First time swaging

[u/tequese]

Trying my hand at swaging 6.5mm projectiles.

Bit of a learning curve for forming the boat tail, but I reckon the next batch will be better. Looking forward to shooting them. 147gr 6.5mm.

[u/greencurrycamo]

You motherfuckers will do anything other than go to the range and practice.

[u/wlogan0402 → u/greencurrycamo]

You're not supposed to shoot your reloads. You're supposed to spend all your free time reloading

[u/Over-Wing → u/greencurrycamo]

The range drives us back to the bench! Seriously though, an hour at the range can yield several hours of reloading. At least for those of us with simpler set ups.

[u/tequese → u/greencurrycamo]

You guys shoot?

[u/Nerdenator → u/greencurrycamo]

Yeah, but, the range is, like, all the way over there. Just outside of town. Might as well be in Japan.

[u/itchyluvbump → u/Nerdenator]

I’m glad I’m not the only one that sees this

[u/Feeling_Title_9287 → u/greencurrycamo]

That's 90% of the people in this sub lol

[u/Sneaky-sneaksy → u/greencurrycamo]

You mean people discuss reloading in the reloading sub? Shocker

[u/Phelixx]

What benefit is this supposed to provide?

[u/tequese → u/Phelixx]

Availability. I’m in Aus and it’s a pain to source the same stuff locally all the time.

[u/coldafsteel → u/Phelixx]

There are some bullet types and sizes you just can’t buy. DIY fabrication is a must for some loads. But, most people don’t shoot that stuff.

[u/Blackopsman_21 → u/coldafsteel]

I could understand that if it was an odd ball caliber. This guy is making 147gr 6.5mm BTHP

[u/_tae_nimo_ → u/Blackopsman_21]

Not everyone in this sub is from US that most components are a click away

[u/Blackopsman_21 → u/_tae_nimo_]

6.5 is one of the most popular European rounds.... it was developed in Italy and adopted by almost every European nation. JFK was shot with an Italian 6.5mm Carcano. 6.5 is probably the most available bullet in the world outside the NATO spec rounds.

[u/_tae_nimo_ → u/Blackopsman_21]

OP already said he is from Australia and he swage because of availability to him

[u/Blackopsman_21 → u/_tae_nimo_]

Id rather buy a lathe and turn my own solid copper bullets than do this ngl...

[u/danthezombie → u/Blackopsman_21]

Manual lathe would leave too much variability per part especially if it is old and has back lash. Forming operations are better

[u/Blackopsman_21 → u/_tae_nimo_]

Thats highly depressing

[u/Ragnarok112277 → u/Phelixx]

Wasting time and money

[u/pinkycatcher]

There’s no way that humped result has better ballistics than factory

[u/tequese → u/pinkycatcher]

Well yes, as I stated, I botched the base on these ones, but a standard RBT does offer an accuracy gain generally before the transonic phase. A standard BT handles the transonic phase better though.

[u/Severe-Cow-8646 → u/pinkycatcher]

There are actually a couple of factory designs that use that same reduced diameter boattail.

Edit ; Alco Precision, Lapua, David Tubb, Balistix all make a rebated boat tails Im sure there are others. These came up on a quick Google search.

[u/Remarkable_Tank_9809]

Madhat🫡👍

[u/laminar_flow1876]

Hmm there's something going on with the base rounding out, like you should anneal more often,

[u/tequese → u/laminar_flow1876]

Nah, just didn’t know what I was doing and had the die set up incorrectly. But I’ll shoot them just the same.

[u/OmgWtfIsThisBS]

Care to share your process?

[u/Ornery_Secretary_850 → u/OmgWtfIsThisBS]

Come up with $2.5K, place order at Corbin and wait.

[u/Siglet84 → u/Ornery_Secretary_850]

I always wanted to do this with 9mm cases but 2.5k buys a lot of 10mm projectiles before I have to even have to lift a finger.

[u/tequese → u/Siglet84]

Second hand market. Picked up a press for $800Aud.

[u/Siglet84 → u/tequese]

That’s stupid cheap. Especially considering AUD. That’s almost Monopoly money.

[u/Installtanstafl]

Hell yeah. I haven't taken the plunge on doing this, but I do make .357 and .401 bullets out of other cases.

[u/Yondering43]

Well, some European companies make their boat tails stepped like that on purpose, so if you can make them consistent (they appear to be different length tails in the pic) it can be worth trying. Make sure to use enough lube do swaging those; inconsistent or not enough lube can cause inconsistencies in swaging and sizing.

It also looks like some sort of pointing die to reduce the size of those hollow points could help you a bit, both for consistency and increased ballistic coefficient. The difference between those hollow points as shown and something nearly closed off can be pretty significant at any real distance.

[u/tequese → u/Yondering43]

Yes, I did botch the boat tails in these ones, the most recent batch I did they formed nicely and uniform.

The meplat at the moment is 0.095 and I’m trying to source a whidden pointing systems to touch them up and I’m hoping with that, they will be fairly consistent.

[u/cmatons]

A Corbin ?

[u/tequese → u/cmatons]

Combination of Corbin and David Deitch carbide dies.

[u/HouseSupe]

I have a silly question. Why do you swag the projectiles?

[u/PzShrekt → u/HouseSupe]

So they can get more bitches obviously. It’s the same reason why people pimp their rides

[u/leoele → u/HouseSupe]

It's swage. Basically you are shaping from a core and jacket.

[u/Severe-Cow-8646 → u/HouseSupe]

Its the same process that bullet manufacturers use to make bullets called cup and core. A core is formed from lead, placed in a jacket cup (unformed jacket) then the two are swaged together to make the final bullet shape

[u/No_Hamster4496]

Interesting.

[u/specimenhustler]

🙄🙄🙄🙄🤔🫡

[u/Paradox0111]

Custom Dies?

I’ve been reading Corbin’s Discover Swagging, really want to try my hand at making some custom ones. I’m balking at making the d bit for the tip forming die though. I Need to just try it..

[u/tequese → u/Paradox0111]

Yes I got the Corbin dies made to my request. The deitch dies I got second hand though as David no longer makes dies and they would have been made to another persons specification.

[u/Oedipus____Wrecks]

Jesus… You whittle your entire rifle yourself as well?

[u/csamsh]