Hunting bullet

Share your tales (tall or otherwise) of hunting adventures.

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Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

I build this core mold for my 45 2 4/10th Hartford! I had boughten the swaging equipment from Corbin a few years ago with intention of swaging a .440 straight side paper patch bullet for hunting! I did kill an antelope and a deer with this swage bullet but put it in the back burner because of the cost of buying the lead rope got expensive!

Last weekend I decided to build a core mold out of some scrap 3/4 X 3/4 key stock! After a few days of working on it after work, I finished it up last night! Fired the lead pot up this morning and it worked perfectly! It casts a .435 OD bullet weighing 507grains, after swaging it it weighed out at 497 grains with a .440 OD! My target weight was 500 grains! I also didn't put vent lines in the mold blocks, I wanted to try and duplicate an old Winchester mold, I basically left the end mill marks on one mold block!

http://m559.photobucket.com/albumview/a ... l?newest=1

Stephen
Clarence
Posts: 2166
Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2002 7:38 pm
Location: Hill Country, TX

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Clarence »

Steven,

Nice job! I bet you can overheat that small mould in a heartbeat, though.

Clarence
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

Clarence I only casted 5 bullets, but you are right, it does keep the heat! Next time I will use a larger chunk of steel! You run out of room when you drill this many holes in that small of blocks!

Stephen
bobw
Posts: 3841
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:52 pm

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by bobw »

Stephen got an update on your swaging project yet? bobw
bobw
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

bobw wrote:Stephen got an update on your swaging project yet? bobw
Worked like a charm Bob! Swaged about 50 bullets so far! I've killed a few animals with this bullet in the past, looking to do it again!

Stephen
bobw
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Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2004 12:52 pm

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by bobw »

Stephen what weight uniformity are you getting? How much range? bobw
bobw
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

Bob I've been getting about three tenths of a grain in weight variation!

Stephen
Kurt
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:28 pm
Location: Not Far enough NW in Illinois

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Kurt »

Stephen.

I don't know if you have a two die set or just a single stage nose form die with a bleeder. You can get the weight down to the exact weight by double pressing the the core.
Lead will flow through the bleeder hole but as the pressure drops the bleed off slows down and if your not holding the lever down the same from bullet to bullet the variances will differ.
A swagged bullet with 3/10 variances does not make any difference in performance because of the lack of voids as long as you get bleed off.
squeezing the core twice or three times will get them exact in weight.

Kurt
The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery"Winston Churchill
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

Thanks for the tip Kurt! I have a two die set and only press once! I will try it your way next time!

Stephen
Kurt
Posts: 8428
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:28 pm
Location: Not Far enough NW in Illinois

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Kurt »

Like I said Stephen, three grains with a swagged bullet you will never make any difference or even ten grain at hunting distance you will never see it with a swagged bullet.
The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery"Winston Churchill
Orville
Posts: 2239
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 2:54 pm
Location: Buffalo Wy

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Orville »

Another way to get better control on the wt. is a count at the bottom of the stroke which gives more time for the lead to bleed off.
Charter Member O-G-A-N-T

Shooting grease groove bullets in a sharps is new technology and just a passing fad.
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

Orville that's what I do now, of course you taught me that when I got my first swage set up! 3 tenths of a grain in weight is close enough for any kind of shooting!

Appreciate the advice Orville and Kurt!

Stephen
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

Orville get that propane bottle set back up on the ranch and we can try this bullet out at some longer ranges! :D

Stephen
Orville
Posts: 2239
Joined: Mon May 16, 2005 2:54 pm
Location: Buffalo Wy

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Orville »

It is set up and still there.
Charter Member O-G-A-N-T

Shooting grease groove bullets in a sharps is new technology and just a passing fad.
Stephen Borud
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:29 pm
Location: Casper Wyoming

Re: Hunting bullet

Post by Stephen Borud »

Good! I need to see if the 45 will keep up with our 50s then! :lol:

Stephen
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