Lube Sizer Advice Needed

[timtonya]

Why doesn't anyone pick the Saeco? I like the spring loaded lube resevoir. I don't mind the extra expense of the dies.

[454PB]

Again, my only objection to the Saeco design is the side mounted operating handle.

[bobthenailer]

The sizing dies and top punches for the Saeco are very expensive compaired to lymans & rcbs sd & tp. The lymans & Rcbs SD & TP are interchangeable ,
and the side mounting of the operating handle on the saeco is imo a PAIN to use ! the spring loaded resevoir is a minor +, ive had 2 saecos in the past as well as a lyman 45 & 450 L/S , i currently only have 2 stars l/s that i bought about 30 years ago, but i make at least 10,000 boolets a year.

In short if you use a single stage press to load ammo ? a lyman ,saeco or rcbs would work well ! my choice would be the RCBS L/S

[lka]

I lubed in a pan with homemade lube for awhile, the best thing I did was buy the lyman sizer lol. I've broke a few things on it and they were a pain to get replacement parts (wasn't impressed with lyman CS).

[Rich/WIS]

The simple fix for this was covered in the old NRA reloading guide (late 60's). At that time cast bullets were in the book, not a separate book like later issues. The fix was to remove the bottom punch from the H&I die, chuck it in a lathe and counterbore the center, leaving a small shoulder for the bullet to seat against. I did this with mine when I had access to a lathe and had no problems after that. Wish I still had access to a lathe for H&I dies I have acquired since.

Also try adjusting the stop point when you size, sometimes the bullet bas is right at a bleed hole, and moving it up or down a bit keeps lube from being forced in under the bullet base. As another poster said there is a learning curve, keep down pressure on when pumping in lube, and remember it is a bullet not a bulldozer when reefing on the lube wrench.

[Springfield]

You only have to plug holes in a Star die if the bullet is very much different than the one you did before.If you only have single lube groove bullets adjusting the punch up and down will usually do it. If you really hate plugging the holes than buy a die for each bullet and have the holes drilled exactly where you want them. As it is, tapping in lead shot into a hole is pretty easy, drilling it out even easier.

[DRNurse1]

$325 for the Star and for the money you shouldn't have to use lead shot to close some of the lube holes.

Is that new from MagmaStar or on the used market?

The lead shot seems like a pretty small thing, so if that is the only consideration, I can send you some. It seems counter-intuitive that you would be okay with the higher cost of dies and top punches, but for the original tool.

I found the Star dies and top punches more reasonably priced and available ( Chris, a vendor sponsor here makes them as do others) and I agree with CBrick that the accuracy of the in-out sizers is decreased from that of the straight through variety. For full disclosure, I shoot bullseye and probably fall in that higher volume category.

If you have no plans to size more than a hundred or so an hour, about my maximum pace on a 4500, or you need to gascheck while lube sizing, Lyman / RCBS will likely work fine.

[Leadmelter]

What is the website for Star products? I use a couple of Lymans and a RCBS but always looking for a good tool to increase production.
Leadmelter
MI

[454PB]

Here's the website:

http://www.magmaengineering.com/comp...ners/click/14/

[Littleton Shot Maker]

Lyman, great starter luber sizer, still have ours, it's older than me! works ever time, like a Old Ford tractor.
Stars are good, we sold those all off.
I have or had the saeco too, would not be first choice

RCBS or Lyman can't go wrong. \
Heated base on not heated base??
What lube do you wan to use? it matters,
Low temp, hi-temp stuff?? Small stick or big stick, they cost $$

[timtonya]

Tax refund came. So.... should I buy a lube sizer or a nice casting furnace (RCBS pro melt) instead? I pan lube which is OK and I have a Lee bottom pour pot. Thanks for the replies.

[DRNurse1]

Get both! Investing in quality tools is never a bad choice. Feeding the new lubrisizer may necessitate a larger bottom pour pot, and getting those new boolits sized and loaded into cartridges from the bigger furnace may necessitate a better lubrisizer and/ or a progressive reloading press.

Life can be a series difficult choices, but someone has to do it. Whichever you choose (hopefully both), have fun.

[timtonya]

Both? Lol. The wife would have a heart attack. She treats me good and usually doesn't say anything. But this time around its gotta be one or the other.

[MBTcustom]

I want me a Star!
Just dig this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8NdY15RstE
Be sure to watch the end of the video. He really gets with it there.

[Irascible]

I have a Star, Saeco and RCBS. I had a Lyman 4500 which wore out the casting in no time flat, even though I oiled the shaft often. The RCBS has a bigger shaft and more surface area to spread the wear out. Mine has lasted 30 years. I prefer the Star over all others, next the Saeco then the RCBS. I buy my Star dies from Chris (see Star Equip corner) and asked him to only drill only one row of holes for my 357, 41, 44 and 45 dies for which I use Keith type bullets. For special bullets like my SSK 310gr 44 I sent him a bullet and had him drill another die to order. I use the Saeco for gas check bullets and the RCBS is now full of SPG lube for black powder use. It was my first sizer/lubricator. The Star is my newest, and it was FREE! I just had to buy dies. Sure is fast!

[Greg B.]

I been using an RCBS LAM2 for over 30 years.

[dromia]

I have a star and it is indeed a very fine piece of kit however I haven't used it 17 years. It is at its best when sizing and lubing large runs of boolits at the same diameter and using the same lube.

I cast for a multiplicity of calibres and I'm adding new ones all the time, I find the Star fiddly to set up and not as fast on the die change as the Lyman RCBS types and as I do my boolits in batches of no more than 500 at time using the star isn't worth the hassle. I have two Lyman 45s, three RCBS LAMs, two Lyman 450s on my benches all set up with different dies and lube. All have been bought second hand at a total cost of less than a new Star. I do cast large batches of some calibres, I shoot around 200-500 rounds of 310 Cadet a week but these boolits don't need sizing and are tumble lubed in 45/45/10 so no need for a sizer. If they did then the Star would come out.

So think about your needs and buy the kit to suit, there is no equipment that does all things well and we are fortunate that we have different pieces of kit to suit our different needs

[dragon813gt]

I have a LAM and a second one is on the way. I cast a variety of bullets and don't size/lube big batches. If I did the Star w/ all the accessories would be the way to go. I like the design of the Ballisticast better but the soap opera surrounding that company turns me off. A Lyman/RCBS sizer is the way to go if you don't need to lube a lot if bullets fast and you work w/ a variety of bullets. It you only work w/ one or two designs, get a star.

[enfieldphile]

timtonya,

I just set up my NIB Star last night. As I previously used an RCBS LAM, the reason for needing to plug holes in the Star is plainly obvious.

The LAM, Lyman and Seaco all have adjustable stops that positively limit the travel of the "I" rod inside the "H" die. This controls the placement of the boolit in relation to the lube holes in the die.

As the Star is a "push-through" design tool, the only way to align the lube grooves of the boolit is adjusting the threaded punch, which is positioned above the boolit and to position the lube holes in the die with correct relation to the lube groove(s) on the boolit.

That means plugging excess holes. It's just the nature of the tool design.

$325 for the Star and for the money you shouldn't have to use lead shot to close some of the lube holes.

[leadman]

Forget a luber/sizer and coat your boolits with Hi-Tek and use Lee push thru dies. Much cleaner and no smoke from the lube.