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Anyone swage their own bullets

Wolfdog91

Silver $$ Contributor
Just curious if anyone has gone down the whole swagging route of the reloading world. Using .22cal hulls to make jackets then then making bullets. Seems pretty interesting,not really looking at it from a money saving perspective but don't want to sink my life saving into it IF I ever do it. So anyhow for those who have gone this route how did you start ? :)
 
Guy I know did/do it for 224, think he made 50 and 60gr 224. They shot surprisingly good out to around 400y

Process he used
Have a friend who does it on occasion. Has the dies for it and uses sorted range pick up .22 rimfire brass. He shot a lot of them over the years in our reduced course HP matches with success.
 
I have some that I bought at a show (about 100 I think) I believe they're 52-55 gr, I'll dbl check thee weights.. If interested in them shoot me a PM.
 
Picked some up from one of the folks here. Not sure if I ever loaded them or not but at least I got them.
Someone else was looking for rim fire brass to use as jackets. Picked up a BUNCH at the range and mailed them (dirt and all) to him. ;)
Someone else mentioned wanting 22 Mag brass to use to make jackets. Think I found and shipped a bunch of them too. :)
So, there are a few folks out there that play with using 22 rimfire brass for jackets. :cool:
 
Old thread over at the Campfire, pretty interesting. I'm interested in Vernon Speer's exploits, I grew up with his grandsons.

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If you have great interest and a yearn to learn the swaging process, it can be an enjoyable hobby in itself. at least for a while. I tried swaging twice: a six-month or so venture in 1971 and again about thirty-five years later, also a short-lived undertaking. I guess I'm a slow learner. While I produced mostly satisfactory bullets, the cost of tools, component materials, and the great amount of time were never worth the end results. Spend less money and buy excellent quality Sierra jacketed .22 bullets.
 
I have got everything to do it, have yet to make one.
I got the dies on total luck at an estate sale, that is what started it.
Then I got several books and watched a pile of videos.
Got a core cutter and a bunch of lead wire, ran across a deal on a brand new rock chucked press for cheap as I wanted a press committed to swaging only. Also picked up a lead pot to anneal with for cheap. I am short a wet tumbler to clean cases is about it.
As luck would have it, I stumbled into a substantial amount of .224’s from 36 - 69 grains for pretty much scrap price.
So there sets my fairly complete set up being neglected.
A fellow made me an offer, more an insult than an offer actually. I was born at night, but not last night.
 
BT Sniper over on the Cast Boolits forum makes them for .22 cal. I have set of his for .40 cal pistol bullets using 9mm brass and a set for .458 bullets using .45acp brass.
 
I do my own 12ga slugs. It has about destroyed my rcbs rock chuker. I have to make a new ram that does not have the cut out for a shell holder. It will just have a hole for the base punch to sit in and will be cross pined to hold it in or maybe thread it.

These are a 1oz foster style slug in 12ga. Here it is before I changed the nose punch to a more Brenneke style with a round point in the center. The round on the left is the slug that is cast first, then swaged. The original slug on the left is 0.685" and is swaged up to 0.730" then powder coated.
017C0QN.jpg
 

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