Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Using pistol expander die to ease rifle flat base bullet loading

I just stared loading 220gr Speer Hot-Cors in .35 Whelen. These are flat base bullets, and at times I found them a bit of a challenge to keep aligned to start seating.

I have .357 pistol dies. Would it be reasonable to use one to ever so slightly expand the mouth of .35 Whelen brass to facilitate better alignment of flat base bullets?

Works well. I've done it for the past forty years or more for seating cast bullets that are often slightly larger in diameter than jacketed counterparts. "Ever so slightly" as you mention is best; too much flare and the brass will develop neck splits prematurely.

I would try a VLD type champfering tool to see if that helps just to work the brass less. The tapered expander is SOP for straight walled cases like the 45-70 especially with cast bullets. Test a case out as it is easy to over do and end up having the cartridges not chamber easily or at all, been there done that.

Look up Lyman M dies.

Yep. They let you expand the neck a little, a little more, or a lot.

Lee makes a Universal Case Expanding Die that works on anything from 22 to 45 caliber. I use it mostly for cast bullets, but when using flat base bullets and inside chamfering doesn't quite do the job it's handy.

That’s actually what I have, a Lyman M die for .357. I use it for expansion when loading coated LSWC in .357 or .38 special.

That works. I use .357 Magnum handgun dies to handload the 9x72R, a very old, long and slim German case with 180-grain Speer Hot-Cors.

I've not had the problem. I thought I would, when I got started 20 years ago and used only boat tail bullets for the first couple years. However, over time I learned it was a lot less of a problem than I anticipated.

I bought a Lee Universal Expanding Die over a decade ago. If the problem did arise, that would be the way I would go.

I`ve seated a lot of flat base bullets, no problems. BUT, I do champfer the inside of the necks more than "normal". Try a few cases..see what works. You may also have to adjust your finger positions when feeding the case neck/bullet into the die.

Yup. Chamfering the case mouths has been all I ever needed for seating flat base bullets. Don't expect to just set them on the case and let go though; you want to hold them in place as the case goes up into the die. Technique does matter.

I use a case flaring die (the Lee Universal die) for cast bullets, but if you need that for jacketed bullets I think there's something else wrong.

I have heard people insist they don't need to chamfer case mouths, but that's not true. At least a small chamfer makes a big difference in seating.

I've used a universal, aka Lee, chamfering tool since I began loading in the 70s.

If you simply chamfer the inside of the case mouth..... I've never had a problem.
Good luck


Jerry

Try a VLD chamfer tool you won't believe the difference it make in how easily bullets seat.

I bought a Lee Universal neck expanding die for just that reason for reloading my 35-30 Wildcat. I like it so well I use it for other calibers as well. Mine only cost about 18 bucks shipped on Fleabay..

I've never needed to with jacketed bullets, but always do with cast.

I've flared case mouths for cast bullets, but can't recall ever needing any more than a good chamfer on case mouths for jacketed. It may be the solution here though.

The main point I wanted to make is that if you do flare them, you may notice that you need to anneal case necks, or at least case mouths, a bit more often, to avoid getting little short cracks right at the mouth of the case, from the additional cold working.

If one does enough of them, seat flat base bullets, and the neck is champfered correctly, the bullet will be felt when it drops into the champfer in the case neck. then guide it up into the die.
I will normally polish the case neck/champfer by giving it a few turns in 000 steel wool, smooths every thing out.
Good Luck

Thanks for the replies. I finished loading my charge ladder and this was done without any neck expansion.

I found keeping these bullets centered to start heading to Ross the line of “detail oriented” to “fiddly”, snd was thinking about a way to streamline.

In hodsifht I could have spent more effort on a good chamfer, and first my next batch I’ll focus on that before adding another step.

+1

Been doing it for years. Used a 7.7 Jap sizing die to slightly open the 30-06 necks for cast bullets forty years ago. Bought a universal Lee expanding die a few years back and used it for everything from 32 s&w blanks to 45-70 cast bullets.