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Old October 2, 2012, 10:23 PM   #1
Marduk
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Lee REAL Bullet sizing

I picked up a CVA 50 cal Black Powder and with powerbelts being $27 for 15 I decided to try casting some Lee REAL bullets and sized them to .501 because it seemed like 'everyone' on the web was sizing these to .501. Anywho, I pushed one into the barrel and although it wont just fall out it went down with little pressure and barely cut rifling grooves into the bullet. Now this bullet is a 320 grain solid conical with 4 bands. Question is, is this too loose? I know a mini-ball has a hollow base and expands a bit to take the rifling but this bullet is solid. I dropped them in water and they set up from .517 to .519. Not sure if I would be better off air cooling or water cooling and they are pure lead or at least I think the lead is pure.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Old October 3, 2012, 06:39 AM   #2
dahermit
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REAL = Rifling Engraved At Loading. The manufacture of the mold (Lee Precision), designed that style of bullet to be used as cast (no pre-sizing), and to be made from pure, un-hardened lead. You just cast them, load them and shoot them, just as they fall from the mold.
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Old October 3, 2012, 08:20 AM   #3
Marduk
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Thanks dahermit.
Problem is though without sizing I can't pound the thing in the barrel.
I tried beating one down with my starter and just hurt my hand.
Could water hardening them be the problem?
I have heard of people using a mallet to start them but that seems a bit extreme does it not?
I am sort or a newbie with the BP thing so perhaps this is a normal fit.
Thanks.
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Old October 3, 2012, 10:10 AM   #4
snuffy
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dahermit is exactly correct. So is Lee, as to how that conical bullet is made to work.

Your bullets have some tin and antimony in them or they would load with little or no pressure required to seat them. A soft rap with the short starter, then the slow push with the long starter is all that should be required.

Of course you have to have the REAL smeared pretty well with lube, or you would have a much harder time ramming them.

In my 50 cal. Hawken, or my Ruger 50 MZ they shoot real well. They also load like I said above, but I KNOW my lead is pure, I got it from midway, it's 99.2% certified pure lead. I use it strictly for my smoke poles.

The theory is that the lee REAL has the four driving bands that get progressively larger from the base to the point. Each band is made to progressively engage the rifling a little deeper. This helps center the bullet in the barrel, and helps guide it when fired.

Now, when it's fired, the back of the bullet compresses to obturate or fill the rifling tighter. But to do that, it must be dead soft, pure lead.

If your lead has anything like tin, arsenic or antimony in it, then you water drop them, you're heat treating/hardening them.

If you can find some stick-on wheel weights, those are rumored to be nearly pure lead. Cat and then air cooled they should work well.
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Old October 3, 2012, 11:39 AM   #5
Marduk
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Thanks for the great input. I'll start over and air cool them and see what happens. The source of my lead is dubious as I got it in bulk from a hospital construction demo, or so I am told. The top land measures at about .517 and I have read that the cva wolf has a 501-502 barrel. Thought perhaps the bullet was just to big. Thanks again!
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Old October 5, 2012, 04:59 AM   #6
sidewindr
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Does your lead ,when poured into a small ingots(not bullet,more mass is needed), form a crystal like look on the surface or a flat grayish or solid color? If it has any other than pure it will usually have that grainy/crystal look.
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Old October 5, 2012, 07:37 AM   #7
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Do you know anyone around you who might have one of the Lee hardness testers? IF so your "pure" should be in the 5 bhn range or lower, 7 at tops.

Pour up another few of them, let them air cool and measure, and then let them sit for about 2 weeks, measure again. Pure shouldn't grow much if any, if you have tin/antimony in it they will grow around .001-.0025", and they will be harder.

The other post on simply cast and load are correct with the proper alloy, and you don't want to water cool them at all.

Also make sure those grease grooves are slathered up full as well.

Hope this helps.
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Old October 5, 2012, 02:37 PM   #8
Marduk
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Thanks everyone. I took a lead 50 cal and cast another from my lead.
Hit them both with a hammer and the known lead smashed almost twice as flat.
Poor mans hardness test confirms my lead is good for my ought 6 or 30-30 but not BP
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