nose punch to size Brooks rounr nose 45 cal.

[Steve crawford]

A friend just bought a Shiloh # 3 and got a Brooks 45cal round nose bullet mold with it. Several targets marked 200 yards have under 2 inch groups. Between the 2 of us we have everything to product copy the loads. Except a nose punch for a Lyman or RCBS bullet lub/sizer. Does anyone know what punch is the correct one to use with this mold ? Previous owner no longer has the sizing equipment.

Steve

[JeffFaldo]

Call Steve Brooks and he'll make you the proper one.

[Steve crawford]

Thanks. I was hoping to find the answer tonight so I could order online and get it a little faster. When you get near 70. Things sometime take to long. I may not be here when it arrives.

Steve

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I needed a top punch for sizing my BACo512600 bullets. So I turned one on the lathe with a big cavity, into which I placed some JB Weld. I set the bullet up in the press, greased the nose well, and brought the punch down until I had solid contact with the bullet. I let it cure, and cut away the overflow. The result is a touch top punch that perfectly fits the bullets and leaves no ring.

[TexasMac]

Using a similar approach as D. Taylor Sapergia, with a spare top punch or one that can be sacrificed; preferably one that's a little larger than the bullet to be loaded, drill a couple of small horizontal holes completely through the punch just below the top surface of the inside cavity. Then put sufficient epoxy inside the punch cavity to cover only the bullet tip. The holes allow air and epoxy to escape as it’s being molded into the form of the bullet tip and also provides a surface for the epoxy to hold on to. Install the punch in the lubrisizer, lower the punch on the cast bullet that’s been coated with mould release or paste wax and allow the epoxy to harden. Once hardened, any epoxy that leaked out around the bullet or holes can be removed.

Wayne

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Here’s another method submitted by John Boy several years ago:
Another innovation that works with a top punch is to use an existing one you have and do the following:
* Fold over some heavy duty aluminum foil into a square.
* Put some lube on one side of the square and insert it in your existing punch.
* Slowly lower the lube/size ram arm onto the top of the bullet ...
Instant mold of the bullet nose you want to lube
Same punch - different bullet? Just fold another piece of aluminum foil and repeat the process again. For the various calibers that I shoot, I have few top punches and rely on aluminum foil to obtain the nose configuration for the other bullets of the same caliber. Been doing this for years. The lube on the foil serves to stick the foil on the inside of the top punch. There’s no lube on the side that comes in contact with the ogive of the bullet.

[Eric Johanen]

Steve, you could consider no sizing. Molds I have from Brook's, BACO and Accurate are so good that I use them as cast and just pan lube. They cast nice and round, to specified size and pan lubing is really easy. Plus is you are shooting a near perfect bullet with no distortions caused by running thru a sizing die. You could give it a try before committing to sizing them.

[Steve crawford]

Steve, you could consider no sizing. Molds I have from Brook's, BACO and Accurate are so good that I use them as cast and just pan lube. They cast nice and round, to specified size and pan lubing is really easy. Plus is you are shooting a near perfect bullet with no distortions caused by running thru a sizing die. You could give it a try before committing to sizing them.

Thanks Eric
Brooks sight recommends sizing with a .459 die to insure roundness. That is what the former owner recommends and had targets at 200 yards that were well under 2 inch groups. Also will lube at the same time.

Steve