Making own bullets

[Bavarianbrit]

Been lately trawling the web and there seems to be a big following there on making ones own bullets using once fired cases ie a .22 hornet as the jacket then adding a lead infill and swage it to the final form. Looks to me like an engrossing hobby for the DIYer.
Martin

 

[bewsher500]

Usually made from fired rimfire cases (no primer hole)

chap on here made a set of swagging dies and the results on the interweb look good

Lot of work though

 

[Home Loader]

I think you'll find that they use rim fire cases like 22lr and 22wmr not the center fire cases.

 

[Greener Jim]

Nope, Martin was right, see below:

View attachment 62736View attachment 62737View attachment 62738

 

[jcampbellsmith]

History - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc Regards JCS

 

[1066]

Nope, Martin was right, see below:

View attachment 62736View attachment 62737View attachment 62738

Remember all those Berdan primed 9mm that used to get thrown away.

 

[dodgyrog]

Usually made from fired rimfire cases (no primer hole)

chap on here made a set of swagging dies and the results on the interweb look good

Lot of work though

Only ,22 calibre.
Shotgun primer cups can be used to make 6mm (.243) bullets.

 

[Sauer90]

22lr brass can make 224 and 243 bullet jackets, 17/22wmr will make 243 and 6.5 bullets.

 

[Home Loader]

Nope, Martin was right, see below:

View attachment 62736View attachment 62737View attachment 62738

Well you learn something every day! What accuracy were they giving?

 

[Greener Jim]

They aren't mine, just phots I had on my computer. They're off Cast Boolits in the swaging section.
If I remember right, accuracy is decent.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Here"s one interesting thread. that caught me.
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Martin

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I have a Traditions .50 cal inline muzzleloader and am now tinkering with using .308 cases cut off at the shoulder then made parallel then lead filled to make paper bullets then patched but at an almost full .50 caliber projectiles. Patching is because brass is 30% zinc compared to jackets with 5% zinc so to avoid residue being left on the rifling.
Martin

 

[Greener Jim]

That'll be one hell of a tough projectile! I'd love to see that

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Here"s what I am thinking, get the form by trimming off the rear extractor groove at 45ish degrees. There should still be enough metal left to cover the base.
:308s cost nothing at the range too.
Martin

 

[Greener Jim]

It's definitely different mate. I've not seen it before anyway.

Will it stabilise though? What twist is your rifle? I guess until it's made we won't know the exact length and weight.

 

[enfieldspares]

I used to swage bullets commercially. Using Corbin equipment. you'll find the the problem isn't the jackets but the cores. Jackets can be made from rimfire cases with the primer strike swaged out..it is how RCBS started (Rock Chuck Bullet Swage) or from copper tube. Or you can buy jackets pre-made.

The problem is the cores. You can cast cores using a core mould but it is hard work and to be honest if you are casting cores you might (if the velocity allows it) just as well cast bullets. With or without gas check. Or you can swage cores. And there's the rub.

Good core swaging requires good equipment and do you either swage the cores that you have cast or do buy lead wire? That again will need cutting to length with a cutter and then swaging to set up the core to the exact correct weight.

So it isn't cheap and personally unless you are doing it commercially you may find it CHEAPER to turn bullets from solid copper on a lathe or get someone to do it on a lathe for you. Otherwise the bullets you make will cost tens of pounds per bullet.

Last but not least if you want to swage full jacketed bullets than you'll need two extra dies AT LEAST to turn over the jacket and then to close it over the bullet base if you want a boat tail and not just a flat pain base. If you want just to swage soft point then to get a real professional finish you'll need a point forming die but not the base turn closing.

I used to swage Webley Mk II bullets and also had the kit to make the full jacketed Mk VI bullet both with hollow bases. I sold the gear to Fred Clarke at Empire Arms, Edmonton in the late early 1990s.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Yeah, but I retire at end of this year and I need to make my Myford lathe work for its keep. It will be just a hobby for me not to make any money.
All the inlines for .50 cal use sub caliber projectiles in sabots and I do not want to loose that extra .050 thou of diameter. And lastly I have been fascinated for my whole grown life with ballistics and this will be just one of my retirement projects. I bet they will drop roe well though.
Martin

 

[Greener Jim]

Yeah it's a good little hobby. I'm guessing you are going to anneal the cases to soften them up to promote expansion?

 

[Bavarianbrit]

And scratch the inside of the cases to aid the petal form.
I still need to find which die will give me the front form.
I will check it out on and old boar from an RTA which we get now and again, not quite up to the Strasbourg goat tests but will be a good start.
You tube is an interesting site for these crazy ideas.
Ah!! only 6 weeks to go till my retirement.
Martin

 

[Greener Jim]

The first dies that sprang to mind were the 44's (444 marlin, 44 Mag etc) but they wouldn't take the new neck to base diameter so you would have a slight taper.
That been said, the increased brass thickness of your 'neck' would probably push the 'neck' diameter to base diameter.