ARRRGH... I hate you all.!

[saxguy]

Only my second post here, but this one is a rant, and a long one at that!

I am so mad at all of you guys here, all extolling the virtues of the “Star” lube sizer. It’s because of you lot that I am out about $500 and counting!!!
Its all very well you going on and on about “how great” your machines are, and how quickly and cleanly they perform… and some of you even adding pictures to your posts… HOW DARE YOU!!!
I was doing so well; rehab wasn’t so bad, one day at a time and all that…….. then I saw it….. I had to have one, just the one mind (watch this space)…. The holy grail of lube sizing machines. OMG!!!

I started pistol shooting back in 1980 in the UK… had a portable single stage press (called a Wamadet) for ages, then moved on to a Lee Progressive, then added a RCBS 4x4 Progressive… anyway, then came the dark ages. Started in 1997 when the government banned handgun ownership and all was lost (taken away by the government).
Put all my stuff in storage and ten years later emigrated to a better land so as I could shoot again.
Now I once again have a dedicated reloading room, brand new Hornady L&L progressive, as well as my old RCBS which I only have the one shell plate for in .44 but what a solid machine!

Anyway, just started sourcing my old pistols again, two of which are a 4” 586 S&W, and a Ruger Super Redhawk. Already have a .45 and a couple of 9mm’s. Been shooting off ammo that I made and stored back in the 90’s. Also been buying 9mm plated for my CZ……………… but recently had the urge to get casting again especially as I have two revolvers coming this way. Well, hopefully I will take charge of the 586 that I bought (still with the FLL in the US), and also will be throwing in a .44 Ruger SRH with the shipment.

You must understand I have missed out on over fifteen years of shooting my babies, and I have a lot of catching up to do! For the last few years of my shooting in the 90’s I used the Lee push through and tumble lube system. Mainly on .45. The problem with that is am a bit “old school” and I like my boolits to have a nice appearance and not to be a sticky messy looking thing. I even used to wipe off all the external wax with some WD40, before boxing them up! Yes, I know, it’s the sign of a sick mind!

Well since getting back into shooting again (in my new country) I did, and in some ways still am considering the powder coat method, but I am quite nostalgic. That is, I want to smell the wax (feel the love) of my boolits as they give their all on the way to the bottom of the range. I want to get back the lost years of shooting that the government took from me, and I don’t want to miss a thing!

So, considering the amount of lead which I fully intend to be throwing down the range each week, I was a little daunted thinking about the time that I would need to spend putting these pills together. Did a bit of Googling and came across Cast Boolits, lurked around for a while… then I saw it. Ye Gods, the answer to all my prayers. The Star lube sizing machine. My old method used to take me a few seconds each boolit, and the puny lube chamber only held about a quarter of a lube stick.
It was like a revelation seeing and reading about this new fangled “Star” contraption. Here be dragons me thinks. Anyway, following a couple of days of trawling the net and reading as much as I could, I was nearly convinced. But then after seeing the You tube clip of the Star in action, complete with boolit feeder, I nearly had an accident in my trousers!
Long story over, I rang Magma, spoke to Mary and placed an order for the whole shooting match!

I hate you all, playing on the weakness of an addict. “Hi, my names ******** and I’m a machine addict”

Oh well, life’s short, so what’s a guy to do.

Looking forward to getting my new Star, and joining in the fun.

Cheers

[Beagle333]

Start saving up there, friend. One just ain't gonna do it! With multiple calibers like that, it's going to old,.... swapping them dies out and changing lubes. In the end, there must be a row of sizers on your bench. And probably your two most used should be Stars!
Let the madness grow!

[Groovy]

I know how you feel, I just retired and came here to get a little info on cast bullets after hearing how economical they were to shoot. It's never economical but it keeps me busy and my wife has no idea how much it really costs.

[saxguy]

Start saving up there, friend. One just ain't gonna do it! With multiple calibers like that, it's going to old,.... swapping them dies out and changing lubes. In the end, there must be a row of sizers on your bench. And probably your two most used should be Stars!
Let the madness grow!

More tools, more machines, yes, YES.. Whooaaaa ha ha ha ha.... You’re evil, EVIL I tell ya...... Oh oh, I can see the men in the white coats approaching.

[saxguy]

I know how you feel, I just retired and came here to get a little info on cast bullets after hearing how economical they were to shoot. It's never economical but it keeps me busy and my wife has no idea how much it really costs.

Yeah me too, best keep quite about that!

[saxguy]

I know how you feel, I just retired and came here to get a little info on cast bullets after hearing how economical they were to shoot. It's never economical but it keeps me busy and my wife has no idea how much it really costs.

… don't feel too bad, we pay about $100 just for 1lb of powder in NZ!

[Lance Boyle]

Dear God a $100 a pound, that's a lotta sheep! I'd be mighty stingy with the charges and likely shoot single shots rifles!

I thought we had it bad with our runaway inflation. I'm planning my own escape from my Government betters one day to a free state. Fortunately I don't think I have to go half way around the globe like you did. They say it's beautiful there though.

[6bg6ga]

I'm addicted too. It starts slow and easy and before you know it there is a machine sitting on your bench and then as if by magic there is a second machine and a third. God, will it ever stop?

[Hickok]

It has to hurt to be good, no pain, no gain,

[cbrick]

Might as well just accept it, it's a life long addiction and there is no 12 step program or any other cure. Ever wonder why there are so few used Star's on the market? Because most of us take them with us when our time comes.

On the bright side though . . . This is only your FIRST Star. Just tell the wife how much money your saving.

Rick

[btroj]

I have had mine for about 6 years. Still only have one. Don't plan on ever getting a second. Now dies, I need lots more of those. Lots and lots.

[Short Range]

Ok, I am an addict too. There, I said it. Now will I get 'better'?

I just got back into shooting about a year ago,,,,you know,,,,right in the middle of the ammo shortage. I quickly realized that I couldn't afford to buy factory ammo, when I could find it, and be able to do much practicing so I started looking at reloading. Wasn't long and there was a nice shiny new Dillon on the bench. I would look at it and think of all the money that I was 'saving' now plus that endless supply of ammo that I could make.
Then came the need for bullets. Couldn't find them so started looking into casting and found this site. Great bunch of info here that made things go fairly easy. At first I tumble lubed everything, but didn't really care for that method so started looking at 'saving' more by getting a lube-sizer. I read up on everything I could find and quickly saw that the Star was the highest recommended unit hands down. Problem was the money I was 'saving' was sitting on the bench in the form of a Dillon.
Then came an amazing twist of fate. I was getting some work done at a local machine shop and we got to talking about shooting and reloading among other things. Just as I was leaving he mentioned that if I needed anything to give a shout. Without thinking I mentioned that I was looking for a lube-sizer. He thought for a second and then took me over to the reloading room where he pulled out a couple of units. First one was a Lyman, second was a Star. I hardly even noticed the Lyman. Right there in real life was an honest to goodness Star sizer that I could hold in my hand. I asked if he was interested in selling it, but he said he really didn't want to. He was planning to try casting and thought he may be wanting to keep it. Big bummer, but at least I got to see one. Then he says that I could take it along and use it. I kid you not, right in the middle of the coldest winter we have had in a long time the cloudy skies cleared, the sun shone brightly, birds started singing and flowers were blooming right in the icy snow banks!!! [that last bit may have only been in my mind] One of the best days of my short reloading life was when I walked out of there with a STAR in my hand! It needed some tender loving care, but after getting the rust cleaned off and the old lube out it has worked perfectly since. It has sized many thousands of bullets already and am looking at doing a whole lot more.
Well, that was my best day. The worst day will be when he calls up and says he needs the Star back again. When that happens I will be on the phone to Magma asap to order up a new one.

Hope you enjoy your new Star as much as I have enjoyed using this one!

PS. Same here with the wife. She has no idea how much money I have been saving since I started shooting again.
Oh well, time to get to work. Need to earn a living so that I can save some more money.

[Love Life]

Sheeeoot. I'd coat and use lee dies.

[enfieldphile]

saxguy,

Is that short for Anglo Saxon or do you play the Saxaphone?

I too joined the Magma/Star fraternity last month. For 30 years I used an RCBS LAM. A good tool, but slow and die changes are slow, messy, and aligning the die retaining nut can be dodgy.

Changing dies on the Star is a 2 minute snap!

There is a learning curve on the Star. It's quick to adjust to the tool's uniqueness though.

Our vendors here can supply dies, lube etc. at a better price and quality then many of the big-name concerns.

[ReloaderFred]

There is a time where you finally reach the point when you tell yourself you've "acquired" enough Star sizers. I reached that point at six of them, but that was only because I became a 1/3 partner in a commercial casting purchase that included a Magma Lube Master machine that will size and lube several thousand bullets an hour, as long as I can keep up with it. The Magma Bullet Master machine we bought does a pretty good job of keeping the Lube Master fed, though.

I started this "hobby" in 1963, and I was only going to load for the .30-06 that I had purchased, and it was only going to be on the Hollywood Senior press that I bought used from one of my college professors for the grand total of $25.00, including the .30-06 dies. Fast forward to today, and my "hobby" now includes reloading for 31 different calibers, on five different presses, with over half a dozen powder measures, etc. I'm "saving tons of money" these days!

My current (and last) wife doesn't care how much I spend on our "hobby", since she shoots too. Sometimes when I bring home a new firearm, she'll look it over and then ask me if we don't need two of them? I guess I'm "saving" double these days, since the first wife was just the opposite and resented every penny spent on my "hobby". My wife (the good one) just placed an order for two more revolvers for herself and is anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Anyway, saxguy and Short Range, welcome to the forum and your new "savings plan"...........

Hope this helps.

Fred

[saxguy]

saxguy,

Is that short for Anglo Saxon or do you play the Saxaphone?

I too joined the Magma/Star fraternity last month. For 30 years I used an RCBS LAM. A good tool, but slow and die changes are slow, messy, and aligning the die retaining nut can be dodgy.

Changing dies on the Star is a 2 minute snap!

There is a learning curve on the Star. It's quick to adjust to the tool's uniqueness though.

Our vendors here can supply dies, lube etc. at a better price and quality then many of the big-name concerns.

Saxophone/s...and yes, I've been in touch with Lathesmith about this

[saxguy]

Start saving up there, friend. One just ain't gonna do it! With multiple calibers like that, it's going to old,.... swapping them dies out and changing lubes. In the end, there must be a row of sizers on your bench. And probably your two most used should be Stars!
Let the madness grow!

A "row" of them!!! Oh you sick puppy!

[saxguy]

There is a time where you finally reach the point when you tell yourself you've "acquired" enough Star sizers. I reached that point at six of them, but that was only because I became a 1/3 partner in a commercial casting purchase that included a Magma Lube Master machine that will size and lube several thousand bullets an hour, as long as I can keep up with it. The Magma Bullet Master machine we bought does a pretty good job of keeping the Lube Master fed, though.

I started this "hobby" in 1963, and I was only going to load for the .30-06 that I had purchased, and it was only going to be on the Hollywood Senior press that I bought used from one of my college professors for the grand total of $25.00, including the .30-06 dies. Fast forward to today, and my "hobby" now includes reloading for 31 different calibers, on five different presses, with over half a dozen powder measures, etc. I'm "saving tons of money" these days!

My current (and last) wife doesn't care how much I spend on our "hobby", since she shoots too. Sometimes when I bring home a new firearm, she'll look it over and then ask me if we don't need two of them? I guess I'm "saving" double these days, since the first wife was just the opposite and resented every penny spent on my "hobby". My wife (the good one) just placed an order for two more revolvers for herself and is anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Anyway, saxguy and Short Range, welcome to the forum and your new "savings plan"...........

Hope this helps.

Fred

I hate you, no, really I do!

[saxguy]

I have had mine for about 6 years. Still only have one. Don't plan on ever getting a second. Now dies, I need lots more of those. Lots and lots.

Conjures up visions of a wild long haired pop-eyed mad man sitting amongst piles and piles of dies on the floor in the corner of a dark room with a lone candle burning… but hey, who am I to judge?

[wymanwinn]

how about a little salt in your wounds Saxguy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2KwiXB4H8w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoBCzMvczrw

BTW.....welcome to the madhouse....

wyman