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Maximum amount to size down?

2K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  Black Donkey 
#1 ·
Guys,

Looking for advice on how much is reasonable to size down. Looking to shoot coated lead in a 350 Legend AR subsonic.

I don't cast but do have a Lee 357 sizer. Looking for heavy bullets to help cycling subsonics in an AR. Wondering if its feasible to size down the 9.3 Mauser (.366) Missouri Bullet in one pass to .357?

https://missouribullet.com/details.php?prodId=487&category=6&secondary=36

Thanks,
Terry
 
#2 ·
I’ve done 0.007” without any trouble other than cracking my bench before I figured out lube really was important when sizing. Look for fins at the base and forget having lube grooves as they will be almost non-existent once they pass through the sizing die. Mattered not to me as I was paper patching the end result
 
#3 ·
Ive gone from 461 to 452 in one pass. But I did it with a rock chucker and lee sizing dies. I wouldn't do that with my star because it would no doubt bend the handle. If there real hard alloy bullets it can be a chore. What will help is a small shot of one shot Hornady case lube. Don't do that if your going to pc them though. Back in the early days of 45 colt heavy bullet loads molds were rare in 452 so we used 4570 bullets all the time sized down.
 
#4 ·
Well. Maybe maybe not...

I have broken a Summit press sizing a **** of a lot less. ::)

I also have three broken 450 sizers under my bench. The handles snap at the thread and then toggle linkages can break.


IF you must I would size down in stages.

What weight are you looking for?

I recently picked up a Accurate 36-270c mold plain base Specifically for use in my 358 Norma Mag. But Dinny and I are having fun with it in the Maxi!! Its long nose isnt Real friendly OAL length limitations but single Loaded would be OK.
 
#5 ·
Thanks guys.

I'm on the fence about ordering a box and giving it a go to see what happens.

CW, I'm mostly looking for something that i can make run in the AR from a mag. i checked the drawing on that accurate 270 and agree its way too long nose-to-crimp. if you happen to have something in the 230-300gr range with a shorter nose, I'd be happy to see what trade goods we have in common :) .

Thanks all,
Terry
 
#6 ·
I have a 230 NOE bullet. It works in my 350 Ruger Bolt fine.

CW
 
#7 ·
Terry,

If your still considering this. I’m willing ya send ya some to try for the cost of the shipping.

LMK

I have a “few” selections I can put together a nice “care package” for ya. All powder coated and sized. Ready to load.

CW
 
#9 ·
Have ya tried any yet Rich?

Here some of those 220g 10mm I just coated the other night!

Cosmetics


CW
 
#10 ·
Oh 10mm...thought they were 45 ACP "Devestators".

No Sir. Not tried. I have been sitting on the fence with regard to Powder Coating (PC'ing) for about three (3) years, same as I did before casting lead, reading about it (some), watching others, and have yet to dive in - but am thinking about it. You may well know everything cooled down considerably for me after my good time buddy, shooting, reloading mentor, co-worker, and friend of 30-years died. I am still recovering from that, now retired, every day is a Holiday, have lots of time, am FOS (that's Full Of Stuff - for this forum), lack motivation, and have not found (nor looked for) someone to work with - except my next door neighbor has asked to be mentored (and I am glad to do it), but we're having trouble with scheduling. I suppose I will thaw out some, go back to casting, shooting, and hunting, maybe tackle PC'ing - does not seem too difficult and a little practice makes perfect. Perhaps before the 2020 hunting season. Too bad. I just made one gallon of Satan's Lube (6-6-6-1) and a four cavity, centered aluminum rod, PVC wax mold for the RCBS Lube-a-matic II. What do I do with all of that if I go PC'ing?
 
#11 ·
I'm right there with land_owner... :tango_face_plain:
I've been thinking about PC'ing since Dinny tried it and offered to send me some. I even got some PC from Harbor Freight and bought a toaster oven! But I never have done it.
Now, with Kathie so sick, I can't even get down to my gun room/workshop in the basement. :tango_face_sad:
But I do have a question about sizing. If you use a Lee sizer, or any other for that matter, will it ruin or mar the PC'ing? :confused: i.e. expose the lead.
 
#18 ·
The Harbor Freight powder is going to give you headaches unless you are spraying it on the bullets with a PC gun. Most people are shaking them in a plastic bowl that has the "triangle 5" logo on the bottom of the bowl. Putting airsoft black bb's in the bowl helps also. It is so easy a caveman can do it. Youtube it and you will see which brands of powders work best.
 
#12 ·
HELLO RICHARDS!! My friends, wish I was closer I’d help the both of ya!!!

No At Rich. That PC when properly applied lives thru it’s trip down the barrel and into what ever ya shoot!!

Tire Automotive tire Auto part Automotive wheel system Rim


Finger Tire Hand Thumb


That second pic is even Dinnys fingers!!

Owner Rich,

Motivation is what ya need I know and remember your hurtin. Sorry my brother.

Your “Yankee” Brother from another Mother!

CW

CW
 
#13 ·
I have limited experience in sizing down really oversize bullets. But I have tried it with limited success.

I don't recall the before/after sizes but I had some bullets for the .45-70 I wanted to try in a .45 Colt. So I sized them to I think .452" and there really wasn't enough groove depth to hold enough lube to do the job. Plus a huge pile of lead swaged off and smeared down the bullet.

I considered the experiment a total failure. I didn't load the bullets and never again tried to size any down that much. I guess a big part of how successful it will be if you plan to use lube rather than PC coating is how deep the lube grove is.
 
#14 ·
first heavy 45 colts we played with were with the 300 rcbs 4570 bullet sized to 453. Like any bullet it needed load development but we easily found loads that shot minute of deer and with some work had loads that shot inch at a 25 yards. Like bill said some bullets just didn't work because the lube groves were to shallow but even those did ok with tumble lube. With pc it today it wouldnt even be an issue. As to deforming bullets I have to chuckle. Many here still buy into that softer is better bs so a bullet bumps up. A pure lead 45 colt bullet or even a 5050 pure ww bullet is going to deform a whole lot more under the pressure of ruger level 45 colt loads then the tiny amount of deforming your doing by sizing a 460 bullet down to 452 through a precision sizing die. Only problem it ever gave me was bending handles on my stars until I got smart and started using lee dies and a rock chucker for initial sizing and then the star to lube. I still have one old vaquero in 45 colt that just loves a load with the rcbs 300 grain 4570 bullet.
 
#15 ·
Thanks everybody. I think for now I've decided to pass on the 0.366's even though it probably would work to Greybreard and Lloyd's points.

CW's bullets were some pretty interesting colors, but great to get started with figuring out what will or wont work here. If it all turns out i might have to start casting with that 230NOE.

Thanks again CW. shot a handful to see what my 1:16 barrel will stabilize, and the 270s are wobbling at 25yds and subsonic. 230s at 1000-1200fps are stable but not nearly enough gas to open the action of an AR pistol with W296. May try Lilgun as it seems to produce more gas with full power loads, or just call my particular setup a straight pull bolt with subs.

Terry
 
#16 ·
How much you can downsize in one pass is very much dependent on the hardness of the alloy your using, the size of the bullet and if you are using lube. A lanolin-based spray-on case lube works well, also the proprietary HiTek bullet lube does wonders. Smaller bullets are much harder to size down .005-.007, often you need to use a sizing die that's halfway in between to ease the transition whereas going from 466 to 459 in one pass is much easier.

Some of the benefits of powdercoating are it doesn't dry out and crack, it's not temperature sensitive, you can designate different loads by using different colors, powdercoating doesn't gum up your dies and once the bullet is powdercoated you are no longer touching lead.
 
#17 ·
HELLO JIM!

Welcome And glad ya made it!!

CW
 
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