Bullet swaging for the 450b --CHEAP!--

[hawcer]

I had a couple ideas last night on how I might be able to swag some bullets for my 450 bushmaster...cheaply. (still waiting for the barrel btw)


How did I do? I only used a Lee .452" bullet sizer, and a RCBS .243 win FL sizing die. This was made out of a 44mag case. I trimmed down the case and annealed it and run it up into the bullet sizer and out again using the shell holder. Then poured pure lead into the case...filling it. Once cooled, I trimmed off the rim. I lubed it and used the bullet sizer punch to drive it up into the 243 FL sizer...I slowly adjusted the die down about a 1/4 turn each stroke until I could see lead start to appear in the hole where the decapping pin is usually screwed into. I then used a standard punch and mallet to drive the bullet back out of the die. I had to trim off the excess lead that extruded from the tip along with a little brass. I then run it back through the bullet sizer.




It comes out to 258gr and is .762" in length. It should have a 20deg shoulder or ogive?...mimicking the 243 shoulder and giving it the "XTP" look.

I will continue to fine tune things and try to determine the best methods...but this seemed to work fairly well for a first attempt.

[Colohunter]

Very interesting project! How much do they end up costing per bullet? Let us know how they shoot when you get them to the range.

[Al in Mi]

been following threads over on the Cast Boolits forum in their swaging section, guys were making dies to use pistol cases as jackets.

Very interesting read.

[Hoot]

That really gets the Walter Mitty side of me going.

Hoot

[hawcer]

Very interesting project! How much do they end up costing per bullet? Let us know how they shoot when you get them to the range.

This didn't cost me anything but time. I had the soft lead on hand and I always save all my brass...so those worn out 44mag cases came in handy. If I was to buy a bunch of once fired 44mag/special cases ,then that could be a pretty good investment. Wheel weight lead is too hard and will not form...so it has to be almost pure lead. Once the 40lbs or so I have runs out...then it will start costing me even more.

CH4D makes swaging dies for a .451" diameter bullet, and can be ordered custom in .452". Going that route, I would be able to use 40cal cases and save a boatload. But I would like to get the gun together first before investing in those.

I could get away with using the 44mag cases because the case diameter is .456 and the .243win has a .454" diameter at the shoulder...so sizing down to .452" worked pretty well. I could have used a 308 FL die...but I liked the steeper 20deg shoulder of he 243...I'm guessing it might feed better.

[Colohunter]

I read an article in Handloader I believe it was, talked about swaging 223 bullets from 22LR cases. Sounded very intriguing and cost effective, except the equipment they suggested using cost around $600 if I remember right. So it was a very high start up fee, I'm not sure how long it would be before you actually starting saving money. It could take awhile to make up the $600, especially if you had to buy the lead used in the process.

Still seems very interesting though, especially for possible furture bullet shortages.

[Hoot]

So, do you leave the dead primer in so the molten lead doesn't run out of the case? If you put a drop of soldering flux in the case so that it tins the brass when the lead is poured in, the core will resist separating from the case upon expansion. Kinda like a bonded core. Of course, just like soldering, the inside of the case would have to be clean and burnished for the lead to bond good. Just musing...

Hoot

[hawcer]

So, do you leave the dead primer in so the molten lead doesn't run out of the case? If you put a drop of soldering flux in the case so that it tins the brass when the lead is poured in, the core will resist separating from the case upon expansion. Kinda like a bonded core. Of course, just like soldering, the inside of the case would have to be clean and burnished for the lead to bond good. Just musing...

Hoot

Yes , I left the spent primer in the case. I thought about the soldering paste...I have a can in my toolbox at work. I'll give that a go...yep exactly,poor mans bonded core

[thebrassnuckles]

mother of god.

I just spent 3 hours on cast boolits....

that site is awesome.
I need to get into this..
I hate being broke as a joke....

[pitted bore]

Then poured pure lead into the case...filling it. Once cooled, I trimmed off the rim.

hawcer-

What's the proper technique for trimming off the rim?

Thanks.

==Bob