A question or two on Star Sizers

[Down South]

I’m in the process of ordering most of my casting equipment. From all of the reading that I’ve done it appears that the star sizer is the best way to go. :coffee:Hopefully I will be ordering the Sizer in a few days. I still have to slug a few barrels so that I can order the correct dies. My question is an old one I’m sure. Do you Star guys and gals have any problems with your Star Sizers? Any recommendations?
Thanks, Sam (DS) :drinks:

[Hi-Performance Bullet Coatings]

I have been using a Star luber for 30 + yrs. w/no problems. Best money I ever spent.

[Dale53]

The Star lube/sizer is the Cadillac of sizers (or rather, the Lexus of sizers[smilie=1:).

I have had one in continuous use for more years than I care to count and tens of thousands of bullets. Never a problem.

Dale53

[MtGun44]

For large quantities of the same boolit, the Star is very fast. If you are
going to do smaller batches of different boolits, you are likely to be as
happy or happier with a Lyman or RCBS. The dies are cheaper for
the Lyman/RCBS (they use the same dies) and more readily available, and
do not have to be drilled to fit a particular boolit design, or extra holes
filled with lead shot. So the Star is more expensive to buy, the dies
are expensive and a bit fiddly to set up. The Star also is more precise
in lube application, once set up properly, and works fine with bevel base
boolits, which are a pain in the RCBS/Lyman style.

I have two Stars, but I rarely change the dies once set up and use my
Lyman or RCBS for the shorter runs of fun or testing boolits. Once I need
to make a bunch of the same and run them fast - off to the Star. Once
a Star is set up for a particular boolit - the speed is impressive and they
do a great job filling the grooves and only the grooves.

I'd kinda put Star with the Dillon 550B - I do all my quantity reloading on the
Dillon 550, a wonderful machine. But it is a total pain in the butt if I need
to try out 10 different loads for three different calibers. That is what the
Redding turret is for.

So - decide whether you are an experimenter or a production loader, or
a bit of both. Dillon and Star are great for quantities, unhandy to change
calibers or setup. Single press or turret are easy to set up, not so fast for
production, like the RCBS/Lyman lubesizers.

I would advise a beginning handloader against starting with a Dillon 550B,
and would think a beginning caster might also be better off starting with
a Lyman or RCBS. Sort of a walk before you run approach.


Bill

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive run stars lymans and rcbs presses for years and now only use stars. There much faster and i dont see where its any more of a pain to swap dies on one of them then a lyman as a matter of fact i think its actually faster. I run a propane torch lightly over the die body on the press for a few seconds and the dies push right out. Been doing this for over 10 years and havent hurt a thing.

[Down South]

So - decide whether you are an experimenter or a production loader, or
a bit of both.
I agree. I made that decision years ago. I am both. I'll always be both.

I would advise a beginning handloader against starting with a Dillon 550B,
and would think a beginning caster might also be better off starting with
a Lyman or RCBS. Sort of a walk before you run approach.

I have given a great amount of thought about Lyman and RCBS. I do currently use many of both of their products, mostly RCBS.
I started out reloading with a RCBS Rock Chucker about 37 years ago. I have been an avid reloader since I started. I recently upgraded to a Dillon 550 B press. (Nice press ain’t it. I may buy a second one.)
I like the idea (walk before you run) but from my experience, I’d rather spend my money on tools and equipment that I would eventually wind up with anyway. I’ve done my share of throwing money at cheaper tools and equipment that I’ve quit using. I’ve decided that it’s a lot cheaper to go ahead and buy the proper tools and components from the word get go then to try it and see how I like it with the cheaper stuff. I have made the decision to start casting my own for the common reasons. I shoot a lot. Bullet prices have went through the roof and I think those prices will continue to rise. I’ve always enjoyed reloading as I’m sure I’ll enjoy casting. Another reason is that I have three grandsons whom I’m starting to teach reloading to. I’m not really a dooms day type of guy but who knows what the future holds. If I have a good stash of lead and other components then they (grandsons) will be able to make ammo for years to come. The way things are going now; someday soon we may not be able to even purchase ammo.
No, I’m not rich but on the other hand I can afford not to poor man my casting / reloading operation.

[mtgrs737]

I can't believe I waited so long before getting a Star. If you do any quantity of lubing then the Star can't be beat. However if you have a lot of different sizes of boolit to do then you will have a big investment in sizer dies. I run a couple of Lyman 450 units for the small quantity of calibers that I don't require a large volume of boolits for. Star sizer dies = $37.50 Lyman sizer + top punch = $23.50, Stars also can use one flat punch to push boolits nose first through the die, you can use one or two sizes for all calibers at $12.75 each.

[ktw]

Do you Star guys and gals have any problems with your Star Sizers? Any recommendations?

One other issue you might want to think about is the fact that it can be a real pain to change lubes in most any type of sizer - much worse than changing dies. I think you may want to consider one sizer for each type of lube you want to use.

I have a Star loaded with NRA50/50 for most all my handgun applications.
I have an RCBS sizer loaded with Speed Green for most all my rifle applications.
I have a Lyman 450 loaded with black powder lube for BPCR applications.

-ktw

[38 Super Auto]

I think MtGun makes a good point that a full feature bench would have BOTH a Star and a Lyman/RCBS/Saeco.

I switched to a 550B last century and have recently gotten back into using my old rock chucker/Lee prime all and powder measure for small batches. If I am assembling 25 or so rifle loads, converting the 550B primer tower, powder measure bar, and die setup doesn't make sense. And I realized I am still fond of my first RCBS press. Loading single stage is a totally different gig. :Fire:

[Dale53]

I think that the near ideal (pun NOT intended) is to have a Star and a Lyman or RCBS as has been suggested. Then, in addition to your Dillon 550B, have a Lee Classic Turret. This is a FINE combination.

I recommend that any new reloader start with the Lee Classic Turret. Then, after a year or so and several thousand reloads, he can start thinking about a Dillon 550B if he has the interest. The Lee will NOT be wasted. I use my Lee Turret all the time for short runs. Yet, it significantly increases output compared to a single stage press.

Just a thought or two...

Dale53

[brshooter]

I bought my first Star sizer in 1961, after using a Lyman for several months. It is 47 years old and still lubricates better than any other lubricator made. It is faster and produces bullets that do not have the have the excess lube wiped off the bases or shoulders. I use mine for 45 cal. rifle and pistol, 44 cal, 38 cal, 9mm and 32 cal. Changing/and or adjustabling dies are a snap.

__________________________________________________ _______________

NRA Endowment Member
Life Member NYSRPA, IBS & NBRSA
Vet RVN

[DrJay1st]

MtGun44's comments really clarified a lot of questions for me that I had not even asked!
This is a really fine source of information and thank you guys for it,
Jerry

[Down South]

There are several great suggestions here. One is to have more than one sizer set up for different Boolits and lube. I very well may do that sometime in the future. I’ll probably not make Boolits for my rifles. I don’t think that I can achieve the velocities that I’ll need in a cast boolit. I don’t shoot my rifles that much anyway and I need my higher velocities for what I use the rifles for. What I’ll be casting for is my .38 Spl, my .40’s, my 9MM’s and my Colt 45 plus my soon to be 357 mag.
I still use my RCBS Rock Chucker for all of my rifle loads. I only use my Dillon 550B for my pistol / revolver loads.
I scored two more 5-gallon buckets of WW yesterday. That makes three 5-gallon buckets of WW this week. I’ve got a couple 5-gallon buckets of muffins so far. I think that I’ll get of my lazy butt and go make more muffins from the WW that I picked up. So far I’ve collected about ½ bucket of the stick on WW. Maybe some day I’ll find a use for those if nothing more than fishing sinkers. I cast those too.
You know, I’ve read a lot about the Zinc WW but I don’t find very many. Mostly only one, two or three in a 5-gallon bucket full of WW. Some times no Zinc WW in a bucket. I would have though that I would have ran into more of the dreaded Zinc.