School me on lube sizers

[wlc]

I currently either tumble lube with 45-45-10 or pan lube with speed green and use the Lee push through sizers to size and seat gas checks(if needed). It works, but as many of you know is, or can be, slow. I'm thinking about stepping up to lube sizer but was wondering if anyone makes one that pushes through like the Lee sizers (nose first). I know nothing really about the lube sizers other than what I read here when someone mentions a particular brand. I've tried searching, but evidently my "search foo" is weak..... Any help appreciated.

[MarkP]

Star Sizers are nose first push through sizers. Search for Magma engineering.

They are very fast once they are properly adjusted.

[VHoward]

If you want one that pushes straight through nose first like the Lee sizing dies, then you will want to get the Star lube/sizer either used off of fleabay or new from Magma.
http://www.magmaengineering.com/component/banners/click/14/
You can search youtube for videos of people running the star. Very slick and fast.

[VHoward]

Star lube/sizers tend to get new or close to new prices on fleabay, so your probably better off buying new, unless you happen to stumble upon a great deal as some here have.

[MT Chambers]

The Star is the best sizer or method of sizing/lubing, prolly 5X faster then the RCBS or Lyman, without the concentricity problems. I find them just as fast to set up even to do small lots, some find the set-up takes time.

[Beagle333]

The Star is fast. Real fast. I bought one last year right before Christmas, spent one weekend lubing everything in the house that I had cast over the last year and a half, and it hasn't been out of the box since. :coffeecom

[dragon813gt]

Star/Ballisticast are the fastest sizers around. But they are more for volume. I have a Star and it takes considerably longer to setup. It takes me about a minute to change setup on my RCBS LAM1. But the production rate is slower. I haven't had any concentricity problems w/ either one of my LAM1s. One of the main disadvantages is you can't use it for hollowbase/bevelbase bullets. You also can't use it for gas check bullets w/ no check on the shank.

I bought the Star to eventually set up pneumatically w/ a foot pedal so I don't have to pull the handle every time. Sizers have a tendency to beat up my elbows. Double the strokes w/ the RCBS means less bullets I lubesize.

[VHoward]

Why can't you use a star for hollow base/bevel base bullets? I must be doing something wrong as it works for me. Same with gas checked bullets with no checks on the shank. Works just fine.

[dragon813gt]

Please read what I wrote. I was talking about the RCBS/Lyman Lubesizers.

[wv109323]

I have two Stars and an RCBS Lubri-sizer somewhere. As stated the Star is much much faster than the RCBS. On the Star the boolit is pushed through a sizing die and exits the bottom. When the bullet is pushed into the sizing die, the last part of the handle stroke causes the lube to be pumped into the grease groove of the boolit. The Star sizing die has 3 or 4 heights that the lube can enter the grease groove. There are three holes around the circumference of the bullet at each height. Most all pistol boolits can be lubed with one height and the other levels need to be plugged. (with lead shot) What must be adjusted is that the grease groove of the boolit is in alignment with the active lube holes in the sizing die when the lube is forced via handle pressure. A disadvantage of all lubri-sizers is that adjustment may be needed between a 125 gn .358 bullet and a 158 gn. boolit since the grease groove may be at a different height in the two bullets. It may be easier to have a sizing die dedicated to each bullet configuration even though both are the same diameter. The Star sizing dies are around 2X the price of Lyman/RCBS.
Another disadvantage of the Lyman/ RCBS sizer is the forcing of the lube is a separate hand motion via a threaded pump. If you crank to much lube then the lube finds somewhere to go. That somewhere is usually around the bullet base or where ever. Learning how much to to crank the lube is another thing to learn on the Lyman/RCBS. The Star is less critical.
I lubed 600 boolits with a Star in about an hour and 15 minutes. I would hate to think ow long it would take with a RCBS. I use the RCBS for some low volume odd ball sizing.

[VHoward]

Please read what I wrote. I was talking about the RCBS/Lyman Lubesizers.

I guess you could read it both ways, but you started that paragraph talking about star/ballisticast.

Should have started a new paragraph when talking about the RCBS LAM.

[dragon813gt]

I guess you could read it both ways, but you started that paragraph talking about star/ballisticast.

Should have started a new paragraph when talking about the RCBS LAM.

Thanks for the grammar lesson. It was three sentences about the Star. And then how many times did I type RCBS LAM before making the comments about their short comings. I can't help if reading comprehension is lacking.

[Wayne Smith]

Yes you can size bevel base boolits on the RCBS/Lyman. I do it all the time. Just have a styrofoam cup handy and break a piece off and put it on the sizer pin. I have to change it out about every 70 or so boolits.

[Beagle333]

I use an empty case as a punch and twist a few of those Styrofoam buttons out of an egg carton. 'Works great with my Lyman 45s!

(deprime case, and you can use a small finish nail as a punch to push them out of the case from the back)

[VHoward]

Please read what I wrote. I was talking about the RCBS/Lyman Lubesizers.
I had a Lyman 4500 before I got the star. I also lubed hollow base, bevel base and gas check bullets without gas checks on the shanks with it. Just because you didn't figure out how to do it doesn't mean it can't be done.

[Mike W1]

I guess you could read it both ways, but you started that paragraph talking about star/ballisticast.

Should have started a new paragraph when talking about the RCBS LAM.

Gotta remember it's pretty hard to hit the "Enter" key and start a new paragraph.

[MT Chambers]

The Star does all manner of bevel base, heeled, hollow base bullets without the mess or fuss and no Styrofoam, you direct where the lube goes.

[wlc]

Guess its time to rob the piggy bank. Man those things are expensive to buy and get set up. Ouch. Thanks for the help.

[paul h]

Since you don't already have a lube sizer, if you can afford to make the jump go straight to a star.

I got a great deal on a 450 sizer with about a dozen different dies so upgrading to a star hasn't happened yet. But a buddy did let me borrow his star so I know the benefits and have wanted one ever since. You won't regret it.

[labradigger1]

Buy the star! Only downside is you will lube every boolit you have cast in about an hour then have to cast more, then have to buy more brass to load all the extra boolits. Not that its necessarily a bad problem to have.
Lab