Hey guys I am reloading for my Dan Wesson 445 supermag and I am trying to load beartooth 250 gr lfngc sized to .431. I slugged my chamber mouths at .430 so I did what everyone else said to do is get .001 larger. Well I did and I reloaded some rounds and when I went to put them in the chamber they would stop just before they were in. So now I can PUSH hard to get them in the cylinder and they do fire fine but Its horrible to get them in the cylinder. So now I did what everyone ever told me to do about ordering bullets but I can't get them to feed properly.

So now what went wrong?

So what do I do with 2000 bullets I got from beartooth?

Is there any way to save these bullets?

Just please help.

Brian

445 Supermag,
provided your chambers/throats are clean and that is not the cause of the problem, you could buy a cheap Lee push through type bullet sizer and reduce your bullets to .430. I don't know how this will effect the bullet hardness, if at all, but it would be the easiest and most inexpensive way to reduce you bullet diameter.

The tight tolerances maintained by Dan Wesson on their superb revolvers could cause the exception to the rule of using bullets that are .001 oversize. What type of measuring device did you use to measure your lead slugs? What did you get for groove diameter for the barrel?

http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/333470 There is a link to the product at Midway so you can see what it is if you aren't familiar with it. It is one of the few Lee products I've used in the past that was actually worth what it costs and then some.

kciH, THanks for the quick reply. Yes my chambers were clean. I used my Digital calipers to measure my slugs from my Slugging kit I bought. If memory serves me right Chamber mouths were .430 and bore diameter was .429. Something like that but don't quote me but I am pretty sure.

I am so upset with having so many bullets from beartooth that I just feel like throwing them all away and stick to jacketed bullets and forget lead.

I will have to try that bullet sizer out and see if it helps me out and can save these bullets for me.

Any thing else

Brian

445,
I don't know what you use for measuring, but most reloading type tools aren't that terribly accurate. A outside micrometer is a better tool than a calipers for doing this sort of work. Most digital measuring tools that cost under $100 are hobby grade and would benefit greatly from a reference block of a known exact measurement. You want to match your bullets to the throat dimension, they can be oversize for the bore with no ill effect in most cases.

If things don't work out, you can send your unused bullets to me. I'd be more than happy to shoot them up for you! :)

Good luck and use your lead bullets, I think they are better in a revolver than jacketed bullets in many ways.

445,

The recommendation is .001 over BORE diameter, and a light push fit in the throats. If the throats are .430 then that should be your bullet diameter. Typically the front driving band will enter the cylinder throat when the cartridge is loaded, if the bullet is over that diameter it will be difficult to chamber the ammunition, sound familiar?

Alk8944 , Yes that does sound very familiar to me. I can't believe this is happening. When things don't go right with my pistols it just makes me sick.

I think I am going to order what kciH recommended for me and see if that works out. If not kciH you are going to get an early Christmas in the order of 2000 bullets from me.

Well thanks for the info and I will keep you posted.

Brian

Brian, don't toss them, get the cheap Lee sizer.... solution is close at hand!

Try a handful at 0.430", if they don't work then I can assure you that someone here will want them. If not Steven then I'd be glad to buy them for my Rugers and their generous throat dimensions......

MikeG, I just purchased the lee sizer in .430 and .429 just incase. I hope it works. Thanks for the help.

Brian

Hold on there partner. How hard are you crimping? If you are overcrimping the cases, the area right below the crimp can bulge out and cause exactly the problem you are experiencing. Back off the crimp die completely and try a few with no crimp (not shoot them just try for fit). If they fit, then adjust the crimp die to put in crimp, just not too much of it. Check this first before getting too carried away.

Don't let all of these correct posts confuse you. Follow your heart and go with your original intention. Get rid of them and start over. I'll take at least 500 of them off your hands!

No mas que jalando so cadena (Just yankin' your chain).

Can't add anything more than what MikeG and Big Bore have already adivsed.

Allen :D

BIg Bore Great Idea and I will try this and see. I don't think I am over crimping but you never know. Thanks for the idea I will try tonight and see what happens and let you know.

Brian

Allen you only want 500 I got 2000 and you only want 500. You are kind enough to leave some for the others. ;) .


I will be trying out some of these things tonight and see how they work.

Brian

One thing that has not been mentioned yet is the Lee Sizer can be bought small and polished out to the size you want/need with just a piece of wooden dowel, some 440 grit cloth and a drill motor. It is inexpensive enough that you won't break any bones if you open it up too far. I do this with all of them I own to make my cast bullets fit my over generous Rugers.

Allen :)

Brian, if you want to confirm that the size of the bullet is the problem, just point the gun down and drop a bullet into each chamber. If they stop short of where the loaded ammo would put them - there's your problem.

If it was a Ruger I'd just polish out the throats a little, but not a DW. Then again if it was a Ruger it would probably swallow up 0.432" bullets with no problem....

One thing has been missed here. If you over flare your case mouths, which many people often do when first working with cast bullets, you will leave part of that flare at the case mouth, because ordinary crimping dies cannot remove it. I'm wondering of this may not be your real problem. Look at your loaded cases, is there a little bulge, all the way around the case, just below the case mouth? I used to do this a lot in my early days. The quick cure for what you already have loaded is a taper crimp die. The long term solution is to only flare the case enough to allow the bullet base to enter the case about up to the gascheck. Then finish seating the bullet slowly, so you don't scrape it by any misalignment with the dies. Lyman "M" dies will prevent this too. I use M dies to flare, and LEE crimp dies for crimping, at seperate stations of course. ==Bob

Thanks guys and pourboy I will check if I am overflaring. Maybe just maybe its my fault and not the bullets. I hope.

Brian

If you determine that you are overcrimping, do yourself a favor and use a Redding Profile Crimp die and you'll not have the problem again.

Well, what was the verdict?

Well, what was the verdict?


Ok guys well here it is. I tried what you said about crimping or over flaring nope.

So I tried the the lee sizer and BINGO. I loaded up a dummy round and it slid right in with just minimal pressure and I mean just a slight press and its in with no problems at all.

Thanks guys so much as I am in the process of resizing all my 2000 bullets right now. But they work and I am very happy. :D

I have some cast performance .430 and they go right in with no problems at all too so It was my bullets too big.

Thanks again for all the help. :)

Brian

Ok guys well here it is. I tried what you said about crimping or over flaring nope.

So I tried the the lee sizer and BINGO. I loaded up a dummy round and it slid right in with just minimal pressure and I mean just a slight press and its in with no problems at all.

Thanks guys so much as I am in the process of resizing all my 2000 bullets right now. But they work and I am very happy. :D

I have some cast performance .430 and they go right in with no problems at all too so It was my bullets too big.

Thanks again for all the help. :)

Brian

I just want to say again YOU GUYS ROCK

Thanks

Brian