bullet swaging and Walnut Hill press?

[ironworkerwill]

I have a few questions about the w/h press and general questions about bullet making for the folks who actually swage their own.

Does any one here own this press?

Is the finished product as accurate as other well made bullets?

If copper tubing is used as a jacket, is it split or how is it drawn?

Is linotype too hard for core material?

Will any die fit the w/h press or are they mfg. style specific?

Answers from folks with bullet swaging experience will be greatly appreciated!

 

[DM~]

I have a few questions about the w/h press and general questions about bullet making for the folks who actually swage their own.

Does any one here own this press?

Is the finished product as accurate as other well made bullets?

If copper tubing is used as a jacket, is it split or how is it drawn?

Is linotype too hard for core material?

Will any die fit the w/h press or are they mfg. style specific?

Answers from folks with bullet swaging experience will be greatly appreciated!

I have several swage presses, but none are WH...

Finished bullets are only as good as the dies you use, and the bullet mfg'ers use VERY good dies. Don't expect bench rest accuracy out of std. dies, but good hunting bullets are possible.

I buy my copper tubeing to the size i need it, otherwise you will need to draw it down to the size you need. (you "swage" UP and "draw" DOWN when you are talking about bullets) You use draw dies to draw it down...

Lynotype is much too hard to swage... You swage soft lead.

DM

 

[joed]

I've wanted to make my own bullets for about a year now. But, I want an accurate, high BC bullet and from what I've seen that isn't going to happen.

When the technology gets there I'll jump in.

 

[DM~]

I've wanted to make my own bullets for about a year now. But, I want an accurate, high BC bullet and from what I've seen that isn't going to happen.

When the technology gets there I'll jump in.

It can and will happen now, IF you are willing to pay for it! There are die makers that will make what ever you want, all you need is a fat wallet...

DM

 

[ironworkerwill]

I have been wanting to make my own jacketed bullets also. I fear my wallet is much too slim. In addition to the up front investment, I am just ignorant of too many of the details to get started.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I don't have Richard Corbin's Walnut Hill press, but I do have Dave Corbin's CSP-1 press, which I bought used from a friend who purchased a new Walnut Hill.

You can easily make accurate handgun bullets by swaging, but rifle bullets require more care and more accurate dies. I make .357", .400", .429" and .451" diameter handgun bullets, but I buy my rifle bullets, if that tells you anything.

I've toured the Nosler and Sierra plants, and the equipment is mostly Punch Presses, with very expensive carbide sizing dies. They also have full time machinists and engineers, none of which I can afford to hire............

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[DM~]

Std. rifle bullet swage dies will easily make accurate hunting bullets, just don't expect BR quality. You don't need BR accuracy for hunting bullets at the ranges you SHOULD be shooting at big game anyway, so it's a non issue.

BUT, no matter how you look at it, it's not going to be a way to get cheeeeeep bullets, as all the tools are expensive to begin with...

DM

 

[ReloaderFred]

Not only is it expensive to get into, it's very time consuming to do. Unlike loading ammunition, there are numerous steps to swaging, and they all take time. Lots of time....

Hope this helps.

Fred