Bullet Making (originally owned by Stephen Perry)

JC
Thanks for providing your link. Do you have access to or know any links on bullet making in any Canadian or Australian Shooting Journals? Will be appreciated . thanks

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
Dan H
Don't be concerned of making a big shiny arse of yourself when starting to make bullets. Ask your questions get your answers and turn off Benchrest Central when you are applying what you learn. To me bulllet making is a private experience. Nothing else matters when you are leaning your new craft of making BR benchrest bullets. Share your experiences from time time, be humble with your Range buds. You are on the path of making bullets better than your guys can buy from the commercial bullet makers. Sierra, Nosler, Speer know that, they all have benchrest roots.

So Dan you should be cleaning your presses and bullet making dies, organizing your bullet making area, buying all the small stuff I and others told earlier, securing J4 jackets and lead wire, if you are going to squirt cores,learn to measure in 1/10,000's. Talk 1/10's when talking with bullet makers. Read everything you can get your hands on about bullet making. Look for and read the 'Articles' and 'FAQ's' sections in Benchrest Central. There are several well written articles on making bullets there, by some of the best bullet makers.

Dan, be aggresive and patient with your learning curve while improving your bullet making skills. Find a Mentor that will consider you one of his bullet making family. Do not under any circumstances call your Mentor everyday with questions you can figure out by reading or experimenting. Nothing wrong with comparing notes with Mentor every month. Beides your Mentor would probably like to know if you fell off the planet and sold your bullet making stuff all in the same week.

Dan set your dies to make a good bullet tip for short range BR, look at some BR bullets you might have of others as a guideline. Weigh your bullets compare them to BR bullets you bought from others for consistency. Secure a .0001 reading mike and calipers if you can afford them measure your supply of BR bullets you have from others measure your own as you make them, notice the consistency and quality of other bullet makers, where do your's fit in compared to others. Do your tech inspection on someone elses bullet quality, keep it to yourself. Strive to match or exceed what you shoot now in BR bullets, you can do it. Keep a ledger of what you do date, time, and changes. Settle on a bullet making process that works for you. Evaluate yourself often on your bullet making learning curve. One important item in making bullets, have some fun in making bullets. You will become a better shooter for all your knowledge and deidcation while making a better BR benchrest bullet. Thank your Mentor often.
Done.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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Stephen, thanks for the encouragement and words of wisdom. Unfortunately both my mentors are at the SS, good for them. I was supposed to be there but needed to stay home to oversee a construction project that my wife and I have been anxiously awaiting for three years. I did down load that article from Braconi today, will read at bed time.

Dan Honert
 
First I would like to thank everyone for adding their information to this thread. Ive recently got into swaging and have been reading everything I can find.. I feel like I hit a wealth of info here.

Im curious what everyones thoughts are on jacket length and bullet weight relationship.

Is there an ideal % you want the jacket to be filled with core? an ideal balance point perhaps?

Say for example a .790 long jacket 6mm. Is there an ideal weight for that, an acceptabe range?

Obviously there will be a point where the case is full but should you be stepping up to a longer jacket some time before that to retain some ammount of hollow point?


I guess the experimenter in me is trying to resist the urge to just crank out what works. But I get the feeling that I may end up right where I started.

Has anyone else tried taking a long jacket and making a "light" bullet, or filling a jacket to where when you point it up you have lead all the way to the tip?
 
Folks are routinely shooting "teen" aggs with what's out there now - and you know the core jacket relationship of the bullets they're using. Believe me that anything you would conceive has been tried....not that you shouldn't try it again....I'm just sayin'.

Implied, is the logic that if an individual is not shooting teen aggs with "mainstream components" then experimentation would not be gratifying.
 
I have tried making lighter bullets on longer then needed jackets So far the results are pretty negative.
The 750 is ideal for a 60 to 62 gr weight the 790 makes excellent 66 or 65 gr bullets the 825 makes excellent 68 to 72 gr bullets. The list goes on for the longer jackets in 6mm . To little lead seems to make rinkles in the nose at least on my attempts, Im sure you could vary a grain up or down, but my best results have been in these weights on these jackets Now if you make a boat tail things change quite a bit. It seems to add length to the jackets leaving a tad more room for core weight and hence bullet weight. Thats my most recent observations on my new bt core seater die.
It seems more noticable on the 900 and up jackets. The ogive balance point comes into effect . It was written about by B&A years ago.
 
Well, Here goes,

Received my Press, Dies, Core Cutter from Mr Blackmon (sorry spelling) I was wondering if Someone could list a simple Step by Step for me to follow and then when I get to each step I can go back and re read (agian about the 10th time) the intricacies of that particular step.

Ie,
Cut lead lengths to x (making 118's 30cal)
2. Straighten segments (not sure how to do that)
etc,
Thank you all for your time in contributing to a Excellent thread (best i've ever seen on any forum on any topic)

Also is there any special way the press should be mounted to the bench?
 
I've got time to get you started.

You may have a fancy core cutter that pulls right off the spool but many have a simple guillotine type cutter. Mount the cutter such that the lead wire will gravity feed.

Cut the wire into somewhere around 20 inch lengths using some kind of temporary system. I recall using masking tape on the counter top marked off in the desired lengths, pulling a long run off the spool and cut it at the marks.

Use a 1 by 6 board about two feet long to "roll" the cut wire straight - several pieces at once. This method works like a charm.

OK, the wire is cut and rolled straight. Grasp the end of a piece and quickly slide it off the counter top letting the other end swing down so that it doesn't bend and lower the free end into the core cutter. Start cutting "slugs" into your improvised slug catcher. Any nuance not described here will quickly show its face but none that need instruction.

I never made 30 cal bullets but slugs for a 68 gr 6mm are typically cut 3 grains over the final bullet weight. I think two grains is about right but always made it three. Get the average jacket weight using 20 jackets or so, subtract that from the final bullet weight, and cut the slugs to weigh a bit over that result. The "squirts" should be half inch or so.
 
Wilbur,
I lube my wire before I cut it and you do not have to lube the cores when you squirts them. Although I put some lube on my fingers (left hand only) and apply just a little before I squirt them.
John
 
Wilbur said:
I've got time to get you started.

You may have a fancy core cutter that pulls right off the spool but many have a simple guillotine type cutter. Mount the cutter such that the lead wire will gravity feed.

Cut the wire into somewhere around 20 inch lengths using some kind of temporary system. I recall using masking tape on the counter top marked off in the desired lengths, pulling a long run off the spool and cut it at the marks.

Use a 1 by 6 board about two feet long to "roll" the cut wire straight - several pieces at once. This method works like a charm.

OK, the wire is cut and rolled straight. Grasp the end of a piece and quickly slide it off the counter top letting the other end swing down so that it doesn't bend and lower the free end into the core cutter. Start cutting "slugs" into your improvised slug catcher. Any nuance not described here will quickly show its face but none that need instruction.

I never made 30 cal bullets but slugs for a 68 gr 6mm are typically cut 3 grains over the final bullet weight. I think two grains is about right but always made it three. Get the average jacket weight using 20 jackets or so, subtract that from the final bullet weight, and cut the slugs to weigh a bit over that result. The "squirts" should be half inch or so.
Click to expand...

I have a basic core cutter, and i'm underway, Thank you Sir.
 
Br bullet making.

I see your using larrys dies. I bet {guess] you have it set up using 1 press.
Heres a tip Save a core or two and the seated core when you get to that point and also a pointed bullet. They come in handy when you switch dies back and forth On the die set ups.
 
Gerry
That's a good tip for a guy working on one press and changing dies. I worked off 1 RCBS Rockchucker press before I got 2 more and a A2.

My question for you Gerry I am getting a Ruger 77 .308 varmint gun in September. I would like to make .30 bullets for the gun. I am a NBRSA group shooter and have no interest in Score. The bullets I will make for the Ruger will be for 200-600M silohuette. Gerry what do you recommend for a used set of .30 bullet making dies. Not looking for junk just to have some dies. Seen any dies for sale. Gee maybe I could talk with Ferris and come up with some Pindell classics. thanks gerry.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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Gerry that is a good idea. Thanks.
This thread and talking to a well known Bullet maker and BR shooter. Have pushed me into BR bullet making.
I met George Ulrich at the Super Shoot. He gave me a couple of samples, of the bullets, the dies will make. Nice looking bullets.
Met a few other bullet makers at Super Shoot.
 
Stephen i don't know of any for sale right now. I know george ulrich can make a set and of course the one i like the best david detsch. I got luckly last year and a set of davids dads were for sale on Benchrest central.
They are excellent 80g carbide.dies B&A style. I like the 8og the best. I also have a set that david made that are 7.5 ogive both are excellent. david get about $2200 to $2400 for a set of carbide dies I think George is less and i know nemi is more. I'm not sure what George may have in his shop. maybe he has some on hand ask David also.
Bob simonson passed away a while back maybe a set is around in his estate. His son was planning on making bullets . You could also ask Bob white if he has any 30 dies . You never can tell whats going to turn up
Sorry i couldn't do better stephen.
 
Zippy and stephen. If your going to get into the 30 dies make sure you have at least an old rcbs A2 Press.
You will need really good leverage to make 30 cals. I have heard that george Ulrich has made heavy duty
B&A style presses. Right now i have made up to 180 gr bullets on the A2 It isn't easy and your arm gets pretty tired. Stephen if your going to make bullets for your ruger . What weight are you going for? You can ask Eric Stecker for a sample or two of different length bullet jacket to try out. Eric is a class act. He sent me a few to try out that are different lengths . Right now i'm working on my bullet boards
 
Gerry
I have an A2 Press and 2 Rockchucker Presses set up right now for making my 22 & 6 bullets. I want to make 30 cal bullets in the 165-168 grn range either FB or BT whichever die set I can get. I grew up at the Sierra bullet company when they were in So Cal. I knew Ferris Pindell, Arvie Martin, and Martin Hull. Of coarse I want either Pindell or Martin dies in carbide or steel but where are they at. I can track down Arvie he lives in the San Diego area about 100 miles South of me. Arvie barreled my 6x47 Rem ages ago, shot a .25 agg in competition with it, my Hart barrel.
Thanks.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
GerryM said:
Zippy and stephen. If your going to get into the 30 dies make sure you have at least an old rcbs A2 Press.
You will need really good leverage to make 30 cals. I have heard that george Ulrich has made heavy duty
B&A style presses. Right now i have made up to 180 gr bullets on the A2 It isn't easy and your arm gets pretty tired. Stephen if your going to make bullets for your ruger . What weight are you going for? You can ask Eric Stecker for a sample or two of different length bullet jacket to try out. Eric is a class act. He sent me a few to try out that are different lengths . Right now i'm working on my bullet boards
Click to expand...

Gerry.
George indicated, that he is behind on making presses.
I was thinking about Blackmon stuff. Asked for some info. Larry indicated he sent an attachment. But, it was not rec'd.
 
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