50-95 dies

[EdsPlace]

Just mixed up some 20-1 Lead-tin.  I'll give it a try.  I have a bunch of wheel weights cast up and some tin.  What's a "little bit"? of tin.  I've heard WW are about 0.5% tin.  Are you going from there?  I don't have a hardness tester yet, so, I'm a bit in the dark.  I cast some bullets out of pure lead and they look good.  I'll use those in my Smith Carbine.  I'm thinking pressures are a bit too high to use pure lead in the 50-95.  I tried casting some pure lead for the 43 Mauser, but couldn't get rid of the wrinkles.  It's a big long bullet (370 gr. 0.446" nominal)....about the same as used in a 45-70.

I haven't heard any discussion about seating depth for the 50-95.  I know it's real critical in my Mauser.  What do you guys do?  Just go for max overall length and hope for the best?

Ed

[ndnchf]

Yeah, max length is what I do.  I seat mine to a max length of 2.255" using the Lyman 515139 bullet.  I'm loading up some tonight with 85gr Goex FFG

[evodude]

Im seating mine out to 2.28 oal., if you go too long, it wont clear when you lever. By a tad bit of tin, Im adding about two feet of it off a solderin roll to a Lee pot full of melted wheel weights- dumping them in water to cool brings the hardness up from 10-11 to 19-21 using the Lee hardness tester, so for running them at 15-1600 fps, I think the harder bullet withstands the launch without the wad better. Ive recovered some of the bullets behind the backstop (melted them down again!!) and the base doesnt show any pitting from the powderburn.

[Backstrap Bill]

So far, the longest I've gone is 2.261".  I've used alloy from radioisotope canisters that are made of virgin lead  & 2% antimony, and also tried 20:1.  Both seem to work acceptably well with black powder and soft lube.

[EdsPlace]

Loaded up about 10 rounds.  These dies are giving me fits.  I can't seem to get crimp the way I want it with proper bullet seating depth.  I get seating depth right, and hold the seating plug in place with a screw driver as I lower the whole die a little at a time.  Seating depth shouldn't change, but it does!  I get just enough crimp to prevent the bullet from spinning in the case, but it's now about 1/16" deeper than I wanted.  Ran out of brass, so now I got to shoot some to try again!

[ndnchf]

Here's how I do it:

1. Back out seater die a couple turns (maybe 1/4" - 3/16")  so there is no crimp when a case is run fully up.

2. With the die in this position, back out the seater plug a good ways so it is well above normal seating depth.  Start a bullet into the case and slowly run it fully up.  At this point the seater plug should still be above the bullet or just starting to seat it.  Lower the ram and check bullet depth, lower the seater plug a little at a time and check depth.  Keep going until the bullet is seated to the desired depth. Take your time, use small increments, maybe 1/2 turn at a time until you get the proper seating depth.

3. Back out the seater plug 1/2" or more.

4. Now, with the cartridge/ram in the full up position, screw the die down and little at a time and check for crimp.  Continue until the desired crimp has been made.  Tighten the die lock ring.  At this point you have a finished cartridge, but you need to finish adjusting the seater plug.

5. With the cartridge/ram still fully up in the die, with your fingers, screw down the seater plug until it just touches the top of the bullet.  Don't use a screwdriver, you want to be able to feel when the seater plug just kisses the bullet nose.  Tighten the seater plug lock ring. 

The dies should now be properly set.  Be sure you don't have a build up of bullet lube on the seater plug, as this makes it hard to turn by hand and feel it kiss the bullet. 

This procedure works for me every time.

Good luck

[Hell-Er High Water]

I am using RCBS Legacy dies to load for my Chaparral 50-95.  I am not happy with the way that the expansion die expands and flares the case or the way that the seat/crimp die seats and crimps the bullet.

The full length sizing die is just fine and matches the chamber on this rifle.  A fireformed case looks like an original Winchester 50-95 and the sizing die does minimum work.  Cases are being formed from Starline 50 Alaskan cases, shortened and with the rims thinned to 0.062".

I am using the expansion die and the seat/crimp die from my Lyman 50-70 Gov't die set.  I made a spacer from an old die lock ring to use with both of these dies that takes into account the differences in length between the two cases and shell holder height  differences.  In my case 0.221".  For the 50-70 I use a Lyman No. X-22 shell holder and an RCBS No. 5 shell holder for the 50-95.  There is a difference in case platform mounting height between the two shell holders that is why this difference had to be taken into account when making the spacer.  Cases are initially trimmed to 1.950" and after fire forming and sizing the cases are trimmed to 1.940".

Since I am using the same bullet in both calibers, the Rapine 512-350T the same spacer can be used for the seat/crimp die also.  Overall cartridge length for the 50-95 is 2.300" and it works through my action with no problems.  OAL for the 50-70 is 2.110".

I am still working up loads for this rifle so accuracy is not the best at this time (it has only had 40-50 rounds fired through it).  Initial loads got 4" groups at 50 yards.  When the barrel gets broken in a little and a new tang sight is installed I expect accuracy will improve substantially.  The factory mounted barrel sight is not the best in the world and a Lyman No.2 tang sight for the M'86 Winchester fits the mounting hole dimensions on the Chaparral M'76.  I know this will fit as I have one installed on my Chaparral 45-75,  M'76 NWMP carbine.

Hope that his helps with any die problems that you might be experiencing.  It solved my problems.

HHW

[the missing link]

In reloading for my Chaparral 50-95, i am not rezising the brass,shel at all, just running them thru the neck expander die to flare the mouth to axept the bullet, starting the bullets with the fingers and then seating and crimping with the die. I am jusing shortened 50 Alaska brass.

                                                                                        The Missing Link

                                                                                                 

[evodude]

Ive been doing the same thing- no resizing the brass at all. Just set the depriming rod out as far as itll go to knock the primer out, bell the mouth slightly, and crimp bullet in. Levers and chambers just fine, and will shoot 1/2" 1 shot groups at 100 yds all day long!!!

[the missing link]

Evodude --- what bullet are you jusing.  The Missing Link

[evodude]

Im using the Lyman 2640139 .515 350 grain slug exclusively. Bought the mould from Buffalo Arms. Im casting straight wheel weights, dropping in cold water from the mould, giving me 19-21 on the hardness scale. Im pushing them at 1500-1600 fps. Im not sizing them, and am using Liquid Alox as a lube. Seems to work fine in my two Chappies, groups 4" to 5" at 100 yds shooting through my dust cover mounted peep sight. I did shoot a 2 1/2" 3 shot at 100 yds with them, never repeated it, but will spend the rest of my life trying!!