Advice on Knurling Bullets to Bore Please

[billyboy*]

My experience with Knurling bullets is only for use inside Sabots.
What are most peoples procedures with Bullet to Bore?
1) Heavy Knurl with Coarser Files & then run them through a Smooth Form Sizing Die?
2) Light Knurl with Finer Files to just get them to fit Tighter in the Bore? How do you stay consistent on the Finished Size?

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I knurl a bullet (lead or copper jacketed) if i think its a little loose in the bore. I just have a pair of coarse 'bastard cut' files. I will adjust how hard i press the files to adjust the amount of knurling. If i go too much i can resize them and reknurl til i get the diameter and loading pressure that i want.

 

[sabotloader]

My experience with Knurling bullets is only for use inside Sabots.
What are most peoples procedures with Bullet to Bore?
1) Heavy Knurl with Coarser Files & then run them through a Smooth Form Sizing Die?
2) Light Knurl with Finer Files to just get them to fit Tighter in the Bore? How do you stay consistent on the Finished Size?

Using a file can be somewhat of a problem, unless you knurling a soft lead bullet conical. Using the file to knurl other bullets can and some will break one of the edges on the file which can and probably will stay attached in the surface of the bullet. This small piece may be harmful to the bore of your rifle as it is shot up through the bore.

This picture shows the way I was knurling bullets.

Eventually I did break a very small piece of the file off which stayed lodged in the surface of the bullet. When I shot that bullet the piece of file cut its way up the bare and actually lodged in a groove near the top of the bore. I was extremely lucky to be able to remove the piece.

Since then I have changed my method and am now using a simple high quality tubing cutter to cut a raised ring (cut knurl versus a filed knurl) in the bullet.

If you look closely at the knob on the cutter you can see I have indexed the knob to indicate the different depths that I cut the knurl.

It does take some experimenting to get the optimum depth of cut to raise the outer edges of the cut to the height you need.

 

[ENCORE50A]

..................What are most peoples procedures with Bullet to Bore?

I smooth size to fit and do not knurl.

 

[billyboy*]

With Most Bullets that is what is Done. These particular "Annealed" .45 Cal Barnes 275 Gr XPBs in this particular barrel are Too Loose

 

[michiganmuzzy]

How do you stay consistent on the Finished Size?

Practice alot. I knurled and loaded lots of bullets. Knurled lead seems much more forgiving when loading over-knurled than copper tho. I have a mold that drops at .452 and i want .456 for my ROA so i just knurl the crap outta them and they load pretty well for me and stay put & shoot great.

 

[brownisdown]

Does the pipe cutter way work for bullets shot in sabots?As of now I use the 2 file method,but like the pipe cutter way.

 

[sabotloader]

Does the pipe cutter way work for bullets shot in sabots?As of now I use the 2 file method,but like the pipe cutter way.

My thought is bullets loaded in a sabot shouldn't really need to be knurled.

 

[smokeeter]

I do know of some guys who knurl saboted loads to ensure maximum spin, if your knurled bullets are used in sabots, I don't think it would be a problem if some of the file embedded into the jacket since it still wouldn't damage the bore.

Sabotloader, when you knurl with the pipe cutter how much are you able to increase the bullets' dia.? And does it effect the integrity of the terminal performance on game?

 

[sabotloader]

I do know of some guys who knurl saboted loads to ensure maximum spin, if your knurled bullets are used in sabots, I don't think it would be a problem if some of the file embedded into the jacket since it still wouldn't damage the bore.

Sabotloader, when you knurl with the pipe cutter how much are you able to increase the bullets' dia.? And does it effect the integrity of the terminal performance on game?

I honestly do not know... I raise the cut knurl to the height that i need for each I shoot it from. I will say I am not cutting very deep at all! It could go a lot deeper. These cuts are performed.

These two pics are the same but might offer a different perspective of 'Cut Knurling'

These bullets are Lehigh Defense (solid) Copper bullets cut to fit my Mountaineer

In this picture you will only see 1 cut knurl on this brass bullet. This bullet was cut to fit a Ultra-Lite and in this case the base of the bullet did contact the lands of the bore but the top of the ogive of the bullet did not so I cut a Knurl to insure contact.

When I shoot them I use a MMP Sub-Bridge underneath them to seal the gas behind the bullet. They are essentially a bore riding bullet in that they never fill the grooves of the bore. The cut Knurling catches the lands and ride them to the muzzle.

This pic shows a MMP Sub-Bridge started in the bore.

 

[smokeeter]

thanks,
I guess the only problem with terminal performance would be if the cut knurl was preformed on jacketed bullets where the risk of seperating the jacket might present a problem with the bullet holding together

 

[billyboy*]

Thanks for all the replies. The experiment with finding accuracy with the Lower Pressure BH 209 & Annealed & Knurled .451" Barnes 275 Gr XPBs didn't work out with this particular barrel (works Great with Smokeless Powder)
I guess it is back to Full Form Sizing .458" bullets if I want to use All Copper projectiles with this Rifle.

 

[sabotloader]

Wait... are you sizing for a 45 or 50 cal. ML?

If it is for a 45 - this might be an excellent alternative. I use these in my fast twist 45's with great accuracy and Terminal Performance.

Lehigh .458x260CF-HP

The rings are sized to 458 to fit custom 45-70 barrels converted to a Muzzleloader. You may not even need to resize the drive rings. At first I was but I have since learned once the bullet passes through the crown - resizing is not necessary. The bullet base and Ogive does not have to be resized.

Would these work for you???

Shooting the bullet at elk hearts - clay pigeons

Ballistic Calculations

 

[billyboy*]

The rifle is a .45 Cal Rem 700 MLS.
Where is the best place to purchase those Lehigh 260s? I like that they have a Cupped Base like the .50 Cal Thors.
I always wished Thor had produced a .45 Cal Bore Sized All Copper.
So are they Soft enough to pound through the crown then seat the rest of the way?

 

[sabotloader]

I am on the road right now working off my cell. I will get you some additional information on Wednesday.

Basically they made by Lebigh Defense and available through their web site. The last time I checked they were sold out.

The old Rem 700ML is a very good rifle and they should really load well in that rifle. I actually had a Rem 700 in 45 cal. but my mind has gone blank I can not remember the bore twist rate right now.

I will get you more info on Wednesday.

 

[ShawnT]

Here is a link to Sabotloaders bullet. Still says out of stock. Lehigh bullets are great. I shoot a couple of their others too.

Do a "subscribe", and they will notify you when they are back in stock.

Buy .458 caliber Bullets for Hunting|$31.65 (lehighdefense.com)

 

[billyboy*]

Hello sabotloader,
Did you find any of your Old data using the Lehigh 260s in you .45 Cal Rem 700 ML?

 

[sabotloader]

Hello sabotloader,
Did you find any of your Old data using the Lehigh 260s in you .45 Cal Rem 700 ML?

Know I can not prove that I ever shot them from the Rem. What I did shot really well.