Making Bullet Cores

[stephen perry 1]

For those that make bullets from scratch like good biscuts making cores is tedious but needs to done right. Some basics and we can start. Core wire comes in 25 lb, 50lb, and 100 lb rolls I assume. My rolls are all 25 lb. We discussed this before, 1/2 % antimony added to pure lead is a good combination others might use more antimony.

My next step is to cut your wire to length, I cut mine 20". Depending how many cores I want determines how many lengths of wire I cut. I usually cut extra lengths so I can make extra cores. My next step is to take a couple paper towels and spray them heavy with siicone spray. Now I pull each length of wire through the silicone changing towels several times. Reason I do this is to clean the wire and leave a small amount of silicone to help in the core swaging.

The next step is to cut rough cores. My cut is set up for a 3 grn extra squirt. When I cut cores I drop them into empty J4 buckets stacked 4 high. The top bucket has several pieces of paper towels in the bucket stop the bounce the core will do and probably end up on the floor. After I cut my rough cores I get ready to run the rough cores through the core die.

I use a Rock Chucker press to make cores. I have a round ball on the handle. I like this as an hour or so on the press handle can be fatiguing using a standard handle. Keep your area clean during all the operations. I use styrofoam bowls to store each core I make. After I make cores I throw the bowl away. With the leverage of my press squirting goes fast and easy. If your die starts to dry out you will feel it spray your rough cores with a light spray of silicone and mix them up. You shouldn't have to do this often.

Now I have several bowls of finished cores. Weigh a couple cores they should weigh within .1 grn of each. Weigh your core and jacket this will your finished bullet weight. Record what you weigh.

Next step is to clean cores. Mos have their own method doing this. My way is to take all my cores put them into a collander funnel. Next I run a bottle of rubbing alcohol over the cores. This removes the loose particles of lead that core foming makes. Drain and throw away the alcohol full of lead slivers. Next I fill a 2 qt pot half full with water and warm up adding a cup of vinegar. Mix as you add the cores. Leave cores in 20 minutes move them around several times. Now take your funnel and add the cores flushing with water, keep flushing for 5-10 minutes. This slows down the oxidation process the vinegar is doing to the cores. The cores will look grey after the vinegar and the desired etching will show after drying.

Dry cores on a large towel either indoors or outdoors. Store clean cores in dry plastic containers with lids. Any questions send me a PM or use the Forum.

Stephen Perry

[Mntngoat]

I find it easier to call Charlie Hood and order what I need. I detest core squirting!

ML

[stephen perry 1]

next person please

[aaronraad]

Pretty much the same process but I'm bleeding the cut cores(+2 to +3gr overweight) with swaging lubricant instead of silicone.

Trying to hold core weight to +/-0.06gr or +/0.05gr depending on the jacket average weight. Don't think I could get to +/-0.03gr in a reasonable timeframe without using a hydraulic press instead of a hand press?

Cleaning the cores with 'Carby' cleaner, hopefully tetrachlorethylene free but starting to try methylated spirits.

Similar vinegar etching process focusing on just enough to get a consistent surface funish across the entire batch.

[Mntngoat]

Charlie hoods core are as accurate as i can squirt no point in going elsewhere or making my own... There a reason so many people use them. But When i used to make them though I tumbled the 2-3 grain oversize cut wire in swaging lube before squirting

ML

[george ulrich]

Michael, I would get away from bullet lube leave cores lighter and use a lite oil. george

[Utah Shooter]

Originally Posted by george ulrich

Michael, I would get away from bullet lube leave cores lighter and use a lite oil. george

So stay away from Swage lube for this step? Interesting I would have never thought to use Silicon.

[Al Nyhus]

I find Marvel Mystery Oil to be perfect for my core squirting. I've used different types of light machine oil with success...the only thing I won't use anymore for core squirting is Kroil.

Good shootin'. -Al

[Randy Robinett]

Originally Posted by Utah Shooter

So stay away from Swage lube for this step? Interesting I would have never thought to use Silicon.

For core forming, unless you have access to chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent(s), I'd avoid lubricants formulated with silicone. I must confess, I like DRY cores, as opposed to "wet" cores.

I agree with George, Al, and Mtngoat: use light oil, or better yet, support Charlie and Cheryl Hood - you simply cannot squirt more uniform cores than those from Hood Custom Products! RG

[aaronraad]

Any thoughts/experiance on how paraffin oil might/does perform?

I think I've heard of extra-light virgin olive oil used for jacket drawing.