Sizing Powder Coated Bullets the Easy Way

[Dragonheart]

Here is my You Tube video link of my "Ram Chucker" that I use to size my powder coated bullets and "Bulge Bust" straight wall pistol cases. If you have any question just ask.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-YWK__2BAc

[bigarm]

That is amazing! I wish I had the ability to make such things. I would love to have one of those.

[mongoose33]

Now you need to do an automatic boolit feeder. Even just a shuttle that moves back and forth, into which you place the boolit by hand, could speed things up. That way your fingers aren't under the ram, and if you miss a boolit during one cycle, no big deal.

My first thought was that this wasn't much of an improvement over my Star or over a Lee, but then again, I haven't done 500 in a row on either of them.

[JASON4X4]

Great job all you need to do now is make it fully automated

[Dragonheart]

Great job all you need to do now is make it fully automated

I did already! Didn't you notice it was my wife's hands? Actually I just had carpel tunnel surgery on my hand so she volunteered to do the operation.

[bstone5]

Are the bullets tumbled coated ? The base of the bullet appears to be coated.

[Dragonheart]

Are the bullets tumbled coated ? The base of the bullet appears to be coated.

Yes, I tumble coat about 400 9 mm or about 300 45 acp at a time. I made my tumbler out of a small Midway tumbler I had sitting on a shelf. I just removed the original tumbler bowl, changed out the 1/4" X 20 rod for a smaller screw, add a rubber pad made from a floor mat added a 5 gallon plastic painter's bucket with a 1/4" hole drilled in the bottom center of the bucket. I did a couple of tie downs using all thread to hole the bucket to a metal plate. I usually run three batches before I cook so that gives me a good quantity to go to Ram Chucker. it's not pretty, but it works. See Photos.
Attachment 138688Attachment 138689

[bangerjim]

Good set-up. But I use the "one armed bandit" action to get upper body exercise!!!!!!

banger

[Dragonheart]

Now you need to do an automatic boolit feeder. Even just a shuttle that moves back and forth, into which you place the boolit by hand, could speed things up. That way your fingers aren't under the ram, and if you miss a boolit during one cycle, no big deal.

My first thought was that this wasn't much of an improvement over my Star or over a Lee, but then again, I haven't done 500 in a row on either of them.

I have considered a bullet feeder, but I haven't had a good idea as to how to accomplish it yet. My present cycle rate is over 2000 sized bullets an hour, but I seldom size more than a thousand at a sitting, which is about what one one of my coffee cans holds in 9 mm. Of course then I would need a case feeder when I "Bulge Bust" my cases.

[Dragonheart]

I have received inquires not so much about "Ram Chucker" but my mounting the unit to my countertop.

What I am using is called T-tracks, which are set into my countertop and allows through bolts to go up through the mounting board and the bolt head runs inside the T-track, allowing me to quickly move my tools on and off my countertop and adjust their location along the track. A large hand knob on top simply takes up the slack and locks the board down to the countertop.

My T- tracks are made by Incra, but there are other manufactures. You can buy a certain lengths or get a 4' and cut the aluminum track to whatever lengths you need. There is a large assortment of hardware/clamps, etc. that do specialized things. I would recommend using some construction adhesive in groove in addition to the screws for holding the track down, however you won't be able to remove them if you do.

You can pick up T-tracks from Rockler's as they handle all types of woodworking supplies. Another good place is Woodcrafters . I would probably go to Woodcrafters first because they have the big red lock down knobs called "Woodpeckers" that you see in my video. Both places have mail order and Amazon also them as well as other t-track hardware.

I have all my temporary tooling (case trimmers, shot shell press, vice, lube sizer, single stage press, etc.) on boards with knobs so I can quickly reclaim countertop space for seldom used tooling. The tracks are 1/2" deep and 3/4" wide, so you can route a groove or just add a layer of 1/2" plywood to your top. I placed my tracks on 6" center, which so far has worked well. I also helped a friend build a reloading room and I did the same for him. So, if he or I ever need to borrow a tool we both have the same 6" spacing on our tops. For my tool mounting boards I like to bond 1/2" plywood on 3/4" material that way I can recess the bolt heads on the underside used to hold down my tooling. I also have some 1" oak board I had left over from stair treads that work great and look good.

[bigarm]

Well, if you decide you want to build those Ram Chuckers I would probably be your first customer.

[Dragonheart]

Well, if you decide you want to build those Ram Chuckers I would probably be your first customer.

Actually, it was an easy project once I got past the concept of would it really work. I already had the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme single stage press that I bought just to size powder coated bullets and remove the "Bulge" from straight walled cases like 44 ACP, 9 mm, 380, 40, etc.. These cases are not really straight wall, but they all share one thing in common and that is developing a bulge near the rim that standard sizing does not take out. Once the bulge gets large enough the round won’t chamber. So converting the press only made if faster and a whole lot less effort to operate for the operations I had purchased it for. If I ever need for it to go back to original I can remove 5 bolts and reinstall the original parts.

In addition I already had scrap angle iron plate and mounting board/hardware, so I had to buy a $39 air cylinder off Ebay, a pneumatic 5 way switch and 2 air muffler/speed controls about $15 off Ebay, 2 whip hoses, quick connects, small regulator and brass fittings from Harbor Freight all about $35. A couple of cans of spray paint from Home Depot $10. So the cash outlay was fairly small.

What was time consuming was the initial layout and TIG welding the custom connecting linkage as I was unable to find ready made parts to connect the cylinder rod to the ram on the press. Once you figure one out then doing it a again would be a lot faster.

If you ever decide you want to tackle a conversion I will be happy to provide details of what I did. It’s a shame I don’t live in MT where I could give you a hand, maybe one day.