Downsizing .458 factory bullets to .452/.453

why could not a guy use 2 or 3 dies to size down the bullets a couple thou at a time ?

btw any bullet made for the 454 casull or the 460 S&W should work just fine at rifle velocities ... a guy just needs to make sure he isn't using pointed bullets in a tube magazine .
 
I regularly resize .457/8 bullets down to .452, have even got them down to .450. I shoot them sabotless in my smokeless muzzleloader.
The process takes several stages and a strong press. I use a 1 ton arbor press and I also have a hydraulic press that I constructed from a 4 ton bottle jack.Different bullets require different stages of resizing, ie. thicker jacketed bullets usually need to be sized smaller than the required size due to springback. Several different sized sizing dies are necessary to accomplish this. All of my dies are custom made and heat treated to extend their life.
There is a company in the States that goes by the name of Swinglock. they specialize in custom smokeless muzzleloaders but they do make an adjustable sizing die that fits on a reloading press, they are a qualitly product and eliminate the need for multiple dies to ensure the proper required fit. Here is a link to their adjustable die,http://swinglock.net/adjustablebsd.php
I also reform the bullets into a spitzer point, I feel it improves long range accuracy and terminal performance.
here are some pics.
just reworked my nosler die ( again ). Didn't quite like the blunt nose.
first attempt.
DSC01285.jpg

new improved.
DSC01623.jpg

DSC01620.jpg

don't know if it helps anything but they sure look pretty and a definate confindence builder. I'm sure it won't hurt performance or accuracy.
 
smokeeter said:
I regularly resize .457/8 bullets down to .452, have even got them down to .450. I shoot them sabotless in my smokeless muzzleloader.
The process takes several stages and a strong press. I use a 1 ton arbor press and I also have a hydraulic press that I constructed from a 4 ton bottle jack.Different bullets require different stages of resizing, ie. thicker jacketed bullets usually need to be sized smaller than the required size due to springback. Several different sized sizing dies are necessary to accomplish this. All of my dies are custom made and heat treated to extend their life.
There is a company in the States that goes by the name of Swinglock. they specialize in custom smokeless muzzleloaders but they do make an adjustable sizing die that fits on a reloading press, they are a qualitly product and eliminate the need for multiple dies to ensure the proper required fit. Here is a link to their adjustable die,http://swinglock.net/adjustablebsd.php
I also reform the bullets into a spitzer point, I feel it improves long range accuracy and terminal performance.
here are some pics.
just reworked my nosler die ( again ). Didn't quite like the blunt nose.
first attempt.

don't know if it helps anything but they sure look pretty and a definate confindence builder. I'm sure it won't hurt performance or accuracy.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips and the website -looks really interesting...bit pricey...but nifty to say the least. I'm sure the spitzer will look pretty and work fine right up until you use a ram rod on it. :p

btw any bullet made for the 454 casull or the 460 S&W should work just fine at rifle velocities ... a guy just needs to make sure he isn't using pointed bullets in a tube magazine .
Click to expand...

Do you know who makes bullets for the 460 S&W and a source of them in Canada? Most of the reason I'm looking into doing this is that once I get a die set to size down from 458 I have lots of options in what I shoot and a local source of bullets that doesn't involve me casting them.
 
Freyr_255 said:
Do you know who makes bullets for the 460 S&W and a source of them in Canada? Most of the reason I'm looking into doing this is that once I get a die set to size down from 458 I have lots of options in what I shoot and a local source of bullets that doesn't involve me casting them.
Click to expand...

hornady and barnes both make bullets suitable for what your looking for ........unless your looking for something around 400 grains .

i've exchanged emails with lois at the bullet barn and he would be willing to resize some of his 458 bullets down to 454 / 452 for a small fee ... but he did warn that they may not be as accurate .
 
burnt_servo said:
hornady and barnes both make bullets suitable for what your looking for ........unless your looking for something around 400 grains .

i've exchanged emails with lois at the bullet barn and he would be willing to resize some of his 458 bullets down to 454 / 452 for a small fee ... but he did warn that they may not be as accurate .
Click to expand...

Well I know Barnes does but I don't know of anyone who carries them(and sure as hell not locally). Didn't know Hornady made anything other than (lower velocity) pistol bullets. I'll have to take a second look but once again not sure who carries anything other than 45 colt bullets.
 
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