I guess you haven't bought any bullets in awhile.
Oh. Well, I guess you could conclude that if you want.
http://www.snscasting.com/ The bullets that appear on their home page are bevel base.
Hornady is not beveled, lead or jacketed.
I've never met anyone who loads Hornady's cast bullets so I've no experience there.
Hunter's Supply are not beveled
http://hunters-supply.com/shop/index.php?cPath=24&osCsid=tqqsmncan290f2u0u7oc4uhg72
Most of the non-gas-checked bullets on their page are bevel base.
http://www.rozedist.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RZD&Category_Code=ZSB-45ACP
Every bullet on this page has a beveled base. Though they're swaged which is odd. Don't know anyone loading swaged lead.
I can't find any info on an Armscor cast lead bullet.
I don't think I have ever seen a beveled, jacketed bullet.
Never once said anything about jacketed bullets.
I just think you should be careful about dismissing what other people post.
I wasn't dismissing anything you posted. I posted my own experiences. They contradict yours, and that's fine. Actually, based on the above links, I don't think they contradict yours. I'm wondering if you're not sure what bullets are beveled and which are not, or what constitutes a beveled base, rather than a true flat base.
Here's a bevel based bullet:
Here's a flat based bullet:
(Both .30 cal bullets from Hunters' Supply.)
Beveled base bullets outnumber flat based designs in the cast bullet offerings of most makers something close to 10 to 1.
The point I was trying to make is that I have had no success with beveled bullets without an expander plug, not just a belled case mouth.
I've never had a single instance of needing an expander plug beyond the simple belling plug in probably something around 100,000 cast bullets loaded.
Not only that but the expansion diameter has to accept a lead bullet size.
Not really. The bullet will slightly expand the case as it is inserted. It creates the well-documented "hourglass" look of a cast bullet loaded in a brass case with good neck tension.
Like this:
You don't need an expander plug to produce this space in the case. The bullet will do that for you.
Otherwise, one would have to hold the bullet as long as possible and risk getting fingers pinched.
It isn't as bad as all that. You just stabilize the bullet as it enters the die. As long as it is pointed in pretty much the right direction it will find its way into the case mouth. The beveled base HELPS with that. It has to. A beveled base meeting a belled mouth naturally funnels the bullet into the case.