anyone downsize 44 pistol bullets to 423 for plinking? how much would the die cost and would it be a custom order? that 6 thou would save some serious bucks and kill some bucks

I have read articles stating not to size cast bullets down over .002" all the way around, because it disturbed the granular structure of the alloy during the hardening process and basically annealed the bullets.
Similarly, there are instructions out there to size bullets within 24 hours of being cast, to preclude the same thing happening, even if you are only sizing down .001" or so...

If, however, you are talking about sizing jacketed bullets down, I am sure Corbin offers the dies to do that. They won't be cheap, but as long as you are using bullets with a core of lead wire, you shouldn't have any real trouble. I believe it will require a "bleed die" to allow excess lead to be pushed out of the jacket during the sizing down, as well as a form die to form the nose to final shape...

And I think it will require a whale of a press as well...

i was thinking of the jacketed type...

I took a 410 lee sizer die bored and polish it out to 416 and sized 429 jacket bullets in my press to shoot in my 416 taylor. In one pass You need a good strong press.

I resized 300 serria's shot some deer with them works well.

A good way to get cheaper shooting bullets. I also resized some cast 429 to 416 and shot them at around 1000 one hole groups at 50 yards

I have a friend who sized 9.3mm (.366") bullets down to .358", so he can shoot the 270 gr speers out of his whelen. So I presume the same would be utterly feasible with the .429" to .423". Technically it is referred to as drawing vs swaging, as swaging bumps the bullets up.

He did say when I tried it with a partition, he broke the arm on his press due to the increased force required.

I'd think the 44 pistol bullets are relatively soft and should be no problem to draw down. One caveat is I've heard the jackets tend to slightly spring back and the lead core can be slightly loose, thus adversley effecting accuracy.

PaulH, you are correct about there being a slight loosening of the core due to springback of the copper. They will still work for most applications but certainly not a technique used by the benchrest crowd.
The most accurate jacketed lead core bullet will grow slowly as it moves through the sequence of dies.
While it may not be the best thing for benchrest accuracy it can still be a very functional way to get the bullet you want at the size you need.
Joe

I suppose one could say draw down to .420", and then swage back up to .423". This would add the expense of another die, but would solve the issue of a loose core, and allow one to use various nose punches for different bullet configurations.

I'd think the 300 gr speer hot core would be a fine candidate

PaulH, well said, and exactly the way to go about it for the best possible accuracy. A little more expense but a great way to go.
Another way to go would be to bump up a 416 but the construction of 416 bullets may not work at all for the intended purpose. Probably way too expensive, in comparison to a 44 bullet, to boot.
Joe

All the extra "manipulation" isn't going to do anything good for jacket/core integrity. Use a gold dot of other "plated" bullet; no spring back.

I got complete pass throughs on white tails with the resized serria 300gr 429 gr to 416. No trouble to resize to 423.

Boomstick,
I just looked up corbin before I switched to this site, looking into just what you are.
If I read it right, corbin wants $129 for a reducing die for a loading press. I tried one that was .411 dia, and was able to make some 44 mag bullets work even going to .411 so I would think .423 should be easy enough.
If you are thinking of going that route, and you are interested in someone splitting the die cost give me a shout. Neither of us would use it all the time I wouldnt think.

i am eyeballing a future 411 now so the 423 is a moot point but if i get one ill let you know...there are plenty o 404 owners here who would love to split the cost i am sure...post a thread on big bores...

Corbin, Dave calls this a "ring die" in common use. Yes, they are much available. I may be dull, but don't quite get what the .423 is for? Some foreign caliber gun? Dave's brother Richard is in the same business at rceco.com and bulletswager.com. Same goods.

Regardless anyone can make one. Any machine shop, or... If you are super ambitious and careful, you would ream out about any smaller hole die, say .411 or .416 with emory cloth or a stone or sandpaper (crude)... It just takes great patience. Power drill speeds things up alot. This is a "big" polishing job...

To do "just a few" or start over often, you can drill a hole in sheet steel with closest undersized drill (look at a chart, I can't barely remember my name, I go to charts), mild steel, and open it up, carefully, to the diameter you want... and then force the bullet, WELL LUBED, thru.. but mild steel will wear FAST and not stand up like a hardened steel die. Works to resize a few case necks too...

You could start with a .44/40 size die which is .427 as a rule. (Lots of lube. Lanolin is the old standard and nothing is better, just less messy.)As a "step" down.

ch4d.com sells a die like this. I think they were $65.00 last I looked. Since .423 is not common to me anyway, it would be custom.

Lee does custom sometimes, time permitting and phase of the moon... Huntingtons.com (RCBS custom shop) will do about any machine work for money... Redding? Hornady? You have to ask. So, money permitting, "go for it." luck.

iiranger:

the 404 Jeffreys uses .423 bullets. No I don't know why the call it a 404. Boomie and Bent are tinkering with a standard action length wildcat, necking the 240 Wbee up to .423 and headspacing on the belt, much like a 458Win Mag. Goal: 400gr bullet at 2150fps.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

Idaho Sharpshooter
Thank you.
Didn't have my "Cartridges of the World" handy. I also have forgotten all the buffalo calibers. .40/65 has come back to my surprise. Not to mention the other "African" calibers. Much I don't know and don't have time to learn. Thank you. r

I size .277 bullets down to .272, not much resistance in the rockchucker, Lee will make you a .423 die for 25.00 and about a week to get it.

I bought some 44-40 bullets (.425", 205gr) and a Lee lube/size kit for .423. I was going to shoot them in my 425 Express, but sold the rifle before I had the chance to experiment with them. However, I did make up some of the bullets, and it is slick and easy with lead bullets. I'd think that a 429 lead with gas check would do all you'd like to do. Kudude

Sorry for being so late on this boom. I have a set of Lee sizing dies that I use to size down 300gr 44mag bullets to .423. I use a .427 die then run them thru a .423 die using Imperial sizing wax. They shoot pretty well @ 2400fps from my 404j. I can get 1.5" groups @ 100yds. Makes a nice plinking bullet. I have used Nosler & Hornady 300gr. I agree w/ NFMike, the GoldDot will probably give best results & I am trying them next.

awesome news fredj338...those will be good for the 425 Fossdal

You dont save any money ... but you can take a good 0.416" and paper patch it up.
Cheers...
Con

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
awesome news fredj338...those will be good for the 425 Fossdal

Contact Lee, it takes about 2wks & I believe it was like $23 for the die.

I've been sizing .358 to .354 for my 9x56MS for a couple of years now.
A couple of things that I found:
After sizing in a .354 die the bullets were actually still over .355. I made up a second, smaller die to actually end with a finished product that was .354. There is a degree of spring in jacketed bullets.
Use lots of sizing lube on the bullets. Not dripping but be generous.
Sierra were the easiest to size, then Hornady. Jacket material, lead hardness, I don't know. Nosler partitions are difficult and the exposed lead tip tends to get squeezed out a little.
For what it's worth.

If you draw down a non bonded jacketed bullet the jacket will spring out a fraction after leaving the draw die. This can cause a loose core and can affect accuracy.
May not be enougfh to worry plinking accuracy.
The best way is as previously described. Draw it down extra and re bump it up in the pointform
die. Alternativly draw down a core bonded bullet they will " usually " not spring back out. However drawing down in a ring die can leave the base uneven so it is always better to bump back up in a pointform die to straighten everything up.