Flairing Bottleneck Cases

Sapper33

Sapper33

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How exactly does one go about flairing a bottleneck case?

I've been playing with reloading cast bullets in a .308, however it seems to be hit or miss on whether I can properly seat the bullets. My normally prepped(no flair) cases seem to all cut into the bullets and cause bulging in the neck/shoulder.

I took my camphering tool and went to town on a few, putting a pretty good "funnel" on the case mouth. I had no problem seating the bullets in those cases.

Is there a better way of prepping the cases to make sure I can seat cast?
 
You need a flaring die. Lee makes a universal flaring die that works for any caliber from .22 to .45. This is the type I have & works real well. Lyman also makes an "M" die that flares the case mouth but I believe these are caliber specific.
 
Howdy

RCBS makes a flaring die as well. Buy the die in one of the diameters you need and then just get the other arbors diameters you may need and change out.

I use it for flaring the mouth on .30 Luger cases for cast bullets, works great.

Sticker
 
For carts. that don't include a third die, the Lee flaring/belling/expander is very versatile as it does all cals. except .50 and you don't have to buy anything else.
 
In my Dillon 650 I use a 303 Brit FL sizer backed out so it does not touch the case. The expander button on the decapping pin kisses the case mouth and leaves a nice flare so that a bullet can be inserted without any srcatching. The seater die has a taper crimp that pushes the flare back onto the bullet.
 
sunray said:
The case mouths should be chamfered for any bullet. That's how it's done. No flaring required.
Click to expand...

That doesn't work when you're loading slightly oversized cast bullets. You need to bell the mouth of the case out a bit or you'll be shaving the bullet.

I'll second...or third....whatever.....the Lee univeral one. Since I bought it, I've flared 30-30, 300 win mag, 44 mag, and 45 ACP cases and haven't shaved a bullet since. It works extremely well. It comes with 2 different expander pointy tapered things....wow...that's my high tech term for today...expander pointy tapered things :D......anyway, it's a cheap, one size fits all die that works very well.
 
Absolutely have to bell cases to accept cast bullets without shaving lead, even with "in-line" competition seating dies, you need to bell case mouths for cast bullets.
 
sunray said:
The case mouths should be chamfered for any bullet. That's how it's done. No flaring required.
Click to expand...


If you are shooting cast bullets you have to flare the case. If you don't you will invariably shave the bullets. I bell all my rifle cases with the Lee Universal Flaring die and if you are going to shoot cast in your rifles you might as well go out and get one. They aren't all that expensive.

Check out the Cast Bullet forum. There is a ton of info there on reloading the .308 cartridge using cast bullets.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php

Take Care

Bob
 
I've got Lyman M-dies and the Lee universal flareing die. Before I had either I used to use a tapered punch inserted in the case mouth then tapped the case on the loading bench once or twice. I can't really say the real stuff works any better or is any faster.
 
Dogleg said:
I've got Lyman M-dies and the Lee universal flareing die. Before I had either I used to use a tapered punch inserted in the case mouth then tapped the case on the loading bench once or twice. I can't really say the real stuff works any better or is any faster.
Click to expand...

Good for you and your improvising. I have often improvised something, and as you say, it often works as well, or better, than a designed tool. It also makes your loading operation a little more personalized.
 
If one is loading a few hundred thousand 308 cases, champering them is out of the question. That is why I was kissing mouth with expander button to give them a flair. The 650 Dillon tool head has 4 positions, so there is a way to automatically flare the cases. The boat tailed match bullets would seat just fine without the flair, but we did not want to scratch the bullets.


And yes, improvising can be rewarding. But it does not always work. For example, I know that damp lumpy black powder cannot be dried in a microwave.....

Read below.
 
"I'm sorry but that cracked me up!!!

Was it as exciting as the pictures in my minds eye just now? "

Picture your wife walking into the house and asking why the microwave looks round and is sitting outside in a snowbank.

Then imagine a very high frequency at maximum decibel series of questions about the smell, the hole in the wall and the dent in the ceiling.


And then, for the last 15 years, imagine how so many discussions have ended by her asking "Another good idea? Like the microwave?"

Read below!!
 
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