Will RCBS sizing dies work

[S.B.]

In my older Lyman 450 sizer without any problems? Also, I get a lot of lube on my bullet bases when using my Lyman 450, am I doing something wrong?
Steve

[Bent Ramrod]

RCBS and Lyman dies are mostly interchangeable. Once in a blue moon, you might get one that doesn't fit, but this is rare.

Lube on boolit bases is very common with most resizers. You can get or make custom dies that have holes in the right places, or plug the holes that leak lube under the boolit. The next design you try to lube might well be a worse mess underneath, or leave a groove unfilled. Some people drill out the center of the "I" punch so most of the leaked lube runs out the bottom, rather than accumulating at the boolit base.

Cheapest cure is a rag or paper towel to wipe the bases with before you box them or load them.

[Mk42gunner]

RCBS and Lyman dies are mostly interchangeable. Once in a blue moon, you might get one that doesn't fit, but this is rare.

Well said.

As for the excess lube on the bases, try adjusting the depth stop. Sometimes it only takes about 1/16 turn to fix.

Robert

[S.B.]

Thank you, both for your replies.
Steve

[alfloyd]

Also, If you keep downward pressure on the handle while you are turning the wrench to fill the groves with lube, you will get less lube on the bottom of the slug.

Just me $0.02

Lafaun

[kiwi]

I find that if I pressurise the lube before pushing the boolit into the die I get far less lube on the base, also the Lyman dies are less of a problem
than the RCBS in both the LAM 11 and 450

[S.B.]

I find that if I pressurise the lube before pushing the boolit into the die I get far less lube on the base, also the Lyman dies are less of a problem
than the RCBS in both the LAM 11 and 450
I fail to see the logic in this if I pump the lube before I size isn't it putting more lube on the bottom?
Thanks but, no thanks.
Steve

[Wayne Smith]

No, he's pressurizing while the rod is in the die, the boolit pushes the rod down without interruption allowing lube to enter the lube grooves but as long as there is positive pressure between the rod and boolit none will enter at the base of the boolit unless it is a bevel based boolit. I do this routinely as I usually turn the pressure rod about once every three boolits.

[S.B.]

BS! Been there done this.
Steve

[wonderwolf]

Went to do a new caliber tonight in my lyman 4500, the RCBS die I had was used...I started it in and went to get it home with the ram...that was a mistake. Got the die out after about 20 minutes of mild language. Looks like the bottom of the die is around .002" larger than all my other dies, heck it could even be the stamps that are on the side of the die as they are raised.

[Bent Ramrod]

I find that when there is any potential for the "I" punch to separate from the base of the boolit (for instance, when it is being pushed into the sizer die), pressure on the lube will cause it to take the line of least resistance and flow between the boolit base and the "I" punch, pushing the latter down and filling the space between with lube.

This can also happen with the boolit bottomed out in the die, if the "G" punch is lifted off the boolit without smartly pulling the lever up to eject it from the die. Sometimes the boolit will rise majestically out of the die on a column of lube, causing me to reach for my bent spatula and dust off my lexicon of vulgar vocabulary. This slug of lube will sometimes prevent the holes in the die aligning with one or more boolit lube grooves, causing more delay and commentary.

Sometimes this problem is masked or helped by the right coincidence of lube grooves and the generic spacing of the holes in the sizing die, but I find it is best to only exert pressure on the wrench when the boolit is held at the bottom of the die between the "G" and "I" punches, and the pressure slacked off while the boolit is moving up or down.

I find I need to get, and retain, a "feel" for the pressure on a given lube, with a given boolit. This, of course, varies with boolit, lube type and temperature. The pressure needed for Alox type lubes will make a mess with blackpowder lubes, and cold weather pressure on Alox lubes will get them all over the place in warm weather. But eventually I get the feel for when the pressure on the wrench is just enough, and then the session tends to go smoothly.

[MT Chambers]

Less pressure and/or less heat.

[Doggonekid]

I use both Lyman dies and RCBS dies in my RCBS lubeamatic II. When I get excess lube on the boolit it is usually an adjustment I need to make on the depth adjuster under my lube sizer. I also find with a Lyman heated base I don't have to give it much pressure the lube flows smoothly.