Another novist question

[Kevin Stenberg]

To all of my mentors. I have a question on procedure.
Tonight I was sizing some NOE 311 - 195 bullets and I had to stop because I am seeing a problem. As my bullets were going into the sizer and being sized on the way down. Before the lube is put into the appropriate locations in the gruves. The gruves are being squeezed smaller than as cast.
Would it be better to size with a larger sizer have more space to be filled with lube. Then resize with the appropriate size sizer.
I know the displaced lead has to go somewhere. But I am not sure which would be better.

 

[Brad]

Hard to say?
Let the rifle decide. Try both ways as and see if the gun has a preference.
Our bullets often don't need as much lube as they carry so that isn't really an issue.

 

[Rick]

Yeah hard to say. What is the as cast diameter and what size is the die? In other words how much are you sizing them?

 

[Brad]

And photos? We like photos, they truly can be worth 1000 words.

 

[Ian]

In a situation like that I typically nose-first size them to where the rifle wants them to be and then check/lube in a die that barely sizes the bullet at all. Less chance of crooked or bending the bullets that way. You might also look at using an alloy with less tin in it and casting with a hotter mould to get the bullets to cast a little smaller than they are.

My guideline for sizing the bands of a bullet is half a thousandth smaller than throat entrance diameter. Not always, but usually.

 

[fiver]

I have swaged away all but a thin wavy line of lube groove with lube in it and it has shot pretty well.
which lead me to say I am amazed at how little lube and how much lead contact we can get away with.

the others are asking for pictures because it is possible to actually turn a good bullet into a not so good bullet by sizing it down.
you start to curl corners over in unfilled lube grooves and you can guess what happens to those extremely thin fragile edges.

 

[Ian]

Bumping them way down, like more than three thousandths, usually benefits from filling the grooves completely first (two strokes under pressure to get out the small bubbles in the lube rings). Do that and you can take them down a full caliber and still have grooves. Not the best thing for the bullet but sometimes it works ok.

 

[quicksylver]

Just to back up most of what my friends are saying, here's some photos of an extreme case..to much work to get there but hey it works....this is typical of what this bullet does..

 

[Gary]

Wow!! Very good eye and trigger control.

 

[RicinYakima]

Impressive, to say the least! Happy for your abilities, you did well.

 

[Kevin Stenberg]

Here are some numbers to chew on.
Pot PID 700 deg. When up to temperature, the sprue on the mold stays molten for about 3 seconds before it solidifies. Alloy is COWW+.05% sn
As cast dimensions. dia. .3115 lube gruves .053 wide, .009 deep. Recess ahead of GC .0745 wide, .0135 deep
Dimensions after sizing dia. .3095 to .310 lube gruves .036 wide, .0082 deep. Recess ahead of GC .066 wide, .0125 deep

 

[Brad]

Plus .05% or .5%? Adding .05% is a miniscule addition.

I would try them sized as normal and see how the rifle likes them.

 

[KHornet]

Those who said let the rifle decide are probably the most correct.
Old say'in "The proof is in the pudding!"

Paul