This is becoming my favorite 30 caliber mold

[Brother_Love]

This is my fairly recent acquisition from Accurate Molds and I love it. The bullets practically jump out of the mold and it shoots good in anything i put it in. These are lubed with Carnuba Blue and a final coat of BLL. I asked for the bullet to drop at 200 gr. With COWW, they are 200.2!!!!!!

 

[fiver]

your sizer alignment is off.

 

[Brother_Love]

Please explain. What am looking for here? Thanks

 

[Brad]

First photo, in OP, has the bands at an angle. Notice how they are wider on one side than the other?
The other photos are much better.

 

[fiver]

the little swipe on the front drive band.
in the top pic. you can see how the whole bullet has been pushed down slightly unevenly, and the pressure it takes to push it in is ridging the meplat slightly.

 

[fiver]

I think the other pics are of the same bullet just from different distances.
but you can see the little angled drive band has been squoooshed a bit.

 

[Ian]

your sizer alignment is off.

That was my very first thought when the photo loaded. Having the advantage of viewing this on my phone, I can tilt and look at the bullet almost lengthwise and clearly see the body and nose are not in line with each other. In all photos the nose is pointing off to the left.

The top punch is not centering with the die, probably a Lyman 450 with a wallered ram hole or a 45 that's had the die hole stretched from overtightening the set screw.

 

[L Ross]

Yeah, I took one look at that bullet and thought, oops, that'll never shoot accurately. It is not longer symmetrical.

 

[Brother_Love]

Thanks. It’s a Lyman 45. As long as they shoot good I’ll guess I’ll keep the 45. I don’t think I can repair it if is stretched.

 

[L Ross]

Can you shoot them as cast?

 

[Brother_Love]

I’m going to size a few more in my push through sizer tomorrow and see how they do.

 

[Ian]

We're a tough crowd sometimes aren't we? Not to detract from your favorite bullet, but it just jumps out.

Ok, you CAN fix the alignment. Get yourself a beer/soda can and some scissors (better yet, brass shim stock if you have it). Cut some 3/16" wide strips about 3/4" long and place one or two behind your die as you push it flush. Check alignment wi t he a proper caliber top punch lowered into the die hole with the ram. Look at it from the side and you can tell how centered the punch is with the die hole.

 

[Brad]

Might even size in push thru then lube in Lyman.

For low velocity loading it may not even matter. Try to push em very hard and it sure will.

 

[Ian]

I have to shim two out of my three 45s to get alignment, one if them takes about .012" of shim to get it true.

 

[JWFilips]

It all get's round quickly when fired!

 

[Brother_Love]

Got tons of brass shimstock, you can’t be a model railroader without the stuff. I’ll try it, thanks.

 

[L Ross]

It all get's round quickly when fired!

Yeah but.....

 

[Ian]

...the base don't get resquared.

 

[Brad]

Thank you Ian. it is quite easy to point out a problem but offering a solution makes a huge difference.
The teaching part is what I love about this place.

 

[Ben]

I have sized in a .311 " Lee Push thru, then lube with my Lyman 45 with a .314" dia. H & I die in place.

Ben