Unsized as cast safe?

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Blind Hawg
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Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Blind Hawg »

Would it be safe to fire 429 200 gr bullets cast from Lee aluminum molds as cast & unsized in a .44 92? They miked .429 to .430?
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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

Unless you have an unusually tight barrel they should be fine. Have you slugged your barrel?

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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Blind Hawg »

Will slug it today
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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Ohio3Wheels »

Blind Hawg wrote:Will slug it today
The standard advise is to go 1 to 2 thousand over grove diameter. I've seldom found any need to deviate from that advise. If it looks like they will work make up a few dummies and make sure they cycle through the gun.I found with my Marlin 38/55 that if I got much beyond .002 over the case mouths got to big to chamber all the way. Probably rare but this one was rebored and chambered for 38/55 and has a tight chamber.

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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Blind Hawg »

Got a good slug but I don't believe my 50 yr old Craftsmen micrometer. It indicated .433.
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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Ranch Dog »

The best slugging material, hands down, are pure lead egg fishing sinkers, these have a hole longitudinally through them. Lead is pliable; it springs back after compression, such as when you slug a barrel. If the lead you use as a slug doesn't have a hole, drill one through it just like a fishing sinker would have.

I've seen some large diameters posted on the forum, I've never seen anybody comment on the material they used. Make sure your slug doesn't "spring" back.
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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Blind Hawg »

I would have never thought about about the lead springing back! I did use a fishing weight but not the egg shape.
I went to Harbor Freight with the slug and miked it with one of their finest digital micrometers, at least I know my old Craftsman is still accurate.
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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Blind Hawg »

Lead sinkers is gettin scarce! WalMart & Bass Pro was out. Academy Sports had a few. Used a swivel weight with brass swivel wire removed. That lead slug with the hole mic'd .432 or a little less.Guess I'll have to live with it.
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Re: Unsized as cast safe?

Post by Missionary »

NOE molds sells "extra fat" molds. I have numerous ones.
You can "lap" your mold to a larger diameter.
Or you can install high temp furnace foil tape in strips on the mold so it does not close completely getting a fatter slug. Run it through a fat sizer die and it will come out round.
Way down south in Arequipa, Peru till June 2020.
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