Should I go up a size?

[Sailormilan2]

I have a 629(no dash) that I cast for. After reading another thread about bullet/throat/forcing cone size, I decided to check my bullet fit. A bullet sized .430 drops freely through the cylinder forcing cone, with very little wiggle. Though 2 are slightly tighter.
Should I go up one size(.431 diameter) or am I OK?

 

[venomballistics]

if your not scrubbing lead out of the bore, it's not broke. why try to fix it.

 

[fredj338]

The only issue may be accuracy suffers. If the bullet bumps up at the cyl then swages down at the forcing cone, accuracy may suffer a bit. Try them, if it shoots, then you are fine. If not, give the .0431" a try. I have 4 diff 44mags, all a little diff, they all get 0.431" bullets now.

 

[JBnTx]

As already mentioned, if you're not scrubbing lead out of the bore and accuracy is acceptable, then there is no problem to fix.

 

[mtgianni]

If you shoot better groups with another gun I would go larger. You do not want a bullet to be driven through the cylinder with a hammer just resistance with a dowel and a hand push. In general you are only out the cost of another sizer die.

 

[4barrel]

Shoot some factory 240 bullets on a bench. Most are .430. Factory bullets kick more than most people are willing to put up with. They should be 2 inches or so @ 25 if u don't flinch. If they shoot ok then that is the goal you are striving for. I had a 629-1 -6 inch that did good at 50 yards with a 44 special case & 7 gr of unique powder with .430 240 flat base bullets. A bevel base bullet in a 44 sucks. Post 2 has got good info on every post.

 

[Sailormilan2]

If you shoot better groups with another gun I would go larger. You do not want a bullet to be driven through the cylinder with a hammer just resistance with a dowel and a hand push. In general you are only out the cost of another sizer die.

These are drop through with virtually no resistance.

 

[SMSgt]

Size to fit the cylinder throat, a snug fit. Run a bore slug through it and measure it.

 

[Nemo288]

If they are just dropping thru try going up a mil.
You don't want the outside of bullets to start melting before they hit the forcing cone.
I have generally had poor accuracy until I sized a half to a mil larger than chamber throat diameter.
In some cases this has involved going to .432 which is about as large as most casters will size.
It also brings some adjustments as the cartridge starts to get bigger than normal at the front.

Let us know how things work out.

===
Nemo

 

[Rollis]

As some others have said, if the groups are good, and you are not having leading problems, then leaving everything as is is a viable option.

 

[fredj338]

Shoot some factory 240 bullets on a bench. Most are .430. Factory bullets kick more than most people are willing to put up with. They should be 2 inches or so @ 25 if u don't flinch. If they shoot ok then that is the goal you are striving for. I had a 629-1 -6 inch that did good at 50 yards with a 44 special case & 7 gr of unique powder with .430 240 flat base bullets. A bevel base bullet in a 44 sucks. Post 2 has got good info on every post.

Jacketed vs lead, correct size is everything with lead. Many rev will shoot jacketed fine but fail with the wrong size lead bullet.

 

[venomballistics]

Jacketed vs lead, correct size is everything with lead. Many rev will shoot jacketed fine but fail with the wrong size lead bullet.

Kind of adds support for my pet name for coated. " The Full Plastic Jacket".
Probably something to it, as it seems less size critical.

 

[Sailormilan2]

Just to compare things, I took one of my cast bullets for my .357s that I size to .358 and tried them in both of my Smiths. I have a 28-2 and a 19-5. Neither one will let the bullet(Lyman 358477) drop through the cylinder forcing cone, and both will let the bullet drop into the barrel forcing cone up to just at or behind the crimp groove.
The 629 lets the .430 bullet drop freely through the cylinder forcing cone and into the barrel's forcing cone up to the lube groove(Lyman 429421). So it seems I need to go up at least one size.
Well, things are getting cooler here, meaning I can start casting again. So, I will get to have fun and try things out.

 

[NMPinNYC]

I was unfortunately, just thinking the same thing about my pants...

 

[TAROMAN]

My no-dash 629 accepts a .433" pin gage.
Not as accurate as my -4 and 696-1 that are sized .430.
Recently ordered some .433" bullets from Dardas to see if that helps.

 

[mikld]

With cast lead bullets, size/fit is essential for clean shooting, accurate ammo. Shooting Cast 101; bullets are best sized to the same diameter as the cylinder throats. Normally, the cylinder throats are larger than the groove diameter of the barrel, thus the bullet is large enough to seal the barrel from the hot gases, and grip the rifling for good accuracy. This is a good start as other factors can come into play, but if your bullets aren't swaged down by the cylinder throat, and are larger than the groove diameter, you can get good results.

But, you need facts; actual measurements. You can slug the barrel and the cylinder throats and measure with a micrometer to find out exactly what size bullet you'll need (I slugged several cylinders before I got some pin gauges). I now shoot my cast lead bullets in 8 revolvers of various calibers and use this method for good, clean shooting, accurate bullets...

 

[venomballistics]

I made most of my own size dies till I eventually got lazy about it.
its no big thing to get a few the same size and hone them out with 400 grit till the bullet comes out of it at desired spec.
run two dies out this way, keeping them only one increment apart.
sooner or later, you'll max out the accuracy with one, then go over with the second and find diminishing returns.
use the one that maxed things out and save yourself bore slugging, pin gauging.
when its right, it'll act the part and not care what numbers quantify its value.

 

[fredj338]

Kind of adds support for my pet name for coated. " The Full Plastic Jacket".
Probably something to it, as it seems less size critical.

Coated would act a lot like plated, reducing some of the issues. Still, plated or coated, they are soft & if undersized, accuracy will suffer.

 

[venomballistics]

Coated would act a lot like plated, reducing some of the issues. Still, plated or coated, they are soft & if undersized, accuracy will suffer.

I'd replace "lot" with "bit"
the full plastic jacket might have more things in common with a shotgun wad. its more resilient than any metal, and tracks diameter variances on its own merit.
plated might swage down, but it can't spring back.
that aside, the OP is looking to play with it old school.
Theres a good bit to be learned from the practice.
Heck. theres plenty to be learned from nearly any avenue of experimentation.

After the WI trip, I was lucky to have 2 mags of coated 45 for the ride back home.
It excelled in every gun it was tried in, and was impossible to keep friends and family out of.
But, those are my experiments. Good things can come from it.

 

[yfdcap]

I'd replace "lot" with "bit"
the full plastic jacket might have more things in common with a shotgun wad. its more resilient than any metal, and tracks diameter variances on its own merit.
plated might swage down, but it can't spring back.
that aside, the OP is looking to play with it old school.
Theres a good bit to be learned from the practice.
Heck. theres plenty to be learned from nearly any avenue of experimentation.

After the WI trip, I was lucky to have 2 mags of coated 45 for the ride back home.
It excelled in every gun it was tried in, and was impossible to keep friends and family out of.
But, those are my experiments. Good things can come from it.

I will soon be coating everything I load. I can not believe how well it works.