shimming molds?

maillemaker · May 18, 2011, 09:01 PM

I remember a thread not too long ago about "bucking" the mold or some such where you could shim it to make slightly larger bullets. How does one do this without lead "fins" forming on the bullet?

Steve

maillemaker · May 18, 2011, 10:00 PM

found it:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443778

It was "beagling", not "bucking".

Steve

hornetguy · May 20, 2011, 11:12 AM

personally, I've never understood how that would improve a boolit.
It seems that it would just make it larger in "one direction" if you will. Can we say "out of round"?

I thought that "beagling" a mold was the same as lapping one, by casting a boolit in that mold, then attaching the boolit to a drill, coating it with a mild abrasive, then slowly spinning it in the almost completely closed mold cavity.
I would think that, done carefully, this would gently enlarge the whole cavity, instead of just putting some thin shim between the mold halves.

maillemaker · May 20, 2011, 05:56 PM

Yes, it does result in an out-of-round bullet. My hope is that after pushing it through a sizer it will squeeze it back into round while maintaining a slightly larger size.

Steve

GP100man · May 21, 2011, 04:01 PM

I worry more `bout OUT-OF-BALANCE then out of round !!

When beagled it adds to each side true , but it`s still balanced !!!

If ya can chamber em with out sizing the throat & forcing cone will make it round , I promise

sundog · May 23, 2011, 08:06 AM

GP100man, a couple of thoughts. 2-bladed prop or rotor. Veral Smith addresses 'lop sided' bullets in his book. I do not necessarily agree with everything Veral touts, but if anything spinning is balanced, well, it's balanced. But here's another thought. The barrel is also a swaging device. Most often we load a bullet of larger diameter than groove. I'm currently working on a batch of bullets that are beagled base only to add a bit of girth to the drive bands. GC fits snugger, but still goes on easily. I can now pass the bullet through a size die .001 larger than before, and it comes out round with the GC the same diameter as the drive bands which a barely kissed by the die. They shoot extremely well. So, if you are going to do 'lop sided' bullets, they need to be symetrical. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

TXGunNut · May 23, 2011, 10:15 PM

I think "oblong" is a more accurate term than "lopsided". Former might just work, latter sounds like it would be out of balance.

res45 · May 24, 2011, 04:01 PM

Try shooting a cast bullet out of a two groove 303 British if you want an oblong bullet. Depending on the rifles bore you start out with say a .316 dia. bullet to fill the two small grooves and 3/4 of the bullet gets swaged down to fit the two larger .310 lands. Talk about a flat bullet,what amazing is that it still shoots very accurately.

I've Beagled a couple different mold in the past and it's worked fine.

maillemaker · May 25, 2011, 08:59 AM

I'm working on finding a good sized "minie" for my P1853 Enfield. The barrel seems to be about .585 in diameter. It's 3-groove so it's hard to measure.

res45 · May 25, 2011, 01:48 PM

If you have a slug from the bore any good machine shop will have a micrometer that can measure that.

You can do it yourself also by wrapping a know thickness of brass shim stock around the slug and take your measurement with your standard calipers or micrometer from the measurement you get subtract the thickness of the stock times 2 and you have the dia.

It comes in handy when your measuring those five grooves S & W handgun slugs.

May 18, 2011, 09:01 PM	#1
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	shimming molds? I remember a thread not too long ago about "bucking" the mold or some such where you could shim it to make slightly larger bullets. How does one do this without lead "fins" forming on the bullet? Steve

May 21, 2011, 04:01 PM	#5
GP100man Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2007 Location: Tabor City , NC. Posts: 1,969	I worry more `bout OUT-OF-BALANCE then out of round !! When beagled it adds to each side true , but it`s still balanced !!! If ya can chamber em with out sizing the throat & forcing cone will make it round , I promise __________________ GP100man

May 23, 2011, 08:06 AM	#6
sundog Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 1999 Location: Green Country, OK Posts: 782	GP100man, a couple of thoughts. 2-bladed prop or rotor. Veral Smith addresses 'lop sided' bullets in his book. I do not necessarily agree with everything Veral touts, but if anything spinning is balanced, well, it's balanced. But here's another thought. The barrel is also a swaging device. Most often we load a bullet of larger diameter than groove. I'm currently working on a batch of bullets that are beagled base only to add a bit of girth to the drive bands. GC fits snugger, but still goes on easily. I can now pass the bullet through a size die .001 larger than before, and it comes out round with the GC the same diameter as the drive bands which a barely kissed by the die. They shoot extremely well. So, if you are going to do 'lop sided' bullets, they need to be symetrical. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. __________________ safety first

May 23, 2011, 10:15 PM	#7
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	I think "oblong" is a more accurate term than "lopsided". Former might just work, latter sounds like it would be out of balance. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

May 24, 2011, 04:01 PM	#8
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	Try shooting a cast bullet out of a two groove 303 British if you want an oblong bullet. Depending on the rifles bore you start out with say a .316 dia. bullet to fill the two small grooves and 3/4 of the bullet gets swaged down to fit the two larger .310 lands. Talk about a flat bullet,what amazing is that it still shoots very accurately. I've Beagled a couple different mold in the past and it's worked fine. __________________ The Reloaders Network discord Channel https://discord.gg/Nafuzht

May 18, 2011, 10:00 PM	#2
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	found it: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443778 It was "beagling", not "bucking". Steve

May 20, 2011, 11:12 AM	#3
hornetguy Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2011 Location: on the north side of DFW Posts: 970	personally, I've never understood how that would improve a boolit. It seems that it would just make it larger in "one direction" if you will. Can we say "out of round"? I thought that "beagling" a mold was the same as lapping one, by casting a boolit in that mold, then attaching the boolit to a drill, coating it with a mild abrasive, then slowly spinning it in the almost completely closed mold cavity. I would think that, done carefully, this would gently enlarge the whole cavity, instead of just putting some thin shim between the mold halves.

May 20, 2011, 05:56 PM	#4
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Yes, it does result in an out-of-round bullet. My hope is that after pushing it through a sizer it will squeeze it back into round while maintaining a slightly larger size. Steve

May 25, 2011, 08:59 AM	#9
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	I'm working on finding a good sized "minie" for my P1853 Enfield. The barrel seems to be about .585 in diameter. It's 3-groove so it's hard to measure.

May 25, 2011, 01:48 PM	#10
res45 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 753	If you have a slug from the bore any good machine shop will have a micrometer that can measure that. You can do it yourself also by wrapping a know thickness of brass shim stock around the slug and take your measurement with your standard calipers or micrometer from the measurement you get subtract the thickness of the stock times 2 and you have the dia. It comes in handy when your measuring those five grooves S & W handgun slugs. __________________ The Reloaders Network discord Channel https://discord.gg/Nafuzht

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