I have been reloading for quite a few years, yet there is one reloading experience I don't know about, resizing lead bullets. Do they have to be lubed and what kind? I have a 38-55 with a relined barrel with a diameter of .375 but all the cast bullets on the market are .377-.379. Can someone walk me thru the process and where do I find the right dies? I assume a .377 bullet is too large to shoot in a .375 bore. Your thoughts.

A .377 cast lead bullet in a .375 groove diameter barrel is not an issue - you can shoot it without any additional sizing. Many believe that best accuracy is achieved with a cast bullet that is slightly over goove size.

If you are purchasing these bullets, I would expecte them to come lubed so you should not need to condern yourself with that either.

You will likely want to find loading data to fit with cast bullets and may wish to find a way to slightly bell the case mouth for easy bullet seating.

You do not mention black powder so I am assuming you are not involved with that - correct? That would normally involve softer lead and a different type of lube then is used with smokeless powder.

ward

If you are buying them they should come sized to .377 and lubed. If not you would need to buy a Lyman, RCBS or Star Lube-sizer press and resize them yourself. To do that you would need the correct die [377] and top punch fitting the bullet for RCBS and Lyman. You would buy some bullet lube and put it into the lubesizer. THen you insert each cast bullet into the sizer, stroke the handle, pressurize the resiviour and return the handle. Examine each bullet to see even sizing marks on the sides and that the lube groove is full. That is the process.

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Front sight and squeeze

Load up a test round. The biggest problem to over sized bullets would be bulging the brass causing chambering issues. If it chambers fine don't waste your time, the bullet when fired will swage down to the groove diameter. Over sized bullets also don't effect pressure as much as some people think.

.001" to .002" over groove diameter for proper fit. You are good to go.

OK, thanks guys for the information. This is not as big an issue that I thought it was. Some times I use Hodgdon Triple 7 in my older Winchesters and Smiths but not BP. I have become obsessed with the 38-55 and am currently converting a model 1894 30-30 to that cartridge and it will be bored out to .376 giving me a bit more tollerance for the .377 round.

I size my lead bullets for my .30-30 right at .310" and they shoot better than .309" but that may be due to the bullet design I'm using. There is more to this than just the bore diameter.