.358" cast bullets for accuracy?

unspellable · 01-20-2005, 02:50 PM

Be aware that the Parabellum chamber nominal dimensions are sized to the cartridge nominal dimensions but the barrel nominal dimensions are over sized. There is a risk here of having a cartridge over sized in neck diameter making too tight a fit in the chamber neck area. This WILL drive pressures up! If you disassemble the pistol, the loaded cartridge should fall all the way into the chamber of its own weight and then fall out of its own weight. Any tighter is treading on thin ice.

This neck clearance thing is an often over looked point but I run into the problem with my 400-360 Nitro and with my 454 Casull. In the 400-360 the original brass had a very thin neck and I have to ream the necks on my brass. (They weren't thinking of reloading.) In the case of the 454 Casull the nominal chamber dimensions are very tight and I run out of room with a cast bullet that is slightly over sized compared to a jacketed bullet.

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01-20-2005, 02:50 PM	#12
unspellable User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Iowa Posts: 768 Thanks: 0 Thanked 19 Times in 11 Posts	Be aware that the Parabellum chamber nominal dimensions are sized to the cartridge nominal dimensions but the barrel nominal dimensions are over sized. There is a risk here of having a cartridge over sized in neck diameter making too tight a fit in the chamber neck area. This WILL drive pressures up! If you disassemble the pistol, the loaded cartridge should fall all the way into the chamber of its own weight and then fall out of its own weight. Any tighter is treading on thin ice. This neck clearance thing is an often over looked point but I run into the problem with my 400-360 Nitro and with my 454 Casull. In the 400-360 the original brass had a very thin neck and I have to ream the necks on my brass. (They weren't thinking of reloading.) In the case of the 454 Casull the nominal chamber dimensions are very tight and I run out of room with a cast bullet that is slightly over sized compared to a jacketed bullet.