Paper patch tale of tails

[CaptnJack]

Question on sizing dies. How do you know what size to get? I have a .443 Money PP so would I get the same size sizing die or a size that will fit with the PP on it without tearing the paper?? The bullet measure .4510. with PP on it. Just not sure how all this works. I have an old Lyman 450 lube sizing press I bought used quite a few years ago and never use it.

[Distant Thunder]

Captn,

For sizing your patched bullets you'll need a die that is 1) very smooth, well polished inside and 2) it should have a long tapered start before the sizing diameter. I'm not sure how much you can size a patched bullet before you have problems with damaging the paper. I've never sized more than .001" and as long as the die is well polished it works fine.

Others here might have been able to size down more than .001" and I'll let them tell you how best to do it.

DT

[BFD]

I know for a fact that you can size a .452" bullet that is wrapped with 9# paper, making it .459" down to .450" in one pass. I don't like doing it, but I have done it. Generally however, when I have that much sizing to do, I will use a slimmer paper (8# tracing paper) and may presize the bullet from .452 to .450 before wrapping it. But sizing in one step can be pretty drastic with a Lee push-through sizing die.

I do this for chicken bullets by the way, since I have repurposed a mould intended for a lever gun, to making chicken bullets out of it. Just the lightest .45 bullet I have lying around.

[MikeT]

The only problem that I have had when I had the occasion to size a patched bullet down 0.005", was the lead base can form a fin between
the die body and the rod pushing the bullet up thru the die. Maybe a stiffer alloy [greater then 20:1] would not do that.

Keep on havin fun!
MikeT