jacketed bullet sizing
- Thread starter porpoise
- Start date
Boolitcaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
Although it is feasible to run jacketed bullets through a lead bullet sizing die, you run the risk of loose jackets over the lead cores.
That is because the jacket material has much more spring back than lead.
What caliber are you looking at? 44-40?
That is because the jacket material has much more spring back than lead.
What caliber are you looking at? 44-40?
It is doable. Softer "cup and core" bullets are easier to size than bonded or Barnses.
Accuracy might not be the best after you've sized your bullet down a few thou, but, if you just want to make noise you should be ok.
Make sure that your press is mounted darned good and secure to a heavy bench. I have had to stand on my press handle to size some bullets down as a bit of an experiment (312 dia down to 308 dia)
If you're shooting an older vintage or antique, then I would suggest lead boolits, as they will size down better than jacketed, just my $.02
Accuracy might not be the best after you've sized your bullet down a few thou, but, if you just want to make noise you should be ok.
Make sure that your press is mounted darned good and secure to a heavy bench. I have had to stand on my press handle to size some bullets down as a bit of an experiment (312 dia down to 308 dia)
If you're shooting an older vintage or antique, then I would suggest lead boolits, as they will size down better than jacketed, just my $.02
i am shooting soft lead in and old marlin 1894 44 40. i dont want to shoot these cowboy bullets faster that 1050 they are working great but i have read i can shoot up to 1800 with jacketed with this type of rifle. i would probly go a bit slower than that but the only close to suitable bullets are hornady xtp 200 gr. .430. my bore is tight smaller than 427. i suppose i could size hardcast bullets down but there are none 200 gr. that i can find
mmcintyre1220
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Tillsonburg, Ontario
I buy surplus Russian 123 grain .310 bullets and size them to .308 for the 300 blackout. No issues at all and accuracy is on par with any bulk projectiles.
I use 300gr .4295" jacketed bullets in my 44-40. But its build on a strong receiver. The barrel slugs to .427. Works fine. The barrel sizes them for me(im working with about 25,000psi though.) I may not try that on a 50-60k rifle load. As for lead. Idealy in a .427"barrel you would shoot .429-.430" so long as the rounds chamber without resistence.
fingers284
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Alberta Cowboy Ranges
Two reasons I would be very leery of doing that in a "built in the Black Powder era" rifle, both pertain to the metallurgy available to gun manufacturers back then. The pressures of the round you are contemplating will be very much higher than the BP equivalent you are using now. I may contemplate using your planned rounds in a new manufacture gun, maybe even back to a 1920 circa model but nothing before that.
The second reason has to do with the metallurgy of the barrel. These barrels were made in the lead bullet era out of steel that doesn't handle abrasion as well as newer molly steel and harder jacketed bullets are much more abrasive than any lead, even hard cast. Jacketed bullets & cleaning rods have made a LOT of very "nice on the outside" into guns with sewer pipes for barrels.
Do what you will with your gun, after all it is yours but it will last a lot longer (forever) if treated for what it is "an old gun not meant/built to be a hotrod.
