Been having issues rounding up the correct loading gear to make a surplus 7 Mauser happy, ( dies neck size to far . Chambers expands necks to big....no one I have checked has a bushing die in stock) can I patch large enough to seat in fire formed brass without sizing ?
I too would like to know.
Sure, if the resulting bullet will also fit into the throat. If it won't the patch will strip off and it won't shoot.
If you can make a chamber cast of the chamber and throat and paper patch 1 thousands over you should get a nice snug fit and still not hurt the patch
If you know chamber neck is enlarged. Not knowing the free bores dia? Would probably require slugging the chamber neck area and too beyond into the barrels free bore.
Sorry I don't know what the max wrap of a patch is? As most patching I've done never required more than 3 wraps or sometimes a bit less for a tight chambered neck. My suggestion: talk to a qualified gunsmith or two so to get ideas how to resolve. Maybe install a new barrel? Perhaps re-chamber to a different cartridge.
I don’t resize my 45/70 brass (always using the same gun). Paper patch to a size that slips in the case with a little tension and then lightly taper crimp. Works for me. You need to have the right boolit diameter as well as the right paper thickness to get two wraps around the boolit ending up at the right diameter. I know some run them through a sizer after they are patched, but I don’t.
Just a Tip: When wrapping a patch. Always start the wraps rolling in the same direction of the barrels bore twist. Doing. It does make a difference in your boolits accuracy.
The throat opening diameter will determine whether a PP'd boolit large enough to be very snug in an unsized case neck will work. The easy way is to patch up a couple boolits (well over the ogive) to be stiffly snug in a fired case and try to chamber it, leaving enough full-diameter boolit sticking out that the act of chambering it will push it a bit farther into the case, thus assuring either: 1 Proper seating in the throat, or 2. Patch interference/bunching up at the throat opening. Removing and examining the boolit will reveal whether you have a pronounced step where the patch is hanging up and being pushed back (too big for the throat), or you get even contact/hints of rifling on the patch. If it shows even contact, you're good to go with what you have. If it's too big and hanging up, you'll need a neck sizing die that sizes .002-.003 less than chamber neck diameter, but this may not be a big $$$ proposition. Lee's collet sizing dies are or were available for 7x57 and sizing to a proper diameter for the chamber neck is just a matter of the correct diameter decapping pin which limits how small the neck is sized. If the existing pin is a bit small for a generously large chamber, another can be made or the original can be chrome or nickel plated a few thousandths bigger. Local plating houses or motorcycle shops often do chrome plating on small parts. In all likelihood, the difference isn't huge and if it's an old barrel, the throat will have worn somewhat more than the chamber, making a successful diameter match-up more likely.
You didn't mention your experience with patching so you may already know all this, but it's not necessary to have a precise thickness paper to get them to the desired diameter. Most of my patching includes casting conventional .30 cal boolits cast of WW's, patching them up with two wraps of 100% rag drafting vellum (.0025 thick, tough paper) and sizing to final diameter for various .30 calibers. It helps when this is done the same day they're cast or so, before age hardening sets in. That way they'll still be plenty soft and will size easily with a smear of lube on the paper.
Here's a thought. If you can get a handful of cast boolits for the .270 Win cast at .278- .280, you're in high cotton. Any old notebook filler or similar will get them up to .288-.290 or so and a pass through the sizer to your preferred diameter will give you a finished product. I routinely patched cast .30's at .311-.314 to .325-.326 for an 8x57 and they worked very well.
Good luck with it and keep us posted on your results.
Good point - I'd forgotten how well 270 bullets shoot in my 7mm TC-U when patched. No sizing needed, just wrap and shoot.
Nobade, it's good to hear from someone who does it. What paper do you prefer to use?
I was thinking the same thing about patching cast 6.5's for use in the .270. The mold I used cast at .266 and a .003 paper would produce a .278 diameter, perfect for a normal chamber throat. In fact, 3 wraps of .004 would make it .290 and a trip through the sizer to make it .285 or so would make it work in the 7mm.
The thing I like best about PP is that there's no lead-to-steel contact and the barrel stays whistle clean.
I mostly use 15 lb green bar printer paper for patching with smokeless powder. It adds about .010" and if that is too much I can run the resulting bullets through a push through sizer to reduce them a few thousandths.Quote:
Originally Posted by yeahbub
Cutting back on hobbies I cancelled the 6.8SPC x 30-30 project.
It would have been a fun paper patcher too.
Was that the same as a 270 HRT (Herret rimmed tactical)?Quote:
Originally Posted by Good Cheer
Nobade, I just don't know. It was something I came up with for a reduced capacity cast cartridge that could be fun to tinker with. Part of the appeal for me (being a firm believer in plenty of protected lube grooves) was to make the neck length whatever I wanted it to be. So that besides paper patching it'd be great for lubed lead.