what to do with undersized bullets

BombthePeasants · February 13, 2010, 04:14 PM

Dear fellow reloaders,

I have finally had some success with my first batches of .45ACP ammunition, but I had some failed cartridges, which I set aside, to revisit later. I have now revisited the failed cartridges. The issue with them was complete lack of neck tension. So, I took my calipers out, and measured the diameter of 2 of the offending bullets. They measured .447", not the .451" as per specifications. The question is, are these out-of-spec bullets reloadable, and if so, how do I clamp down the brass to hold them tightly?

**Unclenick** · February 13, 2010, 04:40 PM

I assume these are cast bullets? If so, melt them for your next casting session, if you cast? If not, trade them for good bullets from someone who does, or return them to the maker for exchange. Firing narrow lead bullets normally results in absolutely terrible accuracy and a lot of lead deposited in the bore due to gas cutting of the bullet base as gas goes around it.

You can sometimes bump up a cast bullet in a lubricator/sizer die, but accuracy will never be great from them.

Old Grump · February 13, 2010, 05:05 PM

Agreed, remelt or trade them to a muzzle loader, I have no problem patching and shooting undersize bullets in front of BP but in centerfire they just don't make it.

Sevens · February 15, 2010, 12:07 AM

Those bullets can go in the scrap lead bucket.
Question is... what are you measuring here? Are you measuring bullets that you pulled from cases where things went bad? Or are the bullets coming straight from a box of bullets?

Your technique at the press could be the reason you have some squished bullets. I would say it's not at all typical that you have a box of cast bullets from any supplier that has bullets in it ranging from .447" to .452". Now if you ran a bunch of rounds through a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die and you gorilla'd them with many pounds of force, you could squish them in to all kind of strange sizes.

Instead of measuring bullets from cases that were obviously bad rounds... try measuring a whole SLEW of bullets that you haven't seated in to any brass yet. Measure them right out of the box.

If you find bullets that much undersized from the box -- and you find a WIDE range in their diameter, then you first need to give them to another reloader to make sure that you are measuring them properly. If they really are that much out of spec and varying in construction, you need to take the box and use it to hit the guy over the head that cast those bullets and sold them to you.

I've had some cheap, inexpensive cast lead bullets... I obviously didn't like them and didn't buy more of them. But no way in heck were they THAT far out of spec. That's pretty much unusable product there.

February 13, 2010, 04:14 PM	#1
BombthePeasants Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 351	what to do with undersized bullets Dear fellow reloaders, I have finally had some success with my first batches of .45ACP ammunition, but I had some failed cartridges, which I set aside, to revisit later. I have now revisited the failed cartridges. The issue with them was complete lack of neck tension. So, I took my calipers out, and measured the diameter of 2 of the offending bullets. They measured .447", not the .451" as per specifications. The question is, are these out-of-spec bullets reloadable, and if so, how do I clamp down the brass to hold them tightly?

February 13, 2010, 04:40 PM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	I assume these are cast bullets? If so, melt them for your next casting session, if you cast? If not, trade them for good bullets from someone who does, or return them to the maker for exchange. Firing narrow lead bullets normally results in absolutely terrible accuracy and a lot of lead deposited in the bore due to gas cutting of the bullet base as gas goes around it. You can sometimes bump up a cast bullet in a lubricator/sizer die, but accuracy will never be great from them. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 13, 2010, 05:05 PM	#3
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	Agreed, remelt or trade them to a muzzle loader, I have no problem patching and shooting undersize bullets in front of BP but in centerfire they just don't make it. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

February 15, 2010, 12:07 AM	#4
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Those bullets can go in the scrap lead bucket. Question is... what are you measuring here? Are you measuring bullets that you pulled from cases where things went bad? Or are the bullets coming straight from a box of bullets? Your technique at the press could be the reason you have some squished bullets. I would say it's not at all typical that you have a box of cast bullets from any supplier that has bullets in it ranging from .447" to .452". Now if you ran a bunch of rounds through a Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die and you gorilla'd them with many pounds of force, you could squish them in to all kind of strange sizes. Instead of measuring bullets from cases that were obviously bad rounds... try measuring a whole SLEW of bullets that you haven't seated in to any brass yet. Measure them right out of the box. If you find bullets that much undersized from the box -- and you find a WIDE range in their diameter, then you first need to give them to another reloader to make sure that you are measuring them properly. If they really are that much out of spec and varying in construction, you need to take the box and use it to hit the guy over the head that cast those bullets and sold them to you. I've had some cheap, inexpensive cast lead bullets... I obviously didn't like them and didn't buy more of them. But no way in heck were they THAT far out of spec. That's pretty much unusable product there. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.