Making your own jacketed bullets

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wheelgun

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I am looking for someone who has experience making jacketed bullets. I have lots of questions specifically about using the corbin press and procedures to completed ACCURATE bullet.

I am retired and have the time to do it but am not sure about availability of supplies etc.

http://www.swagedies.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=CBST&Category_Code=PRESS

I can take discussion off forum if you have experience and prefer contact through email.
 
the materials are fairly common you need soft lead and a core mold for the caliber you are swaging and jacket material this could be copper sheet or for .223"/.224" bullets its common for .22 rimfire cases to be used.

there is plenty of video on YouTube on swaging id check them out
 
I shoot FTR so my goal is as every one else in the game doing my best to achieve everything in a 5 inch ring at 1000 yards. My present NRA classification is master, some days I can shoot master other days it is "disaster", but I continue to work at it.
I own three custom made rifles for FTR in .308, a PGW Titanium action on a low boy stock with Night Force competition 55x, a Borden actioned dolphin stocked custom with another 50x S&B on top, and a Bat 3 lug in a Master Class stock topped with a 50 x S&B scope, in addition I have a PGW Coyote.
I have spare barrels for all if they go on me.
I only want to send the very best I can get or make down the barrels of these guns.

I presently shoot Berger 185 Juggernauts but availability and price is driving me crazy. My present needs with trips to US for competition are about 2000 rounds per year. That could easily be upped to 3000.
My last trip to Phoenix in Feb was with 700 loaded rounds for 3 matches in three weeks.
I could simply cast some pistol bullets with the master caster and sell them, then buy rifle bullets if it was economics only but availability is another issue.
I won 600 rounds last year and it took Berger a year to get me them never mind finding them on a shelf here.

I guess I was somewhat vague in my original post.
I need to speak to someone who is actually making bullets, I have seen the you tube stuff. Even better if I could find someone who is doing this in central Canada I would be happen to meet up.
-I want to know about getting J4 jackets in Canada.
-Molding the lead core with my Master Caster, I have access to lots of pure lead and could easily make 1000 per hour.
-Possibility of making quality jackets here in Canada (not out of 22 shells or brass of any kind but quality jackets). I just don't see any reason why we can't make them or have them made here.
-How close I can come to duplicating a proven bullet design.
-Modifying that design slightly to meet my needs.
-There experience with actual success.
 
Try contacting Steve Redgwell at 303British.com, I believe he spent the last two years setting up his machines to make .22s.

He's ex military and gas forgotten more than I have learned.

He may be a bit grumpy :)
 
Thanks yomomma! I will try to contact him. In addition I found the Walnut Hill press site with some of the information I was looking for.
 
I admire your ambition and understand the monetary aspect of your quest but realy have to question the viability of such an endeavor. Not that I question the idea of roll-your-own bullets, just don't know if the quality of a good 1000 yrd target bullet will be in the cards.

Bullet companies have experimented for years to come up with the equipment that will allow them to produce very concentric and dimensionally correct products that you use now. The fact is that without the digital/optical measuring/weighing equipment they have, your competitors, with the advantage of using their products, will have the advantage that will kill the sport for you.

Frugality might not be the best recipe here. Making bullets for hunting ,plinking even short range targeting would be very satisfying I would imagine but 5 inch groups at 1000 yrds requires every component to be consistent beyond reproach...throwing in a home rolled bullet to the equation wouldn't give me the confidence that style of shooting requires.
 
And that is why I want to face to face with someone who is doing it and getting results. It's not about the money it is availability and quality. If I can't achieve what I want I won't start but there are benchrest shooters that make their own.
 
Sorry for slow reply Marshman. I had to figure out who you are. You have ALL the answers I need but I can't make it to the westerns due to a wedding that weekend. I will send pm and perhaps I could call you.
 
wheelgun said:
And that is why I want to face to face with someone who is doing it and getting results. It's not about the money it is availability and quality. If I can't achieve what I want I won't start but there are benchrest shooters that make their own.
Click to expand...

The very best of bullets can be made using hand presses and custom dies with excellent uniformity from lot to lot because you are adjusting the equipment the same way every time.
Mass produced bullets are made in many dies that differ from one another to do the same job so different lot# most always measure differently @ the ogive.they are also run through ring dies to size them every forming die will produce a different bullet .

When you make your own bullets it is the jackets that are the most work to do if you want to draw them sheet material buying them is the best way to go if you can get some at a feasible price. The last time I checked with Berger for jackets it would have been cheaper to buy bullets considering the price for the lead and the work involved.
A few years ago I got interested in making bullets and made some presses, dies, punches, blanking press and all the tooling needed for making bullets , the bullets I made shot very well but they were a lot of work to do.
I made all the tooling myself so the cost was low but it took about a year of making tools in my spare time before an actual bullet was made.If you were able to find a setup and some jackets for a reasonable price I think you would be able to make some great bullets.
The only thing Corbin offers for a long range bullet however is a rebated boattail , the BC would be better with a regular boattail .
Depending on how much $$ you want to dish out there are die makers that can set you up with dies to make whatever bullet design you would like .
 
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Its simple Wheelgun, contact chinchagabullets in Peace river,AB.
Dale is friend of mine who really Knows his craft!
(780) 618-8896.

Here are some of his (ULD) Ultra Low Drag bullets.

 
Another thought if looking for information on what tooling to choose jump over to the saubier.com forum as they have a pile of folks making their own. They even have a section of the forum just for bullet making discussion.
 
fingers284 said:
I admire your ambition and understand the monetary aspect of your quest but realy have to question the viability of such an endeavor. Not that I question the idea of roll-your-own bullets, just don't know if the quality of a good 1000 yrd target bullet will be in the cards.

Bullet companies have experimented for years to come up with the equipment that will allow them to produce very concentric and dimensionally correct products that you use now. The fact is that without the digital/optical measuring/weighing equipment they have, your competitors, with the advantage of using their products, will have the advantage that will kill the sport for you.

Frugality might not be the best recipe here. Making bullets for hunting ,plinking even short range targeting would be very satisfying I would imagine but 5 inch groups at 1000 yrds requires every component to be consistent beyond reproach...throwing in a home rolled bullet to the equation wouldn't give me the confidence that style of shooting requires.
Click to expand...

I think you misunderstood his reasoning.
 
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There are limitations, imho, as I shoot 22 Corbin made bullets in a number of 22 cf. Hornet to 22-250. The rim fire jackets will not take the higher velocity over about 3500+-. Accuracy is fine but not competition grade!
 
A local guy in Kingston On Ken Steacy is making .264 bullets. I have been doing some test shooting for him.
So far 135gr. rebate boat tail they shoot as good as bergers. He told me there are 7 different operations to make each bullet.
You had better love working on a press. If you want contact info pm me.
 
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