Pedersoli Bullet Sizes

[cpt dan blodgett]

Wadd Cast Bullet Die sets come with 3 dies, your normal resizing die, your normal seating and crimping die and a 3rd die that opens up the mouth of the cartridge case belling the case a little to allow insertion of the cast bullet without scraping lead off, if properly adjusted.  The trick is to adjust for the smallest amount of bell that allows proper seating of the bullet.

Many die sets will also come with two seating punches one for flat topped bullets and another that is shaped to conform more or less with the nose of the bullet.  Some folks actually use JB weld or some such to custom fit the seating punch to the bullet.  Similar to bedding a rifle this requires a release agent that the JB weld will not stick too on the parts of the die you don't want stuck to.  I have never done this and feel it may be a good way to position yourself to buy another seating die.

If you got a set of dies for 45 70 that did not have the expanding die, lyman makes M series dies specifically for expanding cases for cast bullets.  There are suppliers that make different size expander plugs to get just the perfect neck tension .001 or .002.  This is farther than I have ever worried about.  Some folks recommend neck sizing their brass only others do not resize at all.  Some use a firm crimp others use no crimp and everthing in between.  I have read some that even leave a little of the bell to center the case in the chamber.  I used to think it was all voodoo, but have since learned it is merely alchemy.  Which explains why I never saw dolls or dead chickens on the range.

If you properly compress your powder and wad in the case prior to seating the bullet, the bullet seating punch shape may not make any difference as you are not really pressing on bullet enough to distort it.  From what I have read most BP powders like somewhere between .100 to .300 inch compression.  You can get fancy and use a compression die  essentially a bullet seating die adjusted out enough that it does not contact the case mouth and then a rather longer seating punch sized correctly slip inside the case mouth and press down on the powder and wad.  One adjusts the die so that the top of the wad is at the precise depth that will be reached by the bottom of the bullet when Overall Cartridge length is exactly right for the rifle.  The expander die is what is used to make the case mouth the proper size and have enough bell to allow seating of the bullet without scraping.   

Others mark a dowel of the proper diameter and essentially compress the powder by hand or use a press to force the dowel into the case to the mark.

Any die set should have what you need with the exception of the seating die or stem that you can get from buffalo arms when the time comes.  If you shoot smokeless you need not worry about the powder compression.  As I stated above if the die set designed for reloading jacketed bullets only does not have the expander die, one an always obtain a Lyman M die.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

Here is what I have so far:

I bought a New RCBS Rock Chucker Press

I took a4X8 sheet of plywood quartered ans ended up with a table just a little under 2'x4'x2 & 3/4"
* the "Table is held together with glue and 2 &1/2 Drywall screws in a 2" grid
* the preses ... three  eventually ...one now will fit on one of the two foot sides
* the other two foot side will hold two 20# diving weights set into the wood (to counter-balance the presses)
* In between will lie the scales, powder tube and ammo boxes, all set in 1" oak Fences
* i was GIVEN a Lee Large Case Trimmer, Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner, Lee .45-70 Case Length Gauge and Shell Holder,a Lee Chamfer Tool; and finally, a Lee Large Case Trimmer Cutter & Lock Stub
* During a moment of Largess, I was told that I needed"The ABCs of Reloading" by Dean Grenelle (ISBN 0-695-82467-7).
So that is what I am using (til I get to a library).
Will write more later ...

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Wadd;  We (You & all your many cascity Pards) have been working on this project for awhile. Congratulations, I see you are getting somewhere. I also have an RCBS Rockchucker. It is a classic, but so is that Lyman, and one can always find a use for a spare press.

The ABCs of Reloading is also a classic;- Read the print off it!  Have you found a local mentor yet?

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Sir Charles,
The answer to your question is no ....

The reason has two parts:

I live so far downtown that no one lives near me,so it will take a special trip to see what I imade ...

***Moral of this story; Keep it interesting;make them want to see it! (I am hoping the three press setup [one for each of the three rounds I use:.45- 70,.45 Schofield and .32 S&W] will bring them in ... ]).