using the new Lee bullets w/o sizing

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  • Last Post 28 January 2016
JPnewhampshire posted this 21 January 2016

I have been away from reloading for 50 yrs. I bought a new Ruger LCRx in 327 mag for the wife and am setting up to reload for it. I like the Lee #90311 mold  (tl314-90 )  This is in the new multy groove design for the alox lube ??--Can I load low vel. practice rounds with this with out sizing ??  JP

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 21 January 2016

first ... welcome !!

next ... great choice ... i am interested in that gun for some ladies .... who can't afford a j-frame and cant rack an autoloader easily.

the answer is a maybe .....if they chamber freely in the cylinder you are probably good to go ... try them in all chambers .... also, work up the load just in case your throats are tight ... they will swage down but again work up a load using them, don't just throw in the max charge from a book ...

keep us informed .

ken

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JPnewhampshire posted this 21 January 2016

I purchased a Turaus 941 in 22mag and let her try it--TO heavy-to hard to cock and way to hard to fire DBL action/// Its a nice gun but// I say the SLRx 3 inch is for her but //I really like it with the laser sight so I may carry it/ I will take her to the shop and let her try an SLR in 22 mag and see if she is happy with the dbl action only (for home defence//)JP

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 21 January 2016

your wife is a good one ... for years i bot the good stuff for my wife... but the plan fell through and she kept it for herself ...

ken

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hporter posted this 22 January 2016

JP, You should be able to use them without sizing.  I have a few Lee molds, most of the tumble lube designs cast close enough to use without sizing.  If all else fails, a Lee .314 push through sizer runs about $23. I loaded some of the Lee TC 90 grainers that you referenced for my Uncle a couple of weeks ago with Bullseye powder using 32 H&R mag brass.  They shot well in his wife's Charter Arms Undercoverette. I just tried out my LCR .327 for the first time last week.  I didn't have any loads with the 90 grain Lee with me, but my new LCR loved the Accurate Mold 31-114D loaded with 3.0 grains of Bullseye.

http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/hporter_forum/media/Accurate%2031-114D/31-114D_zpsbryqmtev.jpeg.html>http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/hporter_forum/media/Targets/Target%20-%20Load%20401_zpslpttst5t.jpeg.html>

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Dirtybore posted this 26 January 2016

Though not handguns, I quite often use un-sized bullets in rifles.   They often work better than sized bullets.

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Larry Gibson posted this 26 January 2016

I've shot thousands of TL314-90-SWCs through several different 32 H&R magnums (S&W, Ruger and TCs) and 32 S&WLs. That bullet is my most used .32 caliber bullet. Fortunately I have a lee 6 cavity mould for that bullet.

Cast of RL and COWW with enough tin added for good fill out of the small drive bands I find the bullet drop at .315 +/-. Simply lubed and shot “as cast” I've found they chamber and shoot fine in S&Ws but with Starline brass chambering problems arise in my Ruger SS (original run) and my Contender barrel.

If lubed (as per the instructions) with LLA and pushed through the Lee .314 sizer chambering problems are eliminated in all. I've found both my Ruger SS and the Contender prefer the bullets sized at .312. The SS Ruger's cylinder throats pin gauge at .311 and the bore at .303.

In Starline 32 Magnum cases I load them over 3.2 gr Bullseye for 1000 fps and excellent accuracy out of both the Ruger and Contender.

BTW; the TL314-90-SWC cand be lubed and then loaded in most milsurp .31s (7.65s, 7.7s, 303s and 7.62s) over 3.2 gr BE for an excellent plinking and small game/vermin load. Also lubed first and sized to .314 they can then be sized through a .311 Lee sizer (I sized base first to keep the base square) for use in .30 cal rifle cartridges. A load of 2.7 gr is excellent up through 300 Savage case capacity and 3.2 gr BE is excellent for use in .30W up through 30-06 size cases. No wad or filler is necessary.

LMG

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Cary Gunn posted this 28 January 2016

Howdy LMG,

Please explain need to base-first size to keep bullet base level in .311” sizing die.

I would think that, if the base was sitting on a “flat-and-level” push-thru Lee sizing stem, the slug would come out of the die with its base just as flat and level as it went in. 

Is my “thinkin'” wrong as usual?

Happy trails,

Cary Gunn

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Larry Gibson posted this 28 January 2016

If the alloy is soft and you are sizing down a bit (like from .314 - .311) through a push through the alloy has to go some where. The sizer has a taper to the actual sizing diameter and the push rod is usually not a precise fit. Thus the alloy can be swaged back over the push rod leaving an uneven base. The BB on my TL314-90-SWCs is totally swaged away on sizing down to .311. Sizing the small TL bullets base first solves the problem leaving a flat square base on the bullet.   Here's 10 shots at 50 yards from my Mini MKX 7.62x39 with the TL90s sized at .312. LMG

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Larry Gibson posted this 28 January 2016

<user=9530>JPnewhampshire wrote: I have been away from reloading for 50 yrs. I bought a new Ruger LCRx in 327 mag for the wife and am setting up to reload for it. I like the Lee #90311 mold  (tl314-90 )  This is in the new multy groove design for the alox lube ??--Can I load low vel. practice rounds with this with out sizing ??  JP My Ruger does quite well with that Lee TL bullet.   LMG

Concealment is not cover.........

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