Bullet forming questions

[twlkr]

I have been hunting with a 50 and sabots for years and now am wanting to go smokeless and sabot less. I feel 45 is best and the only reason 50 is being sold is to shoot the 45s with a sabot to be user friendly.

What die makers are there for bullet forming?
Which makers are the best?
Is a fiber wad required or should be used?
What bullets are available for serious work and which can be used for plicking or scope setting?
What lubes are being used to form?
Any thing else you can educate me with is appreciated.

I reload for centerfires so I already own a press.

 

[GM54-120]

Swinglock offered the first adjustable sizing die ive seen. Hankins Custom rifle also offers one. Both are close to the same price. You can go either smooth formed or full formed with Swinglock depending on the die you buy. A full form does require a piece of your barrel. Most guys do just fine with a smooth die.

Its always a good idea to try your rifle with and without a wad. Even when you change bullets.

Parker Productions
Pittman Bullets
Fury Custom bullets....way more affordable
There are a couple more too. A few from Luke at Arrowhead Sporting Goods and from another member on the boards. His are called Bombs from Kinetic Performance.

Castrol stick wax is what some people use. Some use none at all.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

I'm using 285gr Bear Creek Ballistics for hunting. For plinking/initial scope settings, I use 300gr Hornady XTPs, sometimes Hornady 250gr FTX.

Bear Creek raised their prices this year so I may go back to a Barnes 290gr for next year.

I always use a .060 thick veggie wad for all my bullets. I did order some wool wads to try out after hunting season, some people report better accuracy with wool.

3 of my smokeless guns use 209 primers, one break action uses Large Rifle Magnum Primers (LRMP)in a brass module. I prefer the brass module over the 209s.

 

[sabinajiles]

I use the Swinglock smooth size die. It works fine. I'm sure Hankin's smooth sizing die does also. With the accuracy I get from smooth sizing, and the variety of excellent bullets available for my .45 barrels, I've never felt the need to go to full forming. I use Brute Lube, made by Champion Cutting Tools, to lube the bullets when sizing because that is what I already had in my shop. It is a simple hard wax lube and it doesn't take much. I just press my index finger onto the wax and rub it around the bullet before sizing, basically just leaving a film.

I always use an over the powder wad when loading. I mainly use a .060 veggie wad. I have used wool and haven't seen any difference in accuracy. I just think the veggie wad seals better and wool stinks when fired. I use IMR 4198 powder and my rifles have 209 breech plugs. I was told when I started this that to ensure reliable pressure for ignition with 4198, especially in cold weather, to use a wad. I always have and I have never had an ignition problem.

I have used Hornady SST/FTX & XTP bullets for shooting paper but tend to use the Fury Star Point bullets and Parker BEs for scope setting. For hunting load development, I have worked up very accurate loads with the already mentioned Parkers, Pittmans and Furys. The only bullets I have actually used for hunting were during this year's season and were 2 different Fury bullets, the no longer produced 275 FAT & the currently offered replacement for that bullet, the 275 Star Point 2. Distances shot were 70-90 yd and the only distance the deer traveled when hit was to the ground. I am planning on using the Pittman 300 Aeromax for our late firearm antlerless only season coming up. It shoots bug holes from the rifle I will be using and from all reports, I'm pretty confident it will do the job.

Be warned, smokeless muzzleloading is even more addicting than smokers, IMO. I bought my first smokeless rifle used in Oct, 2017, then had Jeff Fisk build me a rifle which was delivered during March of this year and just picked up another used rifle last week. Seems to be a pattern for smokeless shooters.