Sizing Bullets

[yukonal]

I'm shooting full bore diameter bullets in a 45 cal muzzleloader. I size all bullets to fit my barrel.

Can I take an off the shelf muzzleloader bullet, in particular...Hornady SST-ML 50 cal Sabot with 45 cal 250 gr bullet (item# 67273), and run it thru my sizer and shoot it w/o the sabot?

Can I take ANY 50 cal sabot w/ 45 cal muzzleloader bullet, size the bullet, and shoot it in my barrel w/o the sabot?

It's a MGM Encore smokeless rated Barrel set up, if that is pertinent.

 

[ENCORE]

As long as you have to size .452/.453 bullets, there's no issue shooting them BTB.

Now........ "to fit my barrel". What fit are you looking for? Some may tell you that a 2 finger load is ok...... but ......... maybe for bench work.
A two-finger loading bullet has a very high probability of coming off the charge while hunting, thus possibly creating a pipe bomb.
Also......... some bullet jags can pull the bullet off the charge after it was seated, still creating a possible pipe bomb.

I size to an actual force using a force gauge. Most don't own the equipment to do that. IMO, you need a loading force high enough to keep the bullet on the propellant at all times while hunting, and quite frankly, I use the same forces for target and/or hunting, which with the gauge and a CLEAN BARREL is 18#.

There's nothing wrong with a two handed requirement to load the bullet.

 

[yukonal]

Sizing to .4495 works well in my rifle. I "feel" the force that works for me. Not loose, but a firm one handed seating.

Thanks Encore.

 

[warrbuk]

I have a fast twist Knight mountaineer that I use full bore projectiles in. I use the "swing lock" sizer that is is sold on the Parker Productions alond with the 275 Ballistic extreme bullets. I have bought them from Mr. Parker and he aberated them for me so all I had to do ws run them through the sizer. I have also increased the bullets size by rolling the bullets between 2 files and "roughing them up" before sizing them. I gave me the desired "feel" I wanted during seating.