What lube/sizer is the Cadillac?

[pergoman]

I have 2 Lyman lubrisizers that have been in the family for several decades. I am considering upgrading some of my equipment and wanted opinions on what is the best stuff available. If cost was not a concern, what would you have?

[DHurtig]

Don't know that it's the Cadillac, but I sure like my RCBS LAM II. Really out shines my old Lyman and no more stuck plungers.

[jmort]

Ballisti-Cast ? Magma ?

[warf73]

I would call this a Cadillac http://www.magmaengineering.com/component/banners/click/14/ then add air and bullet feed and it becames a Mercadies.

[dromia]

Depends on what you want to do, for high volume the Star has to be the bees knees.

For low volume, multi calibre, easy sizing die change and set up then the RCBS probably just pips the Lyman for quality but both give the same result. The SAECo is fine sizer too but has the disadvantage of needing its own type of sizing dies and top punches.

[6bg6ga]

Depends on what you want to do, for high volume the Star has to be the bees knees.

For low volume, multi calibre, easy sizing die change and set up then the RCBS probably just pips the Lyman for quality but both give the same result. The SAECo is fine sizer too but has the disadvantage of needing its own type of sizing dies and top punches.


As one that has had both the Ballisti-Cast Mark VI and a fully loaded Magma I would have to say the Mark VI has the advantage in my opinion. In terms of engineering the Mark VI won't break and will size oversized bullets with ease that will have you wondering if the Magma/Star is going to stay together. The Mark VI with its bullet feeder is every bit as fast maybe even faster than the Magma. The Mark VI is a lot quicker to change calibers than the Magma is when the Magma is equipped with the bullet feeder.

My experience as I have mentioned is by actual experience with both machines as they graced my reloading bench. I found it simply easier to have the Magma setup with my single lube groove .452 die and leave it that way. The Mark VI was my baby for changing to different calibers because I could have it changed and perfect lubed bullets coming out of it in less than 5 minutes.

So, in my humble opinion my vote is for the Mark Vi as the Cadillac. But, to each his own.

[SteveK]

I would call this a Cadillac http://www.magmaengineering.com/component/banners/click/14/ then add air and bullet feed and it becames a Mercadies.

OMG What an awsome website! I had no idea that stuff was available to us regular folk. For now, I'll just get good at using my little Lee sizer and a bottle of liquid Alox. Maybe I'll put this on my list for my B-day NEXT year.

[MT Chambers]

The Star is tops, add air option and a heater and the world is at your doorstep.

[dragonrider]

IMHO. Star is the best for non cmmercial use. Die and punch changes take 90 seconds at most. Any style of boolit is easily sized and lubed in one stroke.

[357maximum]

If money was no object...I would buy 2 more Star sizers and be done with it. Mine looks awefully lonely..... it would only seem right to give it some company.

[Artful]

Well, I own Lyman 450, a RCBS and a Star - and have tried SAECO and Lee push thru - of those I would have to vote Star but if anyone wants to loan me a Ballisti-Cast Mark VI and a fully loaded Magma for a year to test 'em out I'd be willing. :mrgreen:

[seagiant]

Hi,
Yea, STARS like company!

[SWANEEDB]

Darn seagiant, I've ONLY got 4 of them along with about 23 or 24 dies, mostly lathesmiths, would like them to be all his.

[USMC87]

I use a star and could'nt be happier.

[pergoman]

It seems like the Star has a devoted following. I normally get about 500 tips per hour with my Lyman set ups. What kind of production will the Star deliver? Is it faster to operate than the Lyman? What add-ons would be recommended? Does the Star take its own dies(different than my Lyman ones)?

[Cosmiceyes]

When I bought my SAECO lucubrate-sizer,there was a computer to find out easier,better,popular,and what ever. I have never had a problem with it.Things change quick to change calibers,and time is sizing,and listening to the Golden EIB network.I only have a place for one. I need it to do a job accurately.It does.So why change what isn't broke.I did break my Rock chucker.So I am looking at a Hornady to replace it.I like the angle set up. :)'s

[warf73]

It seems like the Star has a devoted following. I normally get about 500 tips per hour with my Lyman set ups. What kind of production will the Star deliver? Not sure exactly but did just over 250 in around 20 mins few weeks back Is it faster to operate than the Lyman? What add-ons would be recommended? Does the Star take its own dies(different than my Lyman ones) YES?

The star is a thru die system, drop the boolit in the die pull handle and repeat the finished boolits drop out the bottom.

[6bg6ga]

IMHO. Star is the best for non cmmercial use. Die and punch changes take 90 seconds at most. Any style of boolit is easily sized and lubed in one stroke.

To be perfectly honest here your not going to be able to change the die and punch and have the correct depth for the punch in 90 seconds with a bullet feeder attached to the machine. I have a bullet feeder on mine, a two piece punch, and I am not able to change and have perfectly lubed bullets in 90 seconds. With the addition of the bullet feeder the additional parts are added to the equation and they are AF195 and AF191 the actuator collar and actuator bolt and the different punch nut for the actuator collar which I believe is AF197.

It might be interesting to add if you actually own or have owned a Mark VI or had any time running one. It looks like this thread has become a "I own a Magma/Star and its the best" in other words no actual experience with the Ballisti-Cast product. My question to those that haven't owned a Mark VI is how can you possibly make any comparison without any experience with one?

[gunoil]

magma star is good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXbLxgJnBnI

[casterofboolits]

I have three Stars (San Diego) and a Magma Lube Master (4,000 per hour!). It's only MONEY!

[dragonrider]

"To be perfectly honest here your not going to be able to change the die and punch and have the correct depth for the punch in 90 seconds with a bullet feeder attached to the machine."

I'm sure your a right. I don't have a boolit feeder, don't see the need for one for the amount of shooting I do. I find my Star to be plenty fast without it. Certainly twice as fast as the Lyman I use to have. As for the 90 seconds, yes I can do it, I could not do it until I started making my own dies and punches. My dies and punches are boolit specific, remove one set, install another set and get perfectly lubed boolit from the start, no adjusting of punch depth, no measuring punch length, that was all done when they where made. Don't know if the dies and punches I make will work the same on another machine, there may be a difference in the available space between the top of the die when installed in the machine and the boolit punch ram from machine to machine and that dimension is critical for making the punch.

Also I have never used a Balisti-cast machine, never even seen one in the flesh. As the OP asked for opinions I offered mine.

[MT Chambers]

Seagiant: Why mount your Star lubers on the hood of your truck? More mobility?

[6bg6ga]

"To be perfectly honest here your not going to be able to change the die and punch and have the correct depth for the punch in 90 seconds with a bullet feeder attached to the machine."

I'm sure your a right. I don't have a boolit feeder, don't see the need for one for the amount of shooting I do. I find my Star to be plenty fast without it. Certainly twice as fast as the Lyman I use to have. As for the 90 seconds, yes I can do it, I could not do it until I started making my own dies and punches. My dies and punches are boolit specific, remove one set, install another set and get perfectly lubed boolit from the start, no adjusting of punch depth, no measuring punch length, that was all done when they where made. Don't know if the dies and punches I make will work the same on another machine, there may be a difference in the available space between the top of the die when installed in the machine and the boolit punch ram from machine to machine and that dimension is critical for making the punch.

Also I have never used a Balisti-cast machine, never even seen one in the flesh. As the OP asked for opinions I offered mine.

I never thought that I needed a bullet feeder either but after trying one I just had to have one. With respect to your die changes ...I see now that you have punch specific setups and that is the smart and fast way of doing things. I haven't progressed to the point yet of making custom punches myself because of my inability to acquire the lathe time I need to do so. It seems that everytime I get the mill and lathe dug out at work someone piles boxes around them again before I can do any work on them. I do take my hat of to you Sir for being as organized as you are.

[HATCH]

Just to clarify some things...
Are you racing in the indy 500 that you require quick change dies???


this is what you do. For every boolit you size you get a dedicated punch with a lock nut (that has a set screw).
I can change calibers in about 3 mins and thats with a bullet feeder attachment.
Its not that bad. To be honest I do everything in batches. I don't sit there and size a couple hundred and then change to a different size. I do a thousand at a time then change.
For me its all about a coffee can. I run the casting machine until I get a full coffee can or two depending on the caliber.
On 9mm a coffee can is almost 2K pieces while 45acp its not even 1K peices.
Then I size the entire coffee can.
Why waste time switching molds for a small 400 piece run??

[6bg6ga]

Just to clarify some things...
Are you racing in the indy 500 that you require quick change dies???


this is what you do. For every boolit you size you get a dedicated punch with a lock nut (that has a set screw).
I can change calibers in about 3 mins and thats with a bullet feeder attachment.
Its not that bad. To be honest I do everything in batches. I don't sit there and size a couple hundred and then change to a different size. I do a thousand at a time then change.
For me its all about a coffee can. I run the casting machine until I get a full coffee can or two depending on the caliber.
On 9mm a coffee can is almost 2K pieces while 45acp its not even 1K peices.
Then I size the entire coffee can.
Why waste time switching molds for a small 400 piece run??

Who does a 400 piece run? Not me. I do 2 or 3 3lb coffee cans full minimum per bullet size. No, not quick change dies. Quick change punches[smilie=w:

[dragonrider]

For me speed is not an issure, it is adjusting in order to get the lube groove lined up with hole in the die. That is what I have eliminated completely. Also my dies have the same amount of rows of holes as there are lube grooves on the boolit to be lubed. No locknut or setscrew, here is a sample of my dies and puncheshttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/PaulGauthier/44%20mag%20size%20die/IMG_0138.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/PaulGauthier/media/44%20mag%20size%20die/IMG_0138.jpg.html).

Ab ove are for 44 cal. and because the lube groove of the two boolits in the pic are in the place I can lube them in the same die. Some work out that way.
Here are several others
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/PaulGauthier/die%20collection/diecollection001.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/PaulGauthier/media/die%20collection/diecollection001.jpg.html)

You can see in the second pic that I milled a hex on them, that has been changed to a knurled diameter to eliminate the milling operation. Takes only seconds to knurl in the same setup as turning the rest of the punch instead of another setup on the mill.

[SWANEEDB]

Just to clarify some things...
Are you racing in the indy 500 that you require quick change dies???


this is what you do. For every boolit you size you get a dedicated punch with a lock nut (that has a set screw).
I can change calibers in about 3 mins and thats with a bullet feeder attachment.
Its not that bad. To be honest I do everything in batches. I don't sit there and size a couple hundred and then change to a different size. I do a thousand at a time then change.
For me its all about a coffee can. I run the casting machine until I get a full coffee can or two depending on the caliber.
On 9mm a coffee can is almost 2K pieces while 45acp its not even 1K peices.
Then I size the entire coffee can.

Why waste time switching molds for a small 400 piece run??

Where on earth did you get a sizer to lube the coffee can, sorry Hatch, just had to throw that in.

[HATCH]

Where on earth did you get a sizer to lube the coffee can, sorry Hatch, just had to throw that in.

same place that sells the sizer to size the bowling balls for that cannon thats listed in s+s

[Cosmiceyes]

I have a 40 year old SAECO Lubri-sizer.Same as they make today.Nothing has ever gone wrong from .22 to .45 rifle,and pistol.Some one complained about top punch only fits it.So what! it is just one bullet at a time.