Sizing Die for 58 cal (577)

[Thunderchild]

When I first started to shoot muzzle loaders in the seventies a friend of mine had a bullet sizing tool for 58 cal bullets. It was a wooden block with a small dowel rod. Inside of the wooded block was a metal sizing die. You just put the bullet into the top of the thing and push down with the supplied rod and out the other end came the bullet sized and ready to shoot. I wanted to get one like it but could not find one. I can’t remember if the bullet was squeezed or if the die shaved the excess off the bullet. I know it worked very easily with little effort expended to push the bullet through. Does anyone know what I am describing or where to get one?

The closest thing that I could find to the above mentioned item is a sizing die that Dixie gun works sells. It is a compression die. The advertisement said that you just put the sizing die in a vice and push the bullet through with a dowel rod. The die is supposed to size the bullets to 575. Well I have two 575 molds, One from RCBS and one from Lee. There is no way that you can push the bullets from these molds through the dies by hand with a dowl. I had to use a hammer and a rounded metal punch. The bullets changed size from a measured 578 to 576. The second time through is tough as well with little change in size. The bullets looked pretty after going through the die with only a little distortion to the inside center of the skirt (where the punch was used). I am wondering if the sizing die should be used in an arbor press. There must be a better way. Maybe I am missing something.

I want to size my bullets to get a little bit more accurate. Consistency means accuracy. I want my bullets to be consistent in size and weight.

Any suggestions.

 

[arquebus]

I bought a similar sounding tool from Rapine Moulds to size my Minies. It is made from metal castings & has a lever with an attached pivoting punch with which to push the bullets, nose first, through the interchangeable dies. There are some pictures on this old thread:
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum...st/337955/hl/rapine/fromsearch/1/#337955[/url]

 

[rebel727]

I cast my minies out of Lyman mold #575213A. It's a 460 gr. traditional style mold. I cast them out of stick on wheel weights. I don't size them and they're plenty accurate out of my 58 Enfield. Good enough to consistently hit a five gallon bucket at 300 yds. They load easily. The weight of the ramrod will push them down the bore to the last couple of inches, first shot or fiftieth makes no difference.

 

[Coot]

I turned a steel rod to match the profile of the base cavity on my minne ball mold & use that to drive them thru the sizing die. A bit of thick wool under the die catches the minnie as it drops out. I use a mallot to drive them - they are too tight to just push.

PS - I also lube the die with whatever I am using for bullet lube.

 

[Big John]

Lodgewood Manufacturing has metal sizing dies. If you need to size more than .002 get more than one die size.

 

[uncrichie]

Like Coot said. Lubem first then sizem they slide right on through. Uncrichie.

 

[Thunderchild]

I shot a couple of dozen of the sized bullets today. My group at 50 yds had shrunk from 5.5 inches to 2.5 inches. The sizing die seems to be working very well. I also did not have to run a brush down the bore every tenth shot (I did anyway for accuracy sake). I did not know of other sizing dies that were available. If they are not expensive I might just invest in a couple of different sizes. Seems like bullets out of my molds just drop down my Enfield bore with no resistance. The Zouave seems to have a tighter bore and the sizing die really helps with loading (and accuracy). I did not have to use a short starter until after I had shot the couple of dozen sized bullets I had brought along to shoot.

 

[Coot]

You might want to mike your bores. The original Enfield was .577 but some repros run larger. If the unsized .58 minnie "falls" down the bore, then your mold be a bit undersize or your bore a bit over. My Enfield is a 32yr old Parker Hale & an unsized minnie from my .58 mold will not load. Good luck with your guns!