I have posted this in the Bullet Making area but thought it would be somewhat interesting to the big bore fans who may not be looking in that section.

I finally decided to try swaging some bullets using a variety of reloading dies and molds I happen to have on hand.
Ultimately, I would like to make a .458" using 45ACP brass without trimming.
This is my first try at this, and I don't have my ejector dialed in yet so the tips are a little knarfed up.
The lead slug is 365gr from a paper patch mold, sized to .451", placed nose first into the annealed ACP case and pressed in using a 38spl die. Any smallbore die would work fine but I happened to have the 38 die in the press as I was first trying to press the core in base first. The die helps keep the core straight by riding on the ogive of the cast bullet/core but the square base of the core was blowing out the lower part of the brass. I figured that having the ogive at the bottom of the ACP brass not only eases the core insertion but doesn't enlarge the base either.

After pressing in the core, I pushed the brass up into an 8mm Mauser fls die as my first step in the squeeze down holding the 45 case in a shell holder.
Second step is to size it with a 243Win die also with the case in the shell hoder. The first two sizing steps were easy to do using my Spartan press with not much pressure. I think any press can do this.
My greatest worry was pulling off the rim but that did not happen.

Then I pressed the case up into the 243Win. fls die to form the shoulder on the lead tip using a .451" Lee push through ram in my Rockchucker and tapping the finished bullet out from the top with a pin and mallet.
I had annealed the brass with a propane torch to a nice orange glow so they are pretty soft but I used the Rockchucker just in case I needed the extra oomph, but the Spartan could have done it easily.
Using the 243 die, most of the case is sized under .458" but the rim is .458" and the base tapers from there.
I think lapping out the 243 die would be a good idea to make more of the final bullet .458" and then final sizing through a push through die. As it is, it would be something of a bore-riding bullet so who knows if it would work at all. At least the front half or so of the bullet won't engrave in the rifling, but the back half will and at least the exposed lead won't contact the barrel so leading shouldn't be an issue.
The core was 365gr and the final weight is 448gr but the ACP brass I had on hand was deprimed so a primed case may make it right at 450gr or so.






For giggles, I loaded one into a .458 Win Mag case as a dummy round.
The bullet ends up tapered so there is no worry about the core coming out.





Here are the results.
I am just stuffed that the bullets didn't keyhole and my experiment seems to have some merit!
Here are the details as they are.
Ruger No.1 in 458 Lott
54grs IMR4198 with backer rod filler. Four shot group at 50yds open sights.
I am pretty pleased with these results and will mount a scope and try some longer ranges.
So far, these perform as good as any factory or cast bullets I have used in this rifle and bet would make short work of a deer or elk.

Some fancy tinkerin' you're doing. And the brass in that case will probably hold together pretty well. Were you able to recover any of them after shooting?

I wasn't able to find any of them but honestly didn't look too hard.
I think I will bring a few gallon jugs of water next time and see how many they can get through. Maybe I will be able to find one then.

Very impressive, Huvius!

I'm not a big bore guy (I stopped short at .366) but I admire the can-do, experimenter attitude.

"..my experiment seems to have merit."

It appears you also have a knack for understatement. I'd say the results support further experimentation!

pretty cool! works with "3006" cases for .475 plinkers, too

That's cool I have lots of .45acp brass and a .458. Is the entire case filled with the lead bullet? What a nifty idea

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
That's cool I have lots of .45acp brass and a .458. Is the entire case filled with the lead bullet? What a nifty idea

I have a few warm days ahead so will try to put together a good step by step post on how I do it.
I think the lead core fills the entire case quite well. The problem is, if you try to press the core too firmly into the case, this can create a bulge toward the base of the 45 brass which cannot be overcome in the dies I am using. I have a good example of this which I will post along with my new pictures of the process.
Really, all it took was some measuring and the dies I had on hand happened to work quite well as long as I resisted the urge to do too much in one step.

9mm Para and bullet / swaged for the 375 H&H
Did this for years and forgot about it until this post was created.

I just never even thought about that. Can you get a heavy for caliber lead projo and just use that in the case?

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
I just never even thought about that. Can you get a heavy for caliber lead projo and just use that in the case?

That is what I am doing with mine although the lead bullet I am using is not that heavy at about 360gr.

You could use longer heavier cast cores but you would need to use a longer case than the .45ACP.
You could use 308Win or 30'06 brass and trim them down to whatever length you desire.
The use of the .243Win die, as I am using, may not work though unless the bullet was then pushed through a .458" sizer die.
Cutting the rims off of .45LC would yield a pretty long bullet but I don't see a lot of scrap .45LC laying around unless you can get ahold of some SASS shooter's throw aways.
I was looking to get close to 450gr and the way I did it got me right there.

The results look great, and the process seems very interesting . As does Alf's use of 9 mm brass and bullet for the 375 . Tomorrow I'll start measuring different brass . perhaps the 10mm will work for the 400 Whelan or a 416.
As I don't shoot the 45 ACP myself . but there are always cases laying around at the range . That would make a great source of bullet jackets for my 458 .

Thank You!
I have the process down pretty good.
Now, I just press the cores in and maybe tap them in with a mallet.
Then I FLS in the 8X57 die using the shell holder as you would in a normal case resizing.
Then I just go straight to the final sizing in the 243Win die. I tried to do it all in the 243 die but it won't work without first getting the taper started with the 8X57 die.
So really, quite an easy process now that my dies are set.
Also, I did try it without annealing. It is possible but takes a LOT more pressure on the press handle and they seem to spring back to greater than .458". More like .460" and smacking them back out of the die is a PIA. The pin I am using drives way down intomthe lead core making it a hollow point about 1/4" deep.

I assume I could use a 45 LC or 454 casull lead projo 300-400 grains. I have some maybe will smack them in a 45 acp case and see how it fits. Too cool. Still not sure how the rest of the process goes, how far do you go up the 7x57 die with the case/bullet? then the 243 die?

Gunslinger55, here is a better step by step pictorial of how I do it.
fyi, I use case lube at each sizing step but I bet just about any lube would work.


Annealed case (tumbled after annealing) and the cast core


The core firmly pressed into the 45ACP case


Pressing all the way into the 8X57 die. See the brass is starting to get some taper.






Now, pressing up into the 243 die with a Lee push through ram.




Tap out of the 243 die with a pin and small hammer.



Now...drumroll please...
The finished bullet!

This is what can happen when the core is seated base down.
The case bulged a bit and the 8X57 die couldn't envelop the buldge and the wall got pushed down. Probably didn't have enough lube on it too and this case wasnt tumbled before sizing. Polished brass cases seem smoother going into the dies than raw ones like this.
I guess this is sort of how rimfire brass is made.

Very impressive. Great photo thru by thru.
I measured some 10 mm ammo. . It only needs a little bit of squeezing down to make 416 and just a slight amount more for 411 .
I think a lead bullet sizer die like the Lee would work very well. Minimal cost outlay for a redily available bullet jacket.

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Trigger Finger:
Very impressive. Great photo thru by thru.
I measured some 10 mm ammo. . It only needs a little bit of squeezing down to make 416 and just a slight amount more for 411 .
I think a lead bullet sizer die like the Lee would work very well. Minimal cost outlay for a redily available bullet jacket.

Shouldn't be a problem.
Keep in mind though that fired brass is usually a couple thou. bigger than factory cartridge specs.
Now I am goofing around with coming up with a .410" bullet for my 450/400.
Made these from 40S&W brass but only had two cores to try out. I used a 303Brit die to get the taper going, shouldered the lead/brass with the 243 die and then sized with a Lee push through. Very easy.
Like the looks of the smaller one. It is 290grs and would make a great plinking load. Will have to make up a few and give 'em a try.

Thanks for the pics. Very industrious I must say

quote:

Originally posted by gunslinger55:
Thanks for the pics. Very industrious I must say

Mother in law has been staying with us so garage time is a necessity of life...

Someone sent me a few 300 grain 416 bullets made from 40s&w cases. They shot very well and I killed six bison heifers with them. All had shots and no exit for what it's worth

All head shots, not had. Stupid auto correct......

Huvius ; great looking bullets!! That 290 gr TC bullet from 40 S+W looks great. And would work great for blasting and deer/caribou .
450Ak ; what velocity did you run those at? How big were the bison heifers? Are you ranching them?

I'm guessing they ran 2400 maybe more. I have just a few left, will chrono one. I don't ranch buffalo, did a lot of hunts. Pretty pricey now.

These were grain finished heifers and weighed on the rail about six hundred so live something over a thousand.

Live the experimentation ...

Nicely done, Huvius.