Lubersizer or alox?

[mongo]

Been casting for just over a year now, Have been using 45/45/10 for everything with good results. Saw in the Midway flier a Lyman 4500 lubersizer on sale. Also some old ones on ebay. Would it be best to move up to a lubesizer or just stick with what works for me now. Kind of on the fence as I would have to get dies for .380 .38 .40 .44 and .45. Not looking to spend a fortune, especially if the end results were not worth it. Tommy

[Bret4207]

I would wait and find a used RCBS sizer.

[Mk42gunner]

If the tumble lubing is working for you; that's great, you don't have to be in a big hurry to spend your hard earned dollars.

Like Bret, I would wait for an RCBS sizer. Keep watch in the swapping and selling section, good deals come up there a lot.

I don't mind buying new sizing dies, but top punches are outrageous from the factory.

Robert

[1Shirt]

Both work, depends on your pocket book. I have both Lyman and RCBS sizers, that are cal specific, and on occaision and for handgun projectiles I use Alox. (just hate the smell of it on the range however.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[FergusonTO35]

Lube sizer makes prettier boolits, but does nothing that tumble lube or pan lube plus sizing die alone won't do. Thats what my own experience tells me, having done all three.

[C.F.Plinker]

The RCBS is on sale at Midway through the end of June.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/172702/rcbs-lube-a-matic-2

[Echo]

I have decided to TL ALL pistol boolits (except the GC magnums). So much easier than the Lachmiller (predecessor of the RCBS LAM) or Star. And it works.

[mpmarty]

I have a Lyman, a Star and don't use either one anymore. Tumble lube in 50/50 aalox and jpw work great in all my rifles and pistols.

[williamwaco]

I have a Lyman, a Star and don't use either one anymore. Tumble lube in 50/50 aalox and jpw work great in all my rifles and pistols.


me too.

If it ain't broke, don't spend money on it. You can spend several hundred dollars on a sizer lubricator and several dies.


.

[ShooterAZ]

My experience with Alox has been hit & miss, no pun intended. 45/45/10 and Alox work OK in some of my guns, but not worth a hoot in others. Surprisingly (to me) Alox works pretty well in most of my rifles. I have been casting for a little over 6 months now, and am no expert. What I have learned by my own experience is that you just have to experiment and find what works, and what doesn't. I can tell you this, tumble lubing is a lot more work. Having to size twice is a PITA. I bought an RCBS lube/sizer and am now using Lar's BAC in pistol loads, and 2500+ in my rifles. My opinion at this point in my limited casting experience is that good conventional lubes are superior, but your mileage may vary. If you have the $$$, I would recommend getting a lube/sizer.

[MtGun44]

LLA is a workable solution for many people, but has shown itself to be a marginal system, and
failing for many. Quality conventional lubes are more certain and workable over a wider
range of conditions. The cost is off putting for beginners andLLA is attactive for those that limit themselves
to where the LLA and mixed tumble lubes work. I understand the attaction of LLA, but can't
get past the smell, sticky boolits and ammo, plus it has failed for me in several attempts, altho
worked in a couple, too. I strongly prefer conventional lube systems, and recommend the
pan lube method for those that are in the price sensitive category. Pan lubing is very
effective, and the Lee pushthrough dies will do a fine job of sizing after pan lubing.

Bill

[geargnasher]

There's a great "sticky" thread that I think Ben put up on the forum somewhere titled "so you can't afford one" or something like that, it's cheap, quick, and effective way to pan lube pistol boolits. If I didn't have a lube-sizer and only needed it for one or two calibers (and tumble-lubed the rest) that's what I'd do. Plus, if it will only cost you a few bucks for the tools and stuff to make a pan full of decent pistol lube, and if you don't like it or need conventional lube after all, you won't be out the bucks for a sizer and multiple dies.

Gear

[sw282]

After using an RCBS l got a Lee luber/sizer in .358--a real dream to use. No more scarred up bullet noses. l pre-lube before sizing using Hornady case dry lube spray. After sizing l tumble lube using the Lee alox.Difference in speed is like a DC-3 and a Boeing 747. No more beat up bullet noses either

[cgm]

I started with an RCBS lubesizer..... Then I discovered how much easier life is with Alox tumble lubing!

I now only use the sizer for those bullets that won't chamber as cast from the mold. So, my advise to you is don't fix it if what you are doing now works.

[Shiloh]

I use both LLA or Larsen equivelent as well as a Lyman 450.

Shiloh

[largom]

Guess I am the odd man out. I don't like alox pan lubing. I have 3 Lyman and one RCBS lubsizers and I like them all. Different strokes for different folks. One thing to consider is that prices are not going to go down but I would suggest you look at the used market on Craigslist, Ebay, or elsewhere. If you get one and don't like it you can easily sell it on this forum.

Larry

[mdi]

I was in your position about 10 to 12 years ago. I got tumble lubing down pat and pan lubed bullets for my magnum. Money was tight so I just put it off (cost of lubersizer, dies, nose punches, and mebbe somthing to use as a heater). I've found that I don't need a lubersizer as all my tumble lubing (45-45-10 and thinned alox) has been working and I've perfected my pan lubing proceedures for my other lube needs. Sizing isn't a problem as I use Lee push through dies and shoot many bullets as cast. I'm shooting a lot of Ideal 429421, Ranch Dog 240 gr. and 265 gr. and Lachmiller 158 gr. SWC in .357. plus some generic (Lyman?) .38 wadcutters, and my lube needs are well covered w/o a lubersizer. But then, I don't need to lube/size 200 bullets an hour...

[paul h]

I started out with tumble lubing and pan lubing then sizing. The reason I went to a lube sizer was to save time. I might only get into the shop once a week, so in that evening I can cast bullets, lube size them and load them. If I was using tl or pan lubing, It might be a week between casting and lubing, then being able to load them.

As someone else mentioned, tumble lubing can work fine or be less than steller. A conventional lube seems to work best over a broad range of velocities. When I'm loading magnum level handgun loads I prefer a conventional lube as it's one less thing to worry about when dialing things in. If I'm loading 100's of rounds of 45 acp or 38 sp. to plink then I crank out the bullets in a lee 6 cavity, tl and load them up in bulk when dried.

[mongo]

I guess the best bet is to look for an old used one in swappin and selling. Read the reviews on the new one in Midway and they were not so good. Havent pan lubed just use 45/45/10 Kind of like the smell of Alox..lol, The problems I had when I started casting were bullet size. Fixed that..

[ShooterAZ]

I would take those reviews with a grain of salt. The RCBS sizer is a quality unit, and their warranty and service is outstanding. In the unlikely event you had a problem, they WILL make good on it. Trust me on that one. They have replaced stuff that I broke, my fault, no questions asked.

[Floydster]

I tumble lube most of my pistol bullets--I do however use my Lyman 45 for some 9mm bullets, however TL and Alox work just as good.