jacketed bullet swageing

woodchopper

woodchopper

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Ok I suspect that someone here will be able comment.

Here is what I'm thinking. I want to use 32cal hornady XTP 110grn bullets to reload 30 Carbine

now they bullets are .312" and 30 carbine is .308" I've checked some once fired brass and the necks have enough play that the .312 bullet will fit so I could just load them as is.

What I would like to do is swage the bullets down to .308" I have a lathe to make the die but what I don't know is how much rebound will there be? so how big of a hole do I need to make in my die to end up with a .308" bullet?
 
i sized some .358 berry's plated bullets down to .330 about 2-3 weeks ago and they are still the same size. i used a .330 lee sizing die.
 
You are only swaging them down 4 thou which is really nothing. If it was me I'd just buy a .308 Lee bullet sizing die and throw a little lube on the .312 bullets before swaging them. The Lee dies can be had for about $20-25 which I'm sure is less expensive than the time it will take you to fabricate your own die.
 
I'll look for a swaging die, but after the search I did for bullets, brass, dies I dont' know if I'll find any

ended up that P&D was the only shop that had any loaded bullets, got a bag of 50 new brass at WSS and Cabellas had nothing, and I checked both locations.

no one had any 308" projectiles in the 110grn range, but I have some .312" 110grn 32 cal XTPs that I was playing around with for my 303 plinking, so why not.

Dies I bought second hand here in the EE.

and powder, I`m sitting on 2 pounds of IMR4227 which I use for my Martini Henry so it will work for the M1.
 
Last year I asked that same question to Dennis at titanreloading.com about resizing .310 to .308, maybe you could ask him the same about .312 to .308, below is his answer:

Jacketed bullets can be sized with the bullet sizing dies. When sizing jacketed bullets, the Lube and Size kit must be used in the Turret press or large single station press. Adjust the die into the press so that the punch just barely pushes the bullet through the sizing portion of the die. This will utilize the maximum leverage available in the press lever linkage. Bullets must also be lubricated with a quality case sizing lube like Lee 90006 or something similar. You may need to size them more than once because the jacket of the bullet may spring back a little the first time.

Dennis / Titan Reloading
Click to expand...
 
woodchopper said:
I'll look for a swaging die, but after the search I did for bullets, brass, dies I dont' know if I'll find any

ended up that P&D was the only shop that had any loaded bullets, got a bag of 50 new brass at WSS and Cabellas had nothing, and I checked both locations.

no one had any 308" projectiles in the 110grn range, but I have some .312" 110grn 32 cal XTPs that I was playing around with for my 303 plinking, so why not.

Dies I bought second hand here in the EE.

and powder, I`m sitting on 2 pounds of IMR4227 which I use for my Martini Henry so it will work for the M1.
Click to expand...

Trade-Ex has both FMJ and SP .30 carbine ammo!
 
well I'm looking at a hunting bullet for short range so softpoint / hollowpoint 110grn .308" I just didn't see any manufacture making something that fit.

I guess I'll be doing some more looking.

going to be getting a 19" barrel installed so this will be the new 'truck gun' for deer season.......... Well deer season 2015 at any rate.


Jerry if I find something interesting that I cant source locally I'll put together an order. Might need more 577/450 brass
 
woodchopper said:
well I'm looking at a hunting bullet for short range so softpoint / hollowpoint 110grn .308" I just didn't see any manufacture making something that fit.

I guess I'll be doing some more looking.

going to be getting a 19" barrel installed so this will be the new 'truck gun' for deer season.......... Well deer season 2015 at any rate.


Jerry if I find something interesting that I cant source locally I'll put together an order. Might need more 577/450 brass
Click to expand...

What you're looking at doing isn't actually swaging. Swaging is "bumping up" in size. You're drawing down. The problem with what you're looking to do is the dead soft lead core will size down with no spring back but the jacket can slightly spring back. This causes the jacket to separate from the core extremely easy. Will probably be ok for target and plinking ammo but for hunting ammo, not a great idea. Apparently, the bigger diameter difference you size them down, the less chance of core separation. .004" is a pretty small amount and the jacket may have more memory of you don't take it down further past the elastic point. Budget Shooter Supply also has some 86gr. Hornady soft points in .308". another problem with the pistol bullets is they are designed for low velocity handguns where as the .30C is pretty hot out of a rifle by comparison.
 
curseyou said:
Is there a chance of work softening the lead if you swage it down to .308? Just a thought.
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Jacketed bullets are usually made with cores of pure lead so they are already as soft as they are going to get. I did read that if you size heat treated bullets made of an alloy like wheelweights you could wok soften the alloy but that's for bullets with no jackets.
 
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