To ensure the family of .395ers had bullets, I ordered two Lee sizing dies after talking to their custom shop. The dies were a .396 (was planning on sizing down quite a few cast bullets), which was a custom item, and a .401 standard sizing die available through any of the catalogs.
Sizing dies were well-lubricated with a spray-on lube that is supposed to handle anything. Bullets were hand-lubed with Imperial sizing die lube.
A friend is a .40 S&W shooter so borrowed a few bullets from him plus bought a box of Hornady .40cal XTP HP bullets. Both cast and jacketed pistol bullets formed well in the Lee .396 die. We can use these bullets, all of 200 grains, for practice, plinking, and prairie dogs. [RIP, will be sending you some about the end of the week.]
Next, I tried some Hornady .405 (.411 diameter) Jacketed flat nose softpoint bullets. I followed the same lubing procedure.
The first .411 bullet stuck in the sizing die despite numerous trys to get it through. A cheater bar and all my weight was used to try and move the cup & core Hornady bullet through. No luck. I'm going to order another sizing die of .406 diameter to see if I can then size the .411s down to .406, then to .401, and then to .396 caliber. I hope this works.
Plated bullets are too soft for the rifle velocities we want. Plus, they chip plating off sometimes when sizing.
I have three other bullets on backorder through Midway and will try them when they arrive. One is a cast 260gr gas checked bullet.
I will continue the quest.
Max

Max,
That is very exciting!

I really like the Hornady XTP 200-grainer sized to .396 caliber. That should be an extremely accurate and terminally effective squirrel bullet at any velocity between Mach 1 and Mach 3.

I will be using the .395/400-grain cast bullets from Buffalo Arms to fire form .395 Tatanka this weekend.

Still awaiting the .395 Ruger Max tooling.

Will ship to you ASAP.

Have you decided on the smith?

Hey Prof!

You need more press for that job. What are you using? What's the thread on the sizing die?

Macifej,
That's what she said!
I'm using an RCBS Rockchucker with standard thread sizing die. My son, who's out of state right now, has my A-4 press.
I ordered the .406 sizing die today. That should provide the intermediate that I need. Any suggestions on better lubricants? I used the best I had and what I thought would work. No, no K-Y jelly in the house.

Lube might not help your big peg in little hole problem. (did she say that too?) Get the A4 back or something from Dave Corbin or wait a couple months until my new press for 3" thread size is ready for prime time. Then you could swage or resize a few in one pass if you have the dies.

Max,
This is The Godfather. You asked on another thread if I had any gunsmith recommendations, as if you did not want the Colorado local smith to do the work on your .395 Ruger Max. Is that so? I do not know any Colorado area smiths, but Kevin Jenkins is a Colorado School trained gunsmith. Trinidad.

He will be off to medical school come August 2008. What a guy!