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Forming 348 caliber bullets
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I am considering forming 348 caliber bullets either by bumping up 338 cal or by sizing down 357/358 cal bullets. I would also need to form a flat nose for the tube mag.

Interested in views from members who have done this or something similar and whether the finished product is worth the effort.

Hornady 348 cal 200 gr FN are available in our part of the world, but other jacketed options are not so easy/cheap to find.

I would prefer to use my RCBS Rockchucker to do the forming if possible.

Joe
 
Posts: 499 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 19 June 2006Reply With Quote
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JFE

Look at RCE's web site www.recco.com or Dave Corbin's at www.corbins.com They have swage dies for your rock chucker and jacket reducers for reducing common jackets down to your size. Type R dies are what you are looking for.

swageall


one at a time --- LRBC
 
Posts: 20 | Location: Pacific NW | Registered: 19 August 2006Reply With Quote
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In general, .005" is about all you can go and wind up with an accurate and functional bullet. Of course, you won't know until you try. It might come out all right. The problem is jacket spring back. The final forming to the original size work hardens the jacket some and when you try to change that to another size, the jacket will try to return to it's original size, to some degree. Especially when sizing down, that can loosen the jacket from the core and both accuracy and bullet performance can suffer. If you are trying to go from a smaller bullet to a larger one, the jacket will try to spring back to a smaller diameter; not a lot but a little bit. Plus, to get the proper equipment to increase the diameter of an existing bullet, you virtually have the equipment to make you own. That is going to cost some dollars. For minimal expence, I'd try sizing down some thin jacketed 358s first. If they don't work, you are not out a lot of money. Try to find one with the softest and thinest jacket possible, to minimize spring back. A bonded core would also help to eliminate the jacket/core separation problem. Good luck.
 
Posts: 437 | Location: WY | Registered: 16 November 2004Reply With Quote
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Guys - thanks your responses.

I'll follow up on the suggestions and provide some feedback in due course.

Joe
 
Posts: 499 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 19 June 2006Reply With Quote
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If in the meantime you need some bullets for the .348Winchester, I'd recommend Hawkbullets. I use the spitzers in my .348Imp Encore pistol. They've done a really good job on deer, hogs, and a cow elk.

I don't know what the import laws concerning bullets are in Oz, but you might give the Hawks a try.


JOE MACK aka The .41FAN

HAVE MORE FUN AND GET THE JOB DONE WITH A .41

I am the punishment of God…
If you had not committed great sins,
God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you. (GENGHIS KHAN)



 
Posts: 403 | Location: PRK | Registered: 20 April 2003Reply With Quote
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I received a response from Dave Corbin that I thought was worth passing on in case someone has a similar question.

In short given the cost, hassle factor and uncertainty of the finished result, I dont think its worth proceeding. I'll probably special order some bullets in Oz. For practice I'll buy a mould and cast my own.

Joe - thanks your suggestion but I need flat points for my M71.


Quote

>Subject: Re: Forming 348 bullets
>Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:07:57 -0700
>
>You can draw down a bullet only about .006 inches before the loosening of
>core and displacement of material becomes excessive (depending on the core
>and the caliber).
>
>The best way to make .348 bullets is to swage them with a regular 3-die set
>for the CSP-1 press, and use .38 pistol jackets drawn down for jackets (you
>can draw a jacket 20% smaller with no problems, in one stroke).
>
>However, if you start with .355 bullets for 9mm you would be just pushing
>the envelope a little bit, and might be able to live with the results
>drawing down to .348.
>
>This would be the cheapest possible way to make .348 bullets. The draw die
>is only $129.50.
>
>We would need a half dozen samples of the bullet you want to draw down.
>
>The alternative is to expand a bullet to larger diameter. This is somewhat
>more tricky and expensive, because (1) the same die that you use to finish a
>bullet made from lead and jackets is the one used to "bump up" an existing
>bullet, (2) the finished bullet may or may not react the same way as another
>one due to differences in material and hardness, so bullets can be OK or
>very tapered and lumpy, just depending on the kind, brand, design, etc. in
>the same die. One bullet brand or type might be great and another that looks
>like it but is made somewhat differently inside might not work at all.
>
>The smallest bullet that you could reliably count on bumping up to .348
>would be one of about .343 diameter. Smaller bullets may or may not work,
>and will certainly be more crooked and lumpy than ones which start closer to
>final size. The taper in the shank of the bullet can be excessive if the
>size difference is too great. Going from .338 to .348 is .010 inches and
>may or may not work depending on the specific bullet. Or, I should say, the
>definition of what constitutes a "good" result is highly subjective. Some
>people would be happy with a bullet that I would probably not want to load
>and fire. So it depends on exactly how good or bad you can accept whether or
>not it "works".
>
>If you want to try it, it is $309.50 for the -S type die and $349 for the
>CSP-1 press that operates it.
>
>Again, making the bullet by swaging it from a piece of lead and a drawn 38
>jacket is the way excellent bullets are made. This is done with the FJFB-3-S
>die set in .348 and the CSP-1 press, and the JRD-1-S jacket draw die for 38
>to .348. The FJFB-3-S is $418.50 and the CSP-1 is $349. The JRD-1-S is
>$129.50.
>
>I'd probably try the .355 draw to .348. You can use it with .357 bullets but
>we're really past the limit of springback at that amount of draw. Whether or
>not it matters is for you to decide, try a few shots and see. Won't hurt
>anything. But the 9mm to .348 is likely to work, again subject to your
>definition of what is acceptable.
>
>If we build it, I have to pay my die-makers, and I can't get that time back
>again, so you'll want to consider whether you want to take the risk or not.
>If it were me, I'd not be too worried about it. The core will be a little
>less tight than before, and some lead will extrude forward so that a
>parallel gap or extension of the core will be visible, but it won't hurt
>anything. The accuracy should be fairly good, probably on a par with factory
>.348 loads, but again, it depends on specific bullets. All I can guarantee
>is the diameter will be right if you use the same kind of bullets you send
>me as samples. Accuracy is not something I can reliably predict or control
>in someone else's gun and load.
>
>D.R. Corbin
>PO Box 2659, 600 Industrial Circle
>White City, OR 97503
>dave@corbins.com
>info and prices at:
>www.Corbins.com
>order on-line at:
>www.SwageDies.com
>541-826-5211 phone
>541-826-8669 24-hr fax

Unquote
 
Posts: 499 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 19 June 2006Reply With Quote
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