Re: .357 doesn't like cast
Posted: 10 Nov 2017 12:50
Greetings
Another Lead shooter here.
You have to think of a cast bullet as a piston. Too small in diameter and you have all sorts of issues at the point of ignition.
Hard cast but undersized is near the worst solution....
Me I would put a hard wood dowel in a fired piece of brass. Dowel should be near inside case diameter. Leave it about 1/4 inch longer than the case. Insert the case in the chamber and close the lever. Using a pure lead oval fishing weight that is a bit larger in diameter than the groove, lightly oil it and tap it into the muzzle with a wood or leather mallet.
Using a near bore diameter brass or hardwood rod continue tapping that lead slug down to the wood dowel loaded case. Set the rifle butt on your foot so you can feel when there is solid contact of lead on the wood dowel cartridge.
You want to impact that lead so it expands and fills the "lead" area just in front of the chamber so you know what that real diameter is. I use a 1 pound wood mallet and give that rod 3 good wacks. Your foot under the rifle will let you know when the lead is expanded into a solid mass on the wood rod in the case.
Open the lever and eject the case. Tap out the lead plug. With a good micrometer to measure the diameter.
That diameter is what your needing to fill. You need to be as close as possible.
Soft lead bullets will "bump up" base diameter some. A hallow base will do so. The harder the lead and the harder you have to kick that lead in the base to expand to any diameter. A loose piston is no good.
Mike in Peru
Another Lead shooter here.
You have to think of a cast bullet as a piston. Too small in diameter and you have all sorts of issues at the point of ignition.
Hard cast but undersized is near the worst solution....
Me I would put a hard wood dowel in a fired piece of brass. Dowel should be near inside case diameter. Leave it about 1/4 inch longer than the case. Insert the case in the chamber and close the lever. Using a pure lead oval fishing weight that is a bit larger in diameter than the groove, lightly oil it and tap it into the muzzle with a wood or leather mallet.
Using a near bore diameter brass or hardwood rod continue tapping that lead slug down to the wood dowel loaded case. Set the rifle butt on your foot so you can feel when there is solid contact of lead on the wood dowel cartridge.
You want to impact that lead so it expands and fills the "lead" area just in front of the chamber so you know what that real diameter is. I use a 1 pound wood mallet and give that rod 3 good wacks. Your foot under the rifle will let you know when the lead is expanded into a solid mass on the wood rod in the case.
Open the lever and eject the case. Tap out the lead plug. With a good micrometer to measure the diameter.
That diameter is what your needing to fill. You need to be as close as possible.
Soft lead bullets will "bump up" base diameter some. A hallow base will do so. The harder the lead and the harder you have to kick that lead in the base to expand to any diameter. A loose piston is no good.
Mike in Peru