Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting I have noticed....

that when sizing and lubing my .30 caliber bullets in my RCBS luber that one side of the bullet is burnished by the sizing die above the crimping groove (usually) while the other side is not.
I am using a top punch that is flat across and does not have a 'cup' to fit over the nose of the bullet. Is this an indication that the bullet is not entering the sizer straight on? Will a top punch with a cup built in it correct this? Does this even matter?

This is the first time I'v ever cast bullets for a rifle caliber and used a top punch of this design so I'm at a loss.

HELP!!....and many thanks.

Mickey:
It could be that the bullet is slightly out of round. Your micrometer will prove or disprove that. Alternately the bullet may be cocked a bit as it goes down the die. I like to file a notch in the stem of the top punch to receive the set screw and then leave the screw less than tight. If there is any play in the fit of the stem to the press that will allow the punch to float a bit to square itself to the bullet. Doesn't always work as the stem fit may be too tight to allow movement. If the bullet is sized a thou. or two oversize I don't think you will find it causes any harm as the bore will even things out pretty good.

Dennis, I though about the bullet being out of round but these moulds were made by Accurate Molds and I never for a minute thought they'd be out of round...I just assumed they started in the sizing die a little cocked. Not all of them are alike, some are better than others so that makes me think the die is OK. I'll load some and shoot them tomorrow to see how they shoot.
Thanks, friend.

Tom holds his moulds to very close tolerances but I don't have any by him or any one else for that matter which is perfectly round. His are a lot better than some other makers I have moulds from. I think even the very best machines might have a tiny bit of run-out and we're talking about 4 decimal points to measure the difference. I have one RCBS mould that is over .002 out of round (45/70) but I cast it large and size it .002 over and it shoots fine.

On the other forum there is a fellow who signs on as Bullshop. I had him make up nose punch blanks several years ago which I then custom fit to the bullet using fast setting epoxy type compounds.
Currently it's a two part stuff that comes in a tube for gas tank/crankcase leak repairs. You cut off a piece, knead the two components together and put a dab in the blank nose punch. A bullet with mould release or Johnson's wax on it is inserted into the sizer and the nose punch is brought down on it to get a squeeze out fit. About 15 minutes to set up and then the overflow can be trimmed away from the edge of the punch and you have a custom nose punch. If you want to re-use the punch for a different bullet at a later time the epoxy can be dug out and re-do as required. I bought about a dozen for different calibers back then and I'm due to get another dozen as I swear my moulds must be breeding.

Mickey: On reflection that fellow's sign in name may be Buckshot rather than Bullshop. Sorry , pal you may have to try both if you want them.

Definitely starting into the sizing die a little cockeyed. Probably won't hurt anything though, as long as the gas check is seated/crimped straight and not effected by the canting. The bullet base is waaaaay more important than anything else. To alleviate it I too do the epoxy trick, which helps somewhat. The real trick is to get the nose punch perfectly centered in the die. I went so far as to turn a really close toleranced replacement ram for one lubrisizer. On another one I fitted three brass set screws to bear against the ram so I could center it over the sizing die. I know I'm being a bit too anal about it, but I have a design drawn up for a home made lubrisizer in which the holes for the ram and the sizer die are line bored. (I wonder if they do that at the factory?) The devil's in the details!

I use a floating nose punch. It is made by this man. You buy the one that you use epoxy in the nose to make them fit your bullet.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ols-Needed-Lyman-RCBS-Style-Nose-Punches

Mickey: the Perfessers are different than the ones I bought but they do look to be a well thought out design.

On the other hand I bet you have a lathe????

Two lathes as a matter of fact. I'll prolly just make me one.

Mickey,
I thought you were using Tom's (accurate molds) flat nose punches? I cant see how one of those would make the bullet start in the sizer canted, but there's lots I don't know. I ordered his set, but haven't received them or the mold.
I've got confidence you'll figure it out.
Rick

I just put a gob of lube up on the top punch post that goes into the sizer and it stays up there and "floats" to the right position for me.

Mickey
Many years ago in the Cast Bullet Assoc. news letter 'The Fouling Shot' I picked up the 'floating' nose punch idea that worked for me.
I use blank no cup nose punch with a dab of bullet lube on the end of the shank. It's worked for me for the past 20 years years. I stuck the nose punch in with the bullet lube and it's never been out, since then.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. I will probably start that myself but so far the set screw has not caused me any trouble to my knowledge.
Happy New Year!
Mickey

Thanks, Jim. I will probably start that myself but so far the set screw has not caused me any trouble to my knowledge.
Happy New Year!
Mickey

I am using Tom's punches but if I'm not careful to align the bullet in the sizing die it can start down with some 'lean' to it.
It takes somebody who has an advanced degree in screw ups but I have it mastered.
Mickey