"No-Name" Bullet Making Process For Custom Benchrest Bullets

"No-Name" Benchrest Bullets MSLiechty@Yahoo.Com or Michael Liechty 2408 Minuteman Way, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, 949.933.0362

For those of you with a morbid curiosity as to what goes into making your own bullets, the following is a brief overview of the process I go through. The next time you wonder why people get higher prices for custom bullets versus off-the-shelf bullets, refer to the following list. By the way, all steps for swaging, core seating and pointing are done on a single stage press. Many sellers use pneumatic presses which allow greater production than single stage presses. There are NO MAGIC BULLETS! Every bullet needs load development to shoot its maximum potential.
Before beginning, take a tub of jackets, wash in lacquer thinner and dry thoroughly. Then ....

1) Weigh jackets to get average weight
2) Subtract jacket weight from desired weight to get core size
3) Adjust cutter to give core size plus 2 grains approximately
4) Mount small pulley from ceiling to feed lead spool through
5) Mount lead spool in small frame so it spins easily as lead is pulled
6) Feed lead wire up over pulley and down to cutter, straightening wire as pulled
7) Adjust squirt die for finished weight
8) Adjust core seat die for correct core depth, adjusting for correct core punch weight
9) Tumble 500 jackets in mixture of 4 parts lanolin, 1 part castor oil, LIGHT FILM only
9a) Drawing jackets may be required for calibers not commercially available, e.g., 204 from 224
10) Meanwhile, cut 500 or so cores from your overhead hanging lead wire
11) Add 1 drop of Cool Tool to core jar for every 50-75 cores and tumble 10 minutes (or use lanolin lube)
12) Remove cores and process through swage die, one at a time
13) Wash your hands to remove Cool Tool as it gets on everything!
14) Run cores through ultrasonic cleaner to remove lube (Simple Green/water solution)
15) Dry cores thoroughly in a cotton towel, then place in vinegar/water bath for 10 minutes, drain thoroughly. Alternately you can boil the cores in a water/vinegar solution.
16) Place cores outside in pie pan to oxidize for 24 hours, time depends on temp and humidity
17) Run cores through ultrasonic cleaner to remove excess oxidation (Simple Green/water solution)
18) Dry cores thoroughly using clean cotton towel
19) Distribute jackets on setup plate, fill, remove top plate and adjust those inverted
20) Wipe top plate clean, place Plexiglas on bottom plate followed by top plate
21) Distribute oxidized cores to fill all holes
22) Remove Plexiglas to drop cores into upright jackets
23) Remove top plate and visually inspect to insure all jackets filled and bottomed
24) Run jackets through core seat die, one at a time, let seated jackets rest overnight
25) Adjust point die for correct pressure ring, open tip desired
26) Run seated jackets through point die, one at a time
27) Run completed bullets through ultrasonic cleaner to remove lanolin/castor oil lube (Simple Green & water) or use lacquer thinner or paint thinner
28) Dry bullets thoroughly using cotton towel
29) Individually weigh each bullet for ideal weight, group by .1 grain weight , separate foulers
30) Individually check each bullet using Juenke Internal Concentricity Comparator(22 cal and up) ; if greater than +/-3 units, label as fouler
31) Polish bullets, place in container with lot # and weight

Three sample custom bullets are pictured (lt to rt) a 67 grain 6MM, a 51 grain .224 and a 45 grain .204. The 6MM has shot five (5 shots each) groups that agg'd .108 @100 yds. The .204 has shot a five shot group that measured .126 edge to edge(see below). The .224 and .204 are both 8 ogive and shoot at 100 as well as longer distances. These are open tip, flat base, match bullets. The picture looks like the tips are different but it's just because of the photo light. Good shooting, Mike!
No-Name Bullets
Not the biggest supplier, probably the smallest
One person start to finish
Available in .204, .224 and .243
Only from single lot J4 jackets, benchrest quality
Each batch checked on Juenke ICC for quality, .224 & .243 (.204 too small)
Each batch test fired for performance
Custom weights available by special order
To inquire about custom bullets, MSLiechty@Yahoo.Com or Michael Liechty 2408 Minuteman Way, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, 949.933.0362
This .204 target, 5 shot group, using 45.2 grain custom No-Name Bullets in a match quality rifle (20 Tejas). The barrel is a 1 in 12 twist Pac-Nor mated to a 40X action, bedded in an old wood 40X stock, using a Tucker/Christensen/Siebert Leupold Scope.
These 45 grain match bullets are perfect for custom 1 in 12 twists and a few factory barrels. May depend on your particular barrel.

Art Wachtendorf of Addy, Washington shot this fine group with 45 grain bullets.

Here is a great group shot at 500 yards by Brad Graham.

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