Gold Supporter
- Messages
- 24,571
- Reactions
- 37,286
- Thread Starter
- #21
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
I've always thought of swaging down when it comes to resizing bullets - for example, making lightweight .30 plinkers out of .32 auto bullets for varmints and the like. The mechanics of deformation in sizing down would seem to retain and reinforce the jacket:lead bond, maintaining the integrity of the bullet - whereas swaging up would seem to require the lead to flow out to the new, larger diameter, and with a complex shape like a spitzer boattail, lead to an unpredictable result. I suppose with a simpler bullet shape like an open-base ball round it could be done - for the .303 British or 7.62x39 AK round, for example. You'd need a variety of top punches to handle all the different ogives of the 6.5 mm long-range, high BC bullets, though. Coating seems a more general solution.Have you thought about swaging the bullets a size or two up? Machine yourself a top punch to match the bullet nose and use the body of a push through sizer to open the sides of the bullet in an arbor or hydraulic press. and then run them through the sizing die in your reloading press to finish them off. DR
Up until I retired I had access to a lathe, mill, and all the tooling. At that time I could turn a top or bottom punch in just a few min. for swaging up just a few thousands I got pretty predictable results. for flat bottom bullets I used a ball or dome as the bottom punch. it helped to get more predictable results. DRI've always thought of swaging down when it comes to resizing bullets - for example, making lightweight .30 plinkers out of .32 auto bullets for varmints and the like. The mechanics of deformation in sizing down would seem to retain and reinforce the jacket:lead bond, maintaining the integrity of the bullet - whereas swaging up would seem to require the lead to flow out to the new, larger diameter, and with a complex shape like a spitzer boattail, lead to an unpredictable result. I suppose with a simpler bullet shape like an open-base ball round it could be done - for the .303 British or 7.62x39 AK round, for example. You'd need a variety of top punches to handle all the different ogives of the 6.5 mm long-range, high BC bullets, though. Coating seems a more general solution.
6.5 lead bullets are hard to find.I can appreciate the thought behind this thread. It's really interesting. Personally I could see great use of fattened up .308 bullets in a .311 bore.
But why in the world, @arakboss , are you using hard to find bullets (.257) in a common (6.5) bore?