Anybody resizing the 7.62x39 bullets to .309?

[Zippidydoodah]

Thanks, sometimes I run mine thru Lyman luver but don't have all the different top punches, only have ,309 for lee but like push thru, I have used .329 lee sizer to resize 338 hornady spritzer jacketed down to shoot in my Steyr m95 straight pull. You said you thought you had put some stress on the press resizing some bullets. Try doing a jacketed. I used moly disulfide gear lube to help me get em squeezed down
.i have since bought the correct lee lead bullet for that gun.

[Zippidydoodah]

Some cast bullets with deeper lube grooves may hold up vs. tumble lube style grooves.

From a design standpoint, there is no difference between a standard lube groove and Micro Band in depth. Same with catching material in sizing. The spacing of standard groove is greater so they have more material available to fill the grooves. The spacing of the Micro Band is less so there is less material being pushed into the groove.

What happens to the rest of the bullet that is left over after filling the rifling? It has to be displaced too.

Not quite sure what you mean by this question. it is the last word, "rifling" that throws me. One thing that happens at the shot that isn't happening during sizing is compression, compression of the alloy under extreme pressure. It doesn't flow anywhere but is compressed to form what is molding it. That is why bullet fit is so darn important.

And Lee states you can shoot their tumble-lubed bullets without resizing.

Yes you can up to a point. The "fins" formed by the outer edge of the bands offer less resistance and less physical deformation to the structure of the bullet.

Isn't there more lead than groove.

Sorry...

As long as there is adequate lubrication you shouldn't get leading(within reason) or is there as much rifling width as lead to fill it out? I think more.lead.

This is a subject with a lot of components as it not just about the lube. Alloy and its strength is what withstands the pressure you place behind the bullet. That is why a swaged lead bullet doesn't have or need lube grooves. The design uses the right alloy for the intended cartridge and the swaging takes all the "give" out of the alloy. The bullet is hard enough to withstand the intended pressures without obturation and is as effective an alloy as copper for the given cartridge.

This might only be me but my work with a wide range of bullets and cartridges over the last decade and a half has formed so thoughts in my head that at times differ from the old school thinking. One such though is that lube acts only as a temporary seal while the bullet obiturates to the bore. I simply do not think that a lube seal can resist a pressure that etches it way past the base of a bullet that has been obtiturated to the bore under pressure. My evidence supporting this is the perfect wax stars seen at the muzzle yet the leading along the rifling. If the alloy isn't tough enough, no amount or type of lube, is going to see that alloy survive. Where survival is determined, initially, is at the throat, leade, and step as start pressures forms the bullet to these features. Lube acts as a temporary seal here but not a very good one if the bullet isn't designed to match these feature.

Back to the topic subject. If I wanted to avoid a huge amount of sizing and retain the design features of the mold, I would smoke the heck out of the cavities. The results will probably surprise you if done correctly and evenly. I just addressed this in your topic: Spray graphite on mold?

thanks RD. .since the lead bullet is several thou larger than the groove in order to completely fill and seal it, as long as the bullet is harder than the pressure to deform it, it shouldn't lead the bore. There is a lot of frictional force getting the bullet down the bore. Can or have you ever calculated it?
Several years ago I bought a midway tumbler and tumble-molylubed jacketed bullets to reduce frictional load and friction and reduce copper deposits.
Have you ever experimented doing this with your hard cast lead bullets. i think lead has a much better lubricity than copper and therefore not need tumbling.

[Ranch Dog]

Several years ago I bought a midway tumbler and tumble-molylubed jacketed bullets to reduce frictional load and friction and reduce copper deposits.
Have you ever experimented doing this with your hard cast lead bullets. i think lead has a much better lubricity than copper and therefore not need tumbling.

No I haven't. Haven't needed it. I cast with a Lyman #2, water quench the alloy and dip lube with Alox and simply don't have leading issues with any of my bullets and jacketed bullet velocities.

[Maximumbob54]

I have to second RD on this issue. I bought one of the molds for my .30-30 ammo and the load data he provides is a little warm for the .30-30 and as long as you follow his directions you don't get leading. I even cheated and skipped the gas check but loaded them with a Trail Boss load and they make for great plinking fun with nearly nill recoil. Dipping in alox was the key. I tried tumbling them and had the typical sticky bullets with crud in the dies to clean out and then had to tumble them again.

[Mike 56]

I know a guy that shoots the Lee 160 gr .312 TL bullet in a pump action 30-30 he sizes them .311 and lubes them with 45/45/10 lube. He only loads one in the chamber and one in the tube at a time.

[moonie]

I size the 312-155gr to .309 to use in my 300AAC BO upper. They size down just fine and do not wipe out the lube grooves at all that I've noticed. I size them to .311 in everything else I load them in, my 300AAC BO will hang sometimes with them sized to .311, my sons doesn't.

[rexherring]

As mentioned above, if there is enough lube groove it should be o.k.. I resize .457 340 grain down to .452 to shoot in my .45 Blackhawk and it works fine. There is still shallow lube grooves that hold lube and I've had no leading problems.

[62chevy]

As mentioned above, if there is enough lube groove it should be o.k.. I resize .457 340 grain down to .452 to shoot in my .45 Blackhawk and it works fine. There is still shallow lube grooves that hold lube and I've had no leading problems.

What lube are you using Rex?

[rexherring]

As mentioned above, if there is enough lube groove it should be o.k.. I resize .457 340 grain down to .452 to shoot in my .45 Blackhawk and it works fine. There is still shallow lube grooves that hold lube and I've had no leading problems.

What lube are you using Rex?

I use mostly TAC-1 from a dealer on the castboolit.com forum, RandyRat. He also sells it on e-bay. So far one of the best lubes I've used, doesn't require much heat if any and is low smoke.

[dondiego]

Many of my .308 and 30-06 rifles shoot the 0.312 bullet well without needing sizing. My most common size for most of my 30 cal rifles is 0.311 with many sized to 0.314 depending on how the throat of the rifle slugs out.