Just got all my bullet swaging dies for 358 caliber. These are primarily for my 35 Whelen (great caliber for any PG, and some DG where legal), but I also can use the flat nose dies for my 35 Rem in Marlin 336 lever action (a wonderful black bear gun and round).
I apologize for the poor cellphone photography, just too lazy to do it right today.
Bullets L to R in picture below
1. 6S ogive soft point, made using a 223 fired brass case for a bullet jacket (forgive the tarnish, I haven't polished them yet)
2. 6S (Secant) ogive open tip made using commercial gilding metal jacket. (This is the jacket material used by 99% of factory bullet maker, copper with 5% to 10% zinc, depending on jacket maker, Sierra, ect.)
3. 4S ogive soft point, using 223 brass
4. 4S ogive open tip, using commercial jacket
5. 6S flat tip soft point, 223 brass
6. 6S flat tip open tip, commercial jacket
** Bullets in this picture are between 175gr and 210gr. **
Bullets L to R in picture below.
1. 1 1/8E (Elliptical) ogive open tip, 223 brass
2. 1 1/8E ogive soft point, 223 brass
3. 1 1/8E ogive, flush tip, 223 brass
4. 1 1/8E ogive, open tip, dual diameter, 223 brass
5. 1/2E (half-elliptical = round) ogive, soft point, dual diameter, 223 brass
** Bullets in this picture are about 200gr and 250gr. Dual diameter bullets have the front 1/3 of the bullets reduced diameter so they can be fired in guns with short throats. The reduced section rides on top of rifling, while the rear section is full bore and engages the rifling and gas seals the rounds. Since the base of the bullets made from 223 brass are solid brass, with a sharp 90deg corner on the base, they gas seal exceedingly well, and tend to extend barrel life on cartridges prone to barrel errosion.
Bullets L to R in picture below.
1. 1/2E (Round) ogive, soft point, 223 brass
2. 1/2E ogive, open tip, 223 brass
3. 1/2E ogive, open tip, 223 brass
** Bullets are around 200gr and 250gr. These are sample bullets. For benchrest/match bullets, bullets can be made identical weight within .01 grains by precisely measuring each jacket and each lead core of each bullet. Hunting bullets are rather easily generated within 0.05 grains bullet to bullet, for very tight groups and consistent accuracy.
I do not add cannelures to the bullets until I am ready to load them. Different loads in the same cartridge, or different cartridges in the same caliber can require different cannelure placement depending on desired seating depth. Also multiple cannelures can be used to create "driving bands" and "riding bands" on long shank bullets to reduce friction and get higher velocities with safe load pressures.
If you use commercial jackets and point form them base first, you end up with a solid tip bullet, FMJ in whatever point form you choose. You can use double jackets to decrease deformation in solids. You can make partition bullets unbonded like Nosler Partitions, or you can bond the tip, and leave the base unbonded, like a Swift A-Frame, or you can bond tip and base if you desire. In your partitions, you can use soft pure lead throughout, like the Swift A-Frame, or use pure lead in the tip for expansion, and high antimony/tin lead "hardball" alloy for a non expanding base, and duplicate performance of a Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, only with a shorter bullet in the same weight as a TBBC, so you have more room for powder. You can basically duplicate performance of any ordinary or premium grade factory bullet, and invent some that no factory makes. Using commercial jackets you can make boattail bullets for ELR shooting.
The bullets above made using fired brass as a jacket were made for around $0.05 each. I can buy 223 fired brass for around $0.02 each, and make great, accurate hunting bullets in everything from 375 caliber on down using that 223 brass for jackets. I can use 308 brass for 458 caliber on down to 40 caliber. Even easier, you can use 9mm and other rimless pistol calibers for jackets also. Commercial jackets can run between 10 cents or less for 223's (you can also use fired 22lr brass to make 223's) up to 87cents each for match grade 510 caliber jackets for making match grade 50bmg bullets. You can also make you own jackets from pure copper tubing (like Barnes and others) , or from copper sheet like factory jackets (Sierra, Speer, Woodleigh and others.)
At around 5cents per bullet for everything from 375 on down, you can afford to do a LOT of load development, a LOT of practice, and a LOT of hunting. Not having to wait on availability of your favorite bullet, or have to switch if the factory discontinues it, saves a LOT of time and aggravation. Being able to teach your children how to do it and leave them the equipment when you are gone, gives a LOT of satisfaction.
I just wish Bob Nelson was in the US, so I could send him bullets, and we could collaborate on some great bullet designs for the 35 Whelen.
I apologize for the poor cellphone photography, just too lazy to do it right today.
Bullets L to R in picture below
1. 6S ogive soft point, made using a 223 fired brass case for a bullet jacket (forgive the tarnish, I haven't polished them yet)
2. 6S (Secant) ogive open tip made using commercial gilding metal jacket. (This is the jacket material used by 99% of factory bullet maker, copper with 5% to 10% zinc, depending on jacket maker, Sierra, ect.)
3. 4S ogive soft point, using 223 brass
4. 4S ogive open tip, using commercial jacket
5. 6S flat tip soft point, 223 brass
6. 6S flat tip open tip, commercial jacket
** Bullets in this picture are between 175gr and 210gr. **
Bullets L to R in picture below.
1. 1 1/8E (Elliptical) ogive open tip, 223 brass
2. 1 1/8E ogive soft point, 223 brass
3. 1 1/8E ogive, flush tip, 223 brass
4. 1 1/8E ogive, open tip, dual diameter, 223 brass
5. 1/2E (half-elliptical = round) ogive, soft point, dual diameter, 223 brass
** Bullets in this picture are about 200gr and 250gr. Dual diameter bullets have the front 1/3 of the bullets reduced diameter so they can be fired in guns with short throats. The reduced section rides on top of rifling, while the rear section is full bore and engages the rifling and gas seals the rounds. Since the base of the bullets made from 223 brass are solid brass, with a sharp 90deg corner on the base, they gas seal exceedingly well, and tend to extend barrel life on cartridges prone to barrel errosion.
Bullets L to R in picture below.
1. 1/2E (Round) ogive, soft point, 223 brass
2. 1/2E ogive, open tip, 223 brass
3. 1/2E ogive, open tip, 223 brass
** Bullets are around 200gr and 250gr. These are sample bullets. For benchrest/match bullets, bullets can be made identical weight within .01 grains by precisely measuring each jacket and each lead core of each bullet. Hunting bullets are rather easily generated within 0.05 grains bullet to bullet, for very tight groups and consistent accuracy.
I do not add cannelures to the bullets until I am ready to load them. Different loads in the same cartridge, or different cartridges in the same caliber can require different cannelure placement depending on desired seating depth. Also multiple cannelures can be used to create "driving bands" and "riding bands" on long shank bullets to reduce friction and get higher velocities with safe load pressures.
If you use commercial jackets and point form them base first, you end up with a solid tip bullet, FMJ in whatever point form you choose. You can use double jackets to decrease deformation in solids. You can make partition bullets unbonded like Nosler Partitions, or you can bond the tip, and leave the base unbonded, like a Swift A-Frame, or you can bond tip and base if you desire. In your partitions, you can use soft pure lead throughout, like the Swift A-Frame, or use pure lead in the tip for expansion, and high antimony/tin lead "hardball" alloy for a non expanding base, and duplicate performance of a Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, only with a shorter bullet in the same weight as a TBBC, so you have more room for powder. You can basically duplicate performance of any ordinary or premium grade factory bullet, and invent some that no factory makes. Using commercial jackets you can make boattail bullets for ELR shooting.
The bullets above made using fired brass as a jacket were made for around $0.05 each. I can buy 223 fired brass for around $0.02 each, and make great, accurate hunting bullets in everything from 375 caliber on down using that 223 brass for jackets. I can use 308 brass for 458 caliber on down to 40 caliber. Even easier, you can use 9mm and other rimless pistol calibers for jackets also. Commercial jackets can run between 10 cents or less for 223's (you can also use fired 22lr brass to make 223's) up to 87cents each for match grade 510 caliber jackets for making match grade 50bmg bullets. You can also make you own jackets from pure copper tubing (like Barnes and others) , or from copper sheet like factory jackets (Sierra, Speer, Woodleigh and others.)
At around 5cents per bullet for everything from 375 on down, you can afford to do a LOT of load development, a LOT of practice, and a LOT of hunting. Not having to wait on availability of your favorite bullet, or have to switch if the factory discontinues it, saves a LOT of time and aggravation. Being able to teach your children how to do it and leave them the equipment when you are gone, gives a LOT of satisfaction.
I just wish Bob Nelson was in the US, so I could send him bullets, and we could collaborate on some great bullet designs for the 35 Whelen.
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