machining bullets

[prosper]

I recently acquired a 500 a-square. This thing is such a blast to shoot

The only problem is that .510 bullets aren't readily available, and tend to be very expensive. When they can be found, they're frequently spitzer designs for the BMG, which would probably work OK for practice and high power plinking, but won't function through the mag.

I'm going to be ordering a whack of cast bullets for low power plinking, but this gun can be opened up a lot further with brass or jacketed bullets - up to about 2600fps with 600 grainers.

So, does anyone know if it would be feasible for me to have a bunch of bullets lathe-turned at a machine shop out of brass stock?

 

[Canuck223]

It might be simpler to order the Corbin tooling to make jackets out of copper tubing.

 

[trevj]

Sintered bronze bar stock is available. Smokestream tracers! Dunno how brass would work. I know that you don't want to mess with solid copper, if you are not forming the stuff. It machines like warm chewing gum.

If you can find someone that does CNC lathe work for cheap, or you can afford the run time and materials to keep the CNC lathe running for a half hour or so, it can be done easy enough.

I doubt that you will like the numbers they throw out at you for the cost per, if they have other paying work in house. I suspect it would make you consider buying the equipment.

Cast bullets and gas checks, come to mind. Swaging is next best, IMO, as the equipment costs are right up there

Cheers
Trev

 

[david doyle]

can you get gas checked bullets?

 

[prosper]

I found this place:
http://www.emachineshop.com

Problem is, I'd be shipping '50 cal' bullets from the US, which is a big no no

 

[prosper]

can you get gas checked bullets?

I've never seen any .510 GC molds anywhere

 

[david doyle]

Maybe try NEI handtools?

 

[Gatehouse]

Saeed, on accuratereloading.com has been machingin his bullets for that las few years. They take copper ad make TSX style bullets from them.

Machine the outside, then drill a hollowpoint.

 

[prosper]

Well, I found a place that will sell me .510 extruded brass rod for a super cheap price.... in 5000lb lots

 

[RobSmith]

a crafty individual could probably make up a tool to make this process very simple, think pencil sharpener . Stick a rod in a drill press, lower ram, cut to lenght, repeat.

 

[Silverback]

I've never seen any .510 GC molds anywhere

You can design your own mould on the Mountain Molds web site (mountainmolds.com), not too sure about the .510 gas checks though, maybe shoot them off an e-mail. I have 3 of their moulds for my 500 S&W and they are great to deal with.

 

[Ian Robertson]

There are a number of companies that turn bullets. Barnard in NZ is one and Lutz in Germany is another.

 

[sunray]

"...if it would be feasible..." Yep. Cheap? No. Think in terms of an hourly rate around $60 to $70 or more.

 

[Mystic Precision]

Lee offers a custom mold service that is only a few more bucks over the price of their reg molds. They make a nice looking 500gr FN bullet. Would be very easy for them to make a GC groove.

I bet you can get them to 2000fps with the Alox liq lube. That is a dirt cheap way to dislocate your shoulder.

Fun, fun, ouch.

Jerry

 

[yodave]

wildcat bullets has the following swaged bullets in their inventory:


510

650 HAIRFIELD ULD H.P. RBBT $2.85 EACH

750 HAIRFIELD ULD H.P. RBBT $2.95 EACH

800 HAIRFIELD ULD H.P. RBBT $3.25 EACH

Wildcat Bonded Hunting Bullets

Wildcat Bullets Ltd

RR#2 Wetaskiwin,

Alberta,Canada,

T9A-1W9



wildcatbullets@hotmail.com

 

[Aries-]

id look for a CnC shop. would be fairly easy for them to plug out a program for a .510 bullet (hell i could likely do it in a few minutes if i had a pic of the bullet part.

if they have a higher end lathe they can put in a 9ft long pice of bar stock or so and it will feed it through the lathe as it goes. makes it fairl easy to make a bunch of bullets. (would be slow and time consuming doing it by hand)

 

[Boomer]

Barnes makes .510's for sporting rifles as well as for the BMG. The .500 Nitro I used in Africa was loaded with 570 gr X's and with Woodleigh solids. Neither option is likely to be cheap, but it will be cheaper than turned bullets, and easier on your barrel than monolithic solids.

NEI Handtool's catalog shows .510 moulds for bullet weights from 300 gr to 775, with lots of mid weight options.
915-772-0259 or Google their web site.

 

[kombayotch]

Small Sherline CNC lathes are pretty cheap these days...

 

[alexl650]

you should probably be careful machining solid copper or brass bullets. i think they may be considered armor peircing, i think there is something in the law about having more than 25% of a bullets weight being copper. just be careful

 

[prosper]

Brass solids are widely available, as are lead-free (all copper) designs. Also, AP bullets aren't illegal (well, maybe they are in handguns)