Lee 50 caliber real bullets

[turtlelonghair]

I have a CVA bobcat 50 cal that I loaded up last night first time I make 50 caliber Lee real bullets I lube the bullet I didn't even need a ball starter it went down easy with just the ramrod is this right and is that safe to shoot I just don't want to blow myself up

 

[Matthew323]

As long as it does not move off of the powder charge, you're OK.

Idaholewis demonstrated in one of his videos how some of the bullets that he was casting were moving off of the powder charge. I forget now how he discovered it. He started trying different alloys of lead, other than pure lead, which was what was causing the problem, he finally found out.

The way he tested the bullets to see if they were going to move during a hunting situation was to place a thick rubber mat on the ground outside, not on a concrete floor, and to drop the loaded rifle, muzzle down, from about a foot, or so off of the ground to give the bullet a decent amount of inertia to try and overcome. If it didn't move, then he felt it was safe to hunt with.

I suggest you try something similar, and decide for yourself if you think it is safe to hunt with. Most any bullet that isn't falling out of the barrel will be safe to shoot at the range. As long as you aren't tipping the barrel's muzzle down and shaking it. Again, you'll have to decide.

 

[turtlelonghair]

Think so buddy well the bullet ain't falling out I measured the bore 0.50 bullet 0.49 but I'm used to bullets going down hard

 

[turtlelonghair]

I know I have a 45 with 45 real bullets I make 45s too and they went down real hard but I shot them and they work because the real bullet is supposed to follow the rifling and that's what makes it a tight fit

 

[Matthew323]

The top driving band on a Lee R.E.A.L. bullet is supposed to come out of the mold measuring 0.018" over bore diameter.

 

[eekjellander]

And if it doesn't try some 40-1 mix and that should hold better along with compression casting (look it up ) in the casting section for complete fill out and higher temp /Ed

 

[turtlelonghair]

Please explain what over bore means in a 50 caliber real bullet for black powder I don't understand where you get 0.018 the calipers that I'm using is inches and millimeters doesn't measure to the thousands

 

[bandicoot]

Can you start your lubed REAL completely, including the driving band, with your thumb?

 

[turtlelonghair]

Yes sure can

 

[eekjellander]

Yes sure can

Then your bore is to big or the mold is to small or your not using the correct alloy to solve the problem ,as I earlier stated . You should be needing a short starter as the REAL engraves when starting (if not )to increase diameter try again as stated use 40-1 and keep increasing till it"s fat enough to suit with out getting to hard to start . My Lyman Great Plains also engraves on starting ,You do have to run hotter with pure and dont forget compression casting for complete fill out or just maybe your mold is defective/Ed

 

[turtlelonghair]

Well I don't know either because I measured inside the bore with calipers says 0.50 bullet says 0.49 shouldn't be a whole lot of difference but I'm going to try them anyway I think they may work don't know for sure on that one but thanks old buddy sure appreciate the advice

 

[turtlelonghair]

Which I know a lot of bores are different but to me 50 is 50 and that's what my mold says

 

[Matthew323]

If you go to the Lee website, and look for the info on the R.E.A.L. bullet molds, you will see the diameters for all 4 bands listed. Just tap on any of the R.E.A.L. molds, and near the bottom is listed the band diameters.

I was wrong about the diameter of the top band. It's not 0.018" , but 0.017" over bore diameter for the top driving band.The diameter over bore size for all Lee R.E.A.L. bullets is as follows.....

4th = 0.017"
3rd = 0.012"
2nd = 0.007"
1st = 0.002"

For your .50 caliber mold, regardless of weight, the diameters should be....

4th = 0.517"
3rd = 0.512"
2nd = 0.507"
1st = 0.502"

 

[turtlelonghair]

Well doc I'm still not getting it but I just went out with the bullet I made shot it it goes bang and comes out so still don't understand how they get those measurements like I said mines in inches and millimeters and doesn't read in the thousands my borw is 0.50 my bullet is 0. 49 and it shoots

 

[turtlelonghair]

Where can a feller find some good front sights for a CVA bobcat what's a good site for those they're dovetail

 

[Hausser1]

Turtle, if I'm reading this correctly it sounds like the calipers you're using isn't precise to thousandths or ten thousandths.
With a little searching, you can find fairly precise digital calipers that read to within nearest 0.0005" at reasonable prices ($100-200) to get you in the ballpark.
I wouldn't spend less as the old axiom states, you get what you pay for. I buy American whenever possible, but in this Mitutoyo's are also very popular

 

[SuperKirby]

Well doc I'm still not getting it but I just went out with the bullet I made shot it it goes bang and comes out so still don't understand how they get those measurements like I said mines in inches and millimeters and doesn't read in the thousands my borw is 0.50 my bullet is 0. 49 and it shoots

As designed the bullet is intended to come out of the mold at the diameters listed for each driving band. The diameters are "over bore." If the entire shank of the bullet were . 517 it would be impossible to get the bullet down the bore. By having just the driving bands be over, there is less surface area so they are able to be started through the bore. They are still over sized enough that you should need a short starter to better started. Once started, pure lead is soft so they aren't too bad to get down the barrel.
That said, if they're measuring at .49 they are too small. You may be ok to shoot them at the range, where you load and shoot right away with minimal jostling to upset the bullet off the powder. I'd be darn sure though as the bullet coming off the powder will be catastrophic. If this is the case you need to find a way to increase your bullet diameter. The ways mentioned above will likely take care of the problem.
If you choose to shoot a .49 bullet that falls down a .50 bore, please make sure you have a backup plan for hands. I know technology has provided some nice replacements. You'll likely need them eventually.