Is it normal for Starline brass to bulge with 45 Colt?

[Bigshot270]

I loaded up my first 45s using Starline brass and 250g .452 XTPs. This is new brass. You can notice a pronounced bulge at the bullet. Pretty much every round I loaded is the same. The bullets seated fine. No crushed cases or anything. The brass at the bullet measures .474 and just below the bullet it measures .470. Any concern here? I have never noticed it on any of my other reloads.

I use Lee equipment and dies. I crimped using the bullet seating die.

 

[Wireman134]

No concerns with that

 

[RUFFBIRD]

Good bullet pull on those!
I had a set of Lee dies with a .450 expander button. I asked the factory for a smaller .447 for loading those .452 cast bullets. Now there is better resistance when seating them. In conjunction with a medium to heavy crimp, makes for better ammo.

Yours should be fine.....

 

[Jimbo357mag]

You will find that the 230gr XTPs are 451" and the 250gr are 452". Seems you might pick the ones that fit your bore the best. You could also check how they fit when dropped through the cylinder throats. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

 

[44shootist]

All my Starline 357mag shells do that, and only with their brass I use speer bullets so know it's not a bullet size problem.
My 44mag Starline brass, some do some don't with the same bullets, I'm not very impressed with Starline and this is one of the reasons, the bulging case thing.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

That bulge is normal and you have nothing of which to worry. When I reload my 44mag, I use a 255g Keith cast for me and sized to .432. In my Federal, Winchester, or CBC (MagTech) cases, there is a noticeable bulge from that bullet. But if I put the same bullet in my thinner Remington cases, the bulge is noticeably less. I'm not sure how Starline brass thickness compares to other brands in 45 Colt though. Interestingly, for the 500 S&W Magnum, Starline brass is thinner than Magtech brass.

If you take a look at certain factory rounds, you will see that they bulge too. So long as the outside neck diameter is not over the SAAMI spec of .480 (at least I think that is the spec) then you will be fine. As others have said, that will make great ammo. And I am of the belief that bullet pull does more for ensuring consistent powder ignition and combustion than the crimp does. After all, check out how many manufacturers put a heavy roll crimp on even 454 Casull loads and 500 Smith loads.

 

[volshooter]

Normal, no problems.

 

[Rclark]

Normal.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Agree it's pretty normal...

However, for an experiment, you might try flaring the case just a tiny bit more before seating the bullet. Sometimes I've found that lessens the "bump", as the bullet can "self center" a little better while it's being seated. If the bump is more pronounced on one side than the other, the bullet may be cocked just a bit, and this trick may help. If the bump is even all around due to the size of the bullet, it may not.

The Lee Factory Crimp die MAY be helpful, too, as it "post sizes" the round after crimping.

Rick C

 

[powder smoke]

That is beautifull. Good neck tension is as iimportant as good crimp. Nice ps

 

[BCB]

After you shoot them and prepare to reload those cases again, just size the case down to the depth the bullet will be seated or a bit less than that depth...

Bulge will probably not be there when the bullet is put in place again...

Good-luck...

BCB

 

[mattsbox99]

I'd say the bullet isn't going in straight. Do they chamber okay?

I know when I see that big of a bulge, it probably won't chamber in my guns. Its not the Starline's fault as I've had it happen with several different manufacturers of brass.

 

[BCB]

The bullet is most likely being placed in the case straight…

Your sizing die is sizing the case to the smallest size. When you place a bullet in there, it forces the side of the case out to the depth the bullet is seated. That causes the “look” of a bulge in comparison to the rest of the case…

As I mentioned, after you shoot a round, size it only to the depth of the seated bullet. The rest of the case will remain “chamber sized” and when you seat the bullet again, the bulge most likely will not be noticeable as there will be none in comparison to the diameter of the case below the seated bullet…

I seat boolits that are 0.4545” in a 45 case and by only sizing the case to the depth of that boolit, there is no bulge. And a 0.4545” slug is bigger than what is to be a standard diameter 45 Colt boolit…

You need to try the “neck” sizing first to see if that solves the problem…

Good-luck…BCB

 

[Wireman134]

Just neck size till they won't chamber. Then you'll never notice it.

 

[BCB]

Just neck size till they won't chamber. Then you'll never notice it.

Just curious, is that a sincere reply?...

 

[Bucks Owin]

Bulging cases with come free with Ruger's "generous" .45LC chamber dimensions with loads much above SAAMI .45LC pressure limits... Some throats are big too, my pre warning NM Blackhawk's are .455"...

I have two size dies, one for .454" homecast lead and one for .451-.452" jacketed bullets...(Which I rarely shoot as my cast .454" bullets are noticeably more accurate in my large throats although my groove diameter is .452")

As mentioned previously, I "neck" size only the portion that grips the bullet and size the entire case only when chambering becomes a little too snug to suit me.... :wink:

 

[anachronism]

This condition is usually caused by slightly undersized sizing dies. It doesn't really hurt anything, as long as the bullets are seated squarely, and the increased "pull" on the bullet is actually somewhat beneficial with some powders.

 

[TULLYMARS]

I loaded some of the ugliest looking 45s the other day that I've ever seen. They were put together with Mag-Tech brass that has a cannelure and a 270gr Keith bullet. There is a lot of bullet below the crimp groove and it put the bulge below the cannelure. Took those ugly things to the range and they turned out to be some of the most accurate rounds I've fired in that particular gun. Just like a good woman, looks ain't everything.

 

[Bucks Owin]

I loaded some of the ugliest looking 45s the other day that I've ever seen. They were put together with Mag-Tech brass that has a cannelure and a 270gr Keith bullet. There is a lot of bullet below the crimp groove and it put the bulge below the cannelure. Took those ugly things to the range and they turned out to be some of the most accurate rounds I've fired in that particular gun. Just like a good woman, looks ain't everything.

Yep, thanks to stout load case bulging, my odd looking "neck sized" .45LC loaded rds are "fat in the middle and skinny at both ends"! :lol:

(But group 1.5" or less @ 25 yds...About as well as I can see!... :wink: )