Bullet Making (originally owned by Stephen Perry)

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Benchrest Central

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BR Bullet Making

Anybody out there got into making benchrest quality bullets in the last year or two.

Like to hear your bullet making experience in your first year or two of bullet making. If you have any questions ask them here there are plenty of bullet makers on BR Central. I have been making 22 and 6 bullets for the last 10 years.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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Br

Yes we need more' I know at least one more shooter that has said he will be making bullets in the future.
Ive been making them for a while.
 
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I believe "Redrock" from South Dakota is getting into bullet making, at least he had thought about it last I heard.

Paul
 
I am taking the plunge, I am waiting on my dies. I can say that I thought turning necks was not as much fun as I thought it would be, cutting 5,900 cores for a 30 cal has to be the biggest PITA in the world. My joint on my right thumb swelled to twice it's size, I was popping pain pills like candy, I lost all mobility in my right hand for a number of days and I still have 2 50# coils of lead to cut. All I can say is that, core cutting sucks.

The reason I'm getting into making bullets is it seems just when I get something working, I can't get any more bullets, so I'm going to start making them for myself. I can't imagine how Lowell manages his one man operation and all the orders he fills.

Dan Honert
 
The reason I'm getting into making bullets is it seems just when I get something working, I can't get any more bullets, so I'm going to start making them for myself. I can't imagine how Lowell manages his one man operation and all the orders he fills.



Yes, yes, yes and yes...

cale
 
Dan H said:
My joint on my right thumb swelled to twice it's size, I was popping pain pills like candy, I lost all mobility in my right hand for a number of days and I still have 2 50# coils of lead to cut. All I can say is that, core cutting sucks.
Dan Honert
Click to expand...

Ah !
The joys of bullet making. Apparently that is why some people have powered core cutters it seems to me I recall Randy Robinette has an automatic cutter.

And as to what George Coleman said. I think its not so much a bad job as it is just a lot of work.

Dick
 
Stephen Perry said:
Anybody out there got into making benchrest quality bullets in the last year or two.

Like to hear your bullet making experience in your first year or two of bullet making. If you have any questions ask them here there are plenty of bullet makers on BR Central. I have been making 22 and 6 bullets for the last 10 years.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
Click to expand...

OK, I'll bite. What method do people use to lube the cores, and how much lube?

Dan Honert
 
Bullet Making

Stephen, all of my bullet making equipment is still in the exact same spot as I left it a number of years ago when I stood up and said, "to heck with this". Friends who come over kind of look at those three presses as a monument to futility.

But, I am getting very tempted to give George Urlich a call and get a set of his 7 ogive 30 caliber dies. But then, I look at those boxes of BIB's, and I start to come to my senses.

Bullet making can be the most rewarding endevour a shooter can get involved in.

It can also be the most frustrating.:D........jackie
 
pbike said:
I believe "Redrock" from South Dakota is getting into bullet making, at least he had thought about it last I heard.

Paul
Click to expand...

I Shall attempt the impossible this coming winter, Dies are ordered, and I'll be looking forward to a new challenge, If the offer is still good I may have questions at that time.
 
Bullet making is a laborious, boring, mindless job……….If I hadn’t jumped into making my own some 10-12 years ago for the simple reason of cost, I would never have done it. It seams that when you make your own that you get requests from everyone asking can I try some of your bullets? For those that get into this, a few here and a few there it will soon add up to a $150 to $ 180 bucket of jackets, lead @ $1.85 a pound as of now, and then there is the time spent sitting in a room doing this boring mindless job. Word of advise for the newcomer, if your buddies say I’ll help you make bullets so I can get some, DON”T, for when you loose that shot that meant the difference of a win or loss you will wonder, was it a bad bullet that my buddy missed?? Or when a piece of dirt gets into a die and scratches it and you find out after 500 pieces that something is wrong or one gets stuck in the point-up die for lack of lube and the list goes on.

My point, it is a one man job if you are going to control quality and minimize problems.

I have started a segment on my home page titled Bullet Making, as for right now I only have made it thru the core cutting and swaging, as time permits I will finish the other operations. I started this to explain in pictures and text what methods I use to make jacketed bullets as an attempt to help or enlighten the newcomer. In no way do I advocate that my way is the best way, it is just what I have found to work for me.


I am attempting to attach a short video of my core cutting method but not sure if it will work.


Best of luck to the newcomers……Rick
 

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Well, now that we've got the negative stuff out of the way,how about a little story.
About 5 years ago at a Camillus,NY winter league my little old buddy "Kenny"(I'm guessin' Kenny is in his mid 70's at this time)and I were standing around talking to Gerry( Bullet maker,match director,Father,Grandfather and one of my all around favorite guys)about bullet making,from a purely economic standpoint.Gerry said that jackets cost (x-amount),lead costs (x-amount)and the dies and presses cost( x-amount)So it would take a guy like 50,000 or so bullets to break even,divided by how many bullets a guy shot a year x how many years a guy was going to shoot = ?
Gerry looked at me and said " for a guy like you,it would be worth it" He then looked at Kenny and innocently and honestly said" for a guy like you it probably wouldn't be".Kenny then looked at me and I have been laughing about that moment ever since.:)
From a non-economic stand point bullet making is like cooking,if you are perfectly happy to eat out at diners every night be prepared for some good meals and some not so good meals, But if you don't mind a little time at the market and a little work in the kitchen,then the "vittles" are quite a bit better.
Joel
 
Br bullet making

Yes i have to admit that's what i said and yes for kenny.
He's a year older then me. :D
But honestly i do enjoy making them.
I get a big kick out of seeing good shooters win with them.
The profit certainly doesn't warrent the time.
actually it's below minumum wage . so far below i could turn myself into the state and sue myself for working for less then the minimum wage:D
Guys like joel and kenny make it fun.
 
Br bullet making

Dick'
jason Coye makes those powered core cutters. nader has one.
ask him how they work":D
They are not cheap they work but look out.
 
Bullet Making

Read all the Posts you guys wrote. I started bullet making for 1 reason. I wanted to do something in BR that I could call my own. I'm not a smith so bullet making seemed like something I could learn. A few items I learned from my Mentor. Once you start making bullets stop buying bullets. Commit yourself to making a winning bullet. You might not make good bullets from the beginning but find a bullet making bud to be able to bounce questions off of and do some reading by the masters you soon will be making bullets that are as good as you can buy.

A few comments on what you guys wrote. Bullet making is a labor intensive job. First time out make 200. This will you a feel for all the steps without wearing yourself out. Starting out making a 1000 bullets is a big task for a new bullet maker. I break steps up into different days. First day I cut my lead wire into lengths usually around 30". Next I clean my lengths then cut cores. Second day I form cores and clean them. Third day I seat cores. Fourth day I point the bullets. This way I can make 1000 bullets spending only a couple hours each day and not seem like I'm on treadmill to finish everything in one day. Last time I made 1000 bullets in one day it took me 6 1/2 hrs, wore my self out. That's when I went on the 4 day schedule As I explained earlier, been happy ever since. Never make your bullets the day before a Shoot. You got too many other things to do to get ready. Plan ahead try and have at least 500 bullets on hand at any time. This way you will have bullets to practice with and enough for your next Shoot.

Like to see this Thread keep going. Lets talk presses and bullet making dies. What do you have. One last thing one guy mentioned sticking a bullet in his point die. I have an easy solution of removing a stuck bullet. First remove your knockout pin. Next place a spent primer on your seating punch. Run the punch into the die. This will close up your bullets hollow point. Now put your knockout pin back in your die. The ejector will now push out the stuck bullet.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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Stephen Perry said:
Read all the Posts you guys wrote. I started bullet making for 1 reason. I wanted to do something in BR that I call my own. I'm not a smith so bullet making seemed like something I could learn. A few items I learned from my Mentor. Once you start making bullets stop buying bullets. Commit yourself to making a winning bullet. You might not make good bullets from the beginning but find a bullet making bud to be able to bounce questions off of and do some reading by the masters you soon will be making bullets that are as good as you can buy.

A few comments on what you guys wrote. Bullet making is a labor intensive job. First time out make 200. This will you a feel for all the steps without wearing yourself out. Starting out making a 1000 bullets is a big task for a new bullet maker. I break steps up into different days. First day I cut my lead wire into lengths usually around 30". Next I clean my lengths then cut cores. Second day I form cores and clean them. Third day I seat cores. Fourth day I point the bullets. This way I can make 1000 bullets spending only a couple hours each day and not seem like I'm on treadmill to finish everything in one day. Last time I made 1000 bullets in one day it took me 6 1/2 hrs, wore my self out. That's when I went on the 4 day schedule As I explained earlier, been happy ever since. Never make your bullets the day before a Shoot. You got too many other things to do to get ready. Plan ahead try and have at least 500 bullets on hand at any time. This way you will have bullets to practice with and enough for your next Shoot.

Like to see this Thread keep going. Lets talk presses and bullet making dies. What do you have. One last thing one guy mentioned sticking a bullet in his point die. I have an easy solution of removing a stuck bullet. First remove your knockout pin. Next place a spent primer on your seating punch. Run the punch into the die. This will close up your bullets hollow point. Now put your knockout pin back in your die. The ejector will now push out the stuck bullet.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
Click to expand...

NO NO NO! Don't put a spent primer into your swaging die. The gritty residue from a primer could scratch your die.
Just use a short section of lead core .
 
Br bullet Making

Easy he started the thread and he's good guy to start this so lets give him a little slack.
Yes i have top agree that a spent primer can be dangerious . It may scratch the die.
Here's what i was told by my teacher,
Use a piece of scrap Lead. Usually you have a piece of a short slug after cutting.
Rotate the pin on the point die until it, free from the bullet, pull it all the way up. Place a lead scrap piece on the punch, make sure the pin will still come out of the die. PUsh the handle down and put some good pressure on it. pull down. and the stuck bullet should eject, If not repeat the process.
It's a safe way to remove the stuck bullet.
OK? any questions? ask.
Now presses
I use 2 old rockchuckers and an old A2.
One rockchucker is for cores. The A2 is for core seat and the new rockchucker is for pointing. I have an old Herters core cutter.
Most people don't either know this or have never read an old Herters catalog but they use to promote bullet swaging.
Every one has their own little way of making bullets and what really count is the quality. Here's what i have learned over the years
uniform core weight= uniform core seating. Uniform core seating = uniform points. I'll blab more when i come back from the club.
 
NO NO NO! Don't put a spent primer into your swaging die. The gritty residue from a primer could scratch your die.
Just use a short section of lead core .


Yes, Yes, Yes..........!!!!!!!:eek:

Just the thought of ANY grit in these dies makes me NOT sleep well!:eek:

Yes, a short lump of lead core is perfect for the stuck bullet...:eek:

Remember, Steel dies need a bit more lube on the jackets (both during core seat and point-up) than do Carbide.

Here's what i have learned over the years uniform core weight= uniform core seating. Uniform core seating = uniform points.
Very true... Quality starts from the very start.. Even a consistent core cutting technique will help TONES with getting the cores squirted consistently. Application of lube on cores and jackets is a "hole":D nother topic..:D

cale
 
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