Keeping it straight, sizing rifle boolits?

[Murphy]

Howdy friends,

After many years of casting and using only handgun boolits, I started several years back casting rifle boolits for my 30/30. I started originally using a Star sizer and sizing my boolits to .310 (Lyman boolit #311041)

Now for my question.

I decided to add a Lyman 4500 sizer to my operations. Basically what I would like to hear about is how to keep a boolit 'true' and boolit run out to a bare minimum using standard a standard Lyman sizer & top punch.

Boolits are cast (Alloy is 2/5 lino/WW).

Gator checks have been seated using Lymans neat little gas check seating tool.

All that's left now is the wisdom of the this board and what lube I choose to use.

Please try and remember, USING LYMAN'S STANDARD SIZING DIE AND NOSE PUNCH. :)

Thanks,

Murphy

[ktw]

When using the lyman sizers I tend to lube/check them with a die close to as cast diameter. Then, if I need to make them smaller for a particular firearm, I do that to the already lubed bullets nose first in the Lee dies.

I think it helps to square up the top punch with the die by having the punch down in the die before tighening down the punch retaining screw.

You can run the bullets nose first through the Lyman sizer dies by removing the die punch and the die punch return apparatus below the die and using a flat top punch. You can't lube them this way but the sizer alignment will be better with the longer rifle bullets.

-ktw

[cbrick]

Murphy,

Perplexing question, why go from the Star to the Lyman? I can only assume there was a reason.

Several years ago I tested this very thing using boolits sized in the Star, a SAECO and an RCBS sizer (sorry, didn't have a Lyman). To check concentricity I took rifle boolits sized in all three to a friends machine shop and placed then in a comparator. A comparator is like a huge microscope where you place parts on a grid. In this case the grid was in 1/10 of a thousands of an inch. The machine blows up the size of the parts and grid to where tenths of a thousands look like inches and Helen Keller could measure parts and see differences.

The results where eye opening. The worst boolits (least concentric) by a considerable margin was the RCBS sized boolits, then the SAECO and the Star had the most concentric boolits. In fact, some of the RCBS boolits where so off center you could see it with the naked eye by looking at the edge of the front driving band (in good light) and rotating the boolit.

My SWAG on the difference between the machines is simply nose first sizing with as large a flat punch as the die will accept. That lines things up far better and keeps it straighter as it enters the die and pushes through. I suppose if you cast uneven boolit bases much of the benefit would be negated.

Rick

[HeavyMetal]

Murphy:
I also had the same experience with a lyman sizer and thats why I went to a Star! Nose sizing is the most accurate way to size boolits!

I currently load the Lee 7.62X39 boolit, mold 90385, and nose size in my Star. I use a flat punch, make sure the boolit base is flat, drop the boolit in nose first add the gascheck to the base and push on though! I made a push "plug" out of a piece of aluminum so I don't flatten the point of the boolit as I push the next one out. Sadly this means I do have some lube on each boolit nose as it comes out of the machine but thats a price I'm willing to pay to get what I need out of the boolit.

By the way when I have one of those family get togethers where we all shoot guns? Everyone lines up to shoot my 14 inch 30-30 Contender at 8 once Pepsi bottles at the 100 yard berm!

A bunch of rooklie's hitting 8 out of 10 shots is pretty impressive accuracy!

As for my old Lyman sizer? I think I'm using it for a door stop and it's under qualified for that!

Don't know why you passed on using the Star, hope it's cause aliens abducted it and you won't abandon hope of it's return!

[runfiverun]

i put the checks on mine drop them in the star 310 sizer and push thom through
and use hard lube also.
my mix is 4-7-89 and in my 20" bbl i am getting 2250 fps.
around 1750 @ 50 yds its awesome at 2250 its still awesome,
i see so many advantages to the star here i cannot see why you would want to use
something that pushes your nose around?

[Murphy]

:):drinks:Gentlemen,

Thanks for all the excellant input.

As to the question of 'Why'? am I using the Lyman 4500 at all is simple. I wanted a second sizer to experiment with. Lyman sizer dies and top punches are cheaper to come by when experimenting with a new handgun round.

And I've also learned that when possible, having a backup sizer & reloading press can sometimes save your butt when 'Murphys Law' flys in your face at just the wrong moment.

I've had my Star for over 20 years and wouldn't take for it. I used to cast for resale and the Star was for production purposes. It was only later (since I joined castboolit.com actually) that I found out it was much much more than just a 'volume' sizer/lubricator.

Anyone have a .311 Star sizer die and punch for sale? *Cheap* :drinks:

Thanks,

Murphy

[leftiye]

Sounds like the old - size it first in a Lee push through (spray lubed with lanolin case sizing lube), then lube with the Lyman isn't very far wrong for keeping deformation to a minimum.