casting lead bullet questions

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childz

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so i am newer to reloading, i got 12 20 and 410 gauge shells worked out and i now want to try doing handgun loads.

i have a dillon sdb with 9mm 357 and 38 dies for it, first i want to do the 9mm. i know i need to slug the barrel of my gun to find out the exact size to cast the bullets. my question is this - which press is the best one (and by best i mean cheapest of course) to size AND lube the lead bullets i cast? i saw a couple on the EE forums and would like some insight before i go buying anything i dont need.


thanks for the help as always CGNers

childz
 
pending the size of the mold you get, you may not even have to size them. you can pan lube or tumble lube instead of using a lubing/sizing press.

lee sells molds that are meant for tumbling and don't require sizing (pending the size of your barrel), but you can tumble lube any bullet.

the other option is to buy Lee sizers which are basically a blank die reamed out to the size you want. i just got a 500 S&W and a couple of molds for it. i have on order a .501 sizer that i will likely ream out to .502, maybe .503. it will also install/crimp gas checks.

http://leeprecision.com/bullet-casting/lube-and-sizing-kit/


i've shot about 500x "TL358-158SWC" 158 grain SWC through my 586 and haven't had any issues with leading. i never sized them, just some custom lube i made and load them up.
 
The cheapest by far is the Lee sizing dies that you just push the bullet through and then you buy the liquid alox and just pour some of that in a dish and add the bullets and just swish them around until they are all covered with the browish coloured lube and then just set them out to dry. Once they are dry you are good to use them, it takes around a day give or take.

The other ways are to get either a lyman or RCBS lubersizer machine and then buy the right size dies and the right top punch for the bullet you are going to use. A lot more money then the Lee system.

Graydog
 
Pan lubing is for tradtional type caste bullets with lube grooves, you set them all in a pan and pour melted lube in the pan. When it's semi cooled you push the bullets out of the big lube cake and the lube should stay in the grooves. IF you need to size you can then use a Lee sizing die. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh7HNJX8bRw

Tumble lubing is for traditional lube groove bullets and or new tumble lube micro groove style. You put the bullets in a tupperware container, pour a bit of warm sticky lube like Lee Alox on them, then shake them all around and they tumble the lube all over. Let them dry for a bit and you can size or load them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBy3M_1i8yM

Usually cast boolits are sized .001-.003" larger than the groove diameter of your barrel. You can slug your barrel with a soft lead ball and measure, or also start .001" larger than the normal jacketed bullet size and go from there. Example if I had a 9mm (.355" jacketed bullet) and I could not measure it right away I would just start with a .356 or .357" cast boolit. A .38/357 Mag being .357" bullet I would start of with a .358" cast. There are other factors like throat size and revolver cylinder etc, but I would start with the methods above. I believe that the fitment of the lead bullet size is as important or more than the lube type or lead hardness etc. Those still matter too but if the boolit is too small it probably will lead the barrel and or shoot poorly. As long as the cartridge chambers free and the gun functions you can't really make a cast boolit too big around. Some .38-55 rifles which are .375" jacketed are shot with .380-.382" lead boolits. Lee and some members make custom sizer dies so you are not just stuck with the ones in the Lee catalog.

The Cast Boolits forum at Gunloads has more info to offer on lead boolits than I could ever learn.
 
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