Gentlemen

Most of the info I read is about swaging small calibre projectiles

Just doing a few calcs and a few drawings on a short fat, large wildcat,(its just a dream at this stage) I'd like to go with 585cal but the case I want to use just isn't wide enough and ED already has the 577 HE

Now In Australia we have no supply of 550 projectiles, so my question to you all and those in the know.........

Could I buy woodleigh .585 projectiles and swag them down to .550 is that too much, and will ir wreck the bullets stability ?

regards
S&F

You'd need some seriously powerful gear to squeeze a 585 bullet down to 550. The other problem is that the bullet will probably not respond favorably to such squeezing and look like a frog that's been run over by a bicycle. I'd contact Woodleigh about making some .550's, pick a smaller standard size, or have custom bullets made to your specs.

Well I take 416 bullets down to .410 in one pass and it is all my rockchucker. OK it is all I can handle. I either have to use a cheater or screw the die in about 1/2 a turn at a time to keep the press handle down at the bottom with mechanical advantage. I think the norm is .05" at a time so 7 dies and like Macifej said no telling what shape the bullet would be when it got there.

Can you? Sure! Should you? You need to think carefully... (Sound like your mother???)

To many get stuck thinking "inside the box."

You could take any old piece of sheet steel and make a hole that suits your new diameter and press the bullet thru with a hydralic press. Or arbor press. Or ???

In his book on swaging Mr. Corbin has a .318 squeezed from a .323. It has a real tube of lead core sticking out. No telling what will happen to the core of a Woody. The book is posted on his web site(s) corbins.com/swage.com for review, download, etc. No pictures, sorry.

Any machine shop can make you a ring die threaded to any thread (press) you order. Not cheap. How many you plan to do. And as said this is not produce the best accuracy. Little brutal. But can be done. You could even, well lubed wlth lanolin or castor oil, tap them thru a die...luck.

Any treatment like this

Used to be done all the time when projectiles were unavailable in Australia for the classic big bores ... in a way this is why Woodleigh started up. There's still a 'smith in Australia with the equipment, hydraulic press and swage dies made from barrel stubs. These guys used to take commercial 458" to 440" for Schulers, plus smaller 45s for tight bored doubles, 358" to 333" for Jeffery's, 323" to 318" etc... I had some Woodleigh 286gr 9.3s recently swaged down to 358". They elongate and the bearing surface increases ... but they still shoot! If a die is used that doesn't support the projectile along its full length, that's when they 'banana'.
Cheers...
Con