 1 1/2 degree throating reamer. I'll make dummy cartridges with the two 168 grain molds to set the SP mold within the bottom of the neck and then see where the FN mold is. I'll sell the 145 grain mold.
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As mentioned, I did use a Lee C285-130R..it works just fine. Yes, I could buy a custom mold, but I'd prefer to use the 2 RCBS 7mm molds that I already have. My purpose was to hear from others that have this same issue and to hear how they resolved it.
I will look into the NOE sizing tools--thanks!
I have modified alloys & melt temperature...it helps but an occasional bullet will be almost impossible to chamber in the Axis 7mm-98. I agree...it would seem that the NOE nose uniformer will not work because the nose on the RCBS 7mm bullets are just .002~.003" too wide. If one exerts too much pressure inserting teh bullet into it, the bullet base widens.
I am using the Lee C285-130R. It is very accurate. It's nose is .275" and it chambers in the Savage Axis 7mm-08 just fine. Yes, I could get a custom mold, but I was hoping for a work around using the 2 RCBS 7mm molds. No, the Savage Axis is not offered in the 7mm Rem Magnum caliber.
I've never tried it, so I'm not sure if I'm even on the right page - but RCBS makes a collet style bullet puller. It clamps down on the bullet to facilitate pulling it from a loaded round.
In your case, you need the nose to be @ .275 - just about the diameter of a .270 Win. projectile. Maybe you could put the cast bullets in the RCBS puller, using the .277 collet, and lightly tighten it down enough to reduce the nose on your bullets?
In your case, you need the nose to be @ .275 - just about the diameter of a .270 Win. projectile. Maybe you could put the cast bullets in the RCBS puller, using the .277 collet, and lightly tighten it down enough to reduce the nose on your bullets?
Thank you...has anyone else tried this? I have contacted RCBS to see if they might offer an exchange and provide molds that cast a bullets a tad smaller...it is a long shot--you never know!
I've had good luck contacting RCBS, they want happy customers. I met their manufacturing engineer at the NRA Annual Meeting in Long Beach many years ago and had a long technical discussion with him. I provided them with facts and data as to what was wrong. We discussed both molds and sizing dies. I learned they had special tooling to bore the lubri-sizer in one pass to gain die and ram alignment.
You often need to get past the first person on the phone, but be polite when asking.
Thank you..I will be very polite and hopefully I will get this all resolved.
I wonder if I use some high temperature paint and mask off the mold, except for the nose cavity?
I'm unhappy to report that I used to have a Saeco 4c in 070 back in my IHMSA days. When I retired from silhouette shooting I sold or traded off all my Saeco 4c 7mm moulds. I once had 070, 071,experimental 072, and 073. All were 4c! You might try placing a WTB ad on Cast Boolits for the 4c 070, as that's where mine all went.