Help with bevel base problem.....

[ackleyman]

Hello to all, new here on Cast Boolits! I have been casting since 1969, started off as a kid working for a commercial reloader.

As I get back into casting after a 20 year lapse, I find that on most pistol bullets that all molds are bevel base. I buy a Saeco 4 cavity 200g bevel base and my RCBS sizer thinks the Bevel base is a grease groove.

Since the vast majority of molds that are being made are Bevel base molds, I must be missing something.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[462]

Ackleyman,
Welcome.

I think it's a SAECO thing. Look into Lee, Lyman, and RCBS.

[EDK]

Easy way...have the mould modified by milling off the bevel base or removing the bevel. Eric, the HP mould guy, offers this service. Maybe Buckshot also.

If you like bevel base, have the bottom plug on the sizer die modified to match the boolit base. A no brainer for a good machinist.

Expensive...buy a STAR lubricator/sizer. Learning curve on adjusting...read up on it here...and then it's mass production time!

A serious pistol shooter needs 4 cavity+ moulds, a STAR lubri-sizer, and a DILLON 550B (or equivalent) progressive reloading press.

[casterofboolits]

Have the bottom punch modified to fit the bevel base. Had this done to several punches when I worked for a tool co. many, many moons ago.

This is probably your cheapest route. Eventually went to the Star luber too. The Lyman and RCBS was just too slow.

[captaint]

I don't know - I don't own a bevel base mold, and I have a pile!! enjoy Mike

[ackleyman]

Thanks to all for the help! I'm on the right track now!

Love this site with all it's experienced folks!

[10mmShooter]

Ackelyman

You asked how to remove the bevel, I tried to snap a pic for you.

1. The best way to remove a bevel base is to secure it in a prefectly level fixture at 90 degrees to the bullet on a milling center and use a fly cutter to basically shave a few thousandths off at a time until the bevel is fully removed.

But most of us dont have milling center at home. So below I'll show you an easy way to do it with hand tools.

1. No 1...realize you are risking damage to you mold and "could" damage it where its no longer usable....if you are okay with this proceed

2. I prefer a varilabe speed drill to the Dremel, my drill allows me a good deal slower speed than the Dremel does. You will notice in my picture I am using the dremel grinding stones.

3. The mold is a RCBS 200g 10mm SWC..it started life as a Bevel base design, but I removed the bevel. I also was aiming to increase the diameter of bottom driving band by a .001-.002.

4. I kept the mold closed, and very slowly inserted the stone to remove the bevel, keep the drill speed slow and keep the stone straight in the mold. Also dont plunge the stone too deep or you could wreck the lube grove. You will get the feel for it.

5. For fiine work I use the small round file. You can even use the stone by hand and not even chuck it in the drill.

6. Remember this is not completely precise you might get ever so sligthly out of round, but if you are careful you can do this fine and any irregulariteis will be cleaned up in the sizing die.

Remember in my pic I was removing the bevel and increasing the bottom band by a .002. You can see this by the contrast in color from the area where the stone touched verses where it didnt.

[Old Caster]

The Saeco # 068 mould is bevel based and the #069 is flat based. After extensive testing I can tell you that either one will make you a very accurate bullet and if there is a difference in inherent accuracy between the two I haven't been able to prove it. Even if.....the difference is not worth worrying about because it is so slight that other factors are way more important. Your Lyman mould is virtually identical to the Saeco moulds in shape and are a very good choice to shoot bullseye competition. I have a habit of wiping off the bottom of all of my bullets as I load them because even though my star lubrisizer won't leave lube on the bottom, some lube will get on the bottom by bumping others in the container. The only way to avoid this is to set each bullet flat in a container and not tip them and that is even more trouble. If you use a heater and hard lube, then all of this is a moot point because it stays where you put it. I have had bullets shoot very well before with hard lube but I think soft lube is more forgiving so I use it almost exclusively. If you have everything going right, then change to a hard lube to see if it is still accurate and non leading. Then go with it because it is much faster. I have a Herters, Lyman 45, 450, modified 4500 and star sizer and it depends on what I am doing as to which I choose. Maybe I need a Saeco.

[DWM]

Hi , a machinist friend made a something like a big gas check , on one side fit the bevel base another side flat to fit in the sizer , no problem and if I need to size flat base bullets I remove it .

daniel