Sizing a hodgdon way, way down...

[WBR10654]

I have a James River Fayetteville that shoots a .577 and I have a casting machine that makes .580s that I size to .579.

I was thinking of putting sized bullet through a second sizer to get "SMALL".

I can see no issues doing this as I think the Hodgdon is lighter than a traditional Minie, (I think).

I have had the Musket for years and do not think I have even shot it, (and I know "the gods" punish you if you do not shoot your firearms)

Anyone see an issue with this plan?

[Wayne Shaw, 1985V]

David ust size to your size they will be fine. Oh your powder cans are in my trailer for you. Should be there Friday of the Potomac. See you then. Wayne Shaw Harlans Light Cav

[Hal]

The rule of thumb I've always heard on smaller cast bullets (.30 to .45) is to size no more than .003". I've often wondered if that would still apply to larger ones like .58? My gut feel is that you ought to be able to get away with more sizing on a larger bullet. In other words, the amount you can size ought to be some percentage of it's diameter, not some set dimension regardless of size.

And of course, there are those who get away with sizing more than .003" even on .30 cals, but I don't know that they are getting pinpoint accuracy when they do. I would give it a try, but I would do it in steps, not all at once.

[bobanderson]

Please note that I am a hobbyist, not a machinist. With that out there, I do have machine tools and love to play, so here goes.

I make my own sizer dies to fit the Lyman sizer/lubricator. That said, when I made my .576 and .538 dies, I machined the core pin to match the inside of the minie skirts inside and out during sizing and lubing. Skirts supported this way do not deform and load true. I have sized minies down .005 with no problem.

Works great for all of my muskets. They shoot better than I do.

[PoorJack]

This is purely anecdotal evidence but I cast Hogdons at 579+. I size to 575 for my Parker Hale and musketoon. With the right charge and lube, it's a sub 2moa load in either gun. So I don't think there's a problem in sizing down a Hogdon so long as you don't get carried away and try to make a 54cal out of a 579.

Now the bullet I can't size too far is the Rapine Trashcan. It will only tolerate being sized about .002 before becoming useless. So I'm thinking the sizing thing is really dependent on bullet design.