Cast Bullet Design

Bad Ass Wallace · Post by **Bad Ass Wallace** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 7:01 pm

Why do we insist on having a perfect flat base on out bullets even doing to the 'nose pour' design to achieve this when the first thing that happens in the bore is that the rifling displaces lead to create trailing fins on the bullet base?

I have recovered many bullets from the range mound like this but I notice that Lee design their 520gn 50cal bullet with a small bevel on the base and wonder if this is designed to eliminate the fins!

JAGG · Post by **JAGG** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 9:57 am

BAW ! That is why in the old days they used to load undersize bullets that would bump up to the barrel grooves and not leave fins on the bullets base ! JAGG

horsefly · Post by **horsefly** » Sat Apr 24, 2004 10:37 am

Good Morning, Bad Ass;

I've always wanted to call somebody that and get by with it!

When I get a bad base on a bullet it seems like it is always a missing part on the outside edge of the base. This leaves a place either for gas to escape beside the bullet and cut it and/or leaves a place where gas can escape before the whole bullet is out of the muzzle. Gas escaping beside the bullet can cut a channel or unbalance the bullet and it certainly would make a divot in the base where gas could escape before the entire bullet is out of the muzzle.

So, in either case you wind up with an asymmetrical gas release at the muzzle to tip the bullet. If you could make sure that the flaw was in the same relative position each and every shot, I believe your accuracy would be OK. However, isn't it just easier to make sure there is no flaw to have to deal with?

So far as fins from rifling on the base, if you have a perfect base and run it through perfect rifling, shouldn't you get perfect fins(!)? Or at least balanced ones? The asymmetry is the problem.

So far as beveled bases, my impression is that they are included mostly on pistol bullets to make them easier to start in the case and prevent lead scraping.

And then maybe not, but this is my story.

Y'all be good down there.

horsefly

Bad Ass Wallace · Post by **Bad Ass Wallace** » Mon May 03, 2004 7:34 pm

[quote="horsefly"]I've always wanted to call somebody that and get by with it![/quote]

That's alright, as Club Captain I get to hand out the monthly shoot prizes including the Ladies trophies; they can honestly say to their husbands "that they had to 'kiss ass' to get it"