Mounting a press upside down for boolit sizing

[NoAngel]

Mdi you’ve answered your own question.

I use the old catch can too for 50-100 bullets or so.

When I have several thousand to do...dropping out the bottom speeds things up exponentially.

[flashhole]

Same with running brass through a Bulge Buster. I do lots and lots of those in a single sitting.

[OS OK]

I'm not trying to start an argument (really!) but I have sized bullets with the Lee system for mebbe 18 years and see no need for anything special. I normally do 100-200 depending on my need and the bullet on 3 different presses, 2 single stage and one turret, and it's no problem at all to empty the container. I haven't tried sizing on my Co-Ax yet, but I'll figger out a way. So, what's the deal? Is this only for mass sizing of 1,000 or more bullets at a time?

I typically get 600+ casts out of my 20# pot (.45 @ 200 grain) in just one pot-full of casting. Thats 3 times your doings...so, multiply the time it takes you to do it your way by 3. Your conclusion should be obvious to you now...it's about saving time in the monotonous sizing task.

[fcvan]

I found I could increase production when my oldest daughter was 3, she got to pull the lever. Her youngest son is 5, that boy needs to learn how to help Papa!

BTW, when I size upside down, I'm using a Lee hand press and watching TV

[Kenstone]

Forgive my ignorance if I'm missing something here, but how much time are you saving with a Lee push-through sizer by mounting upside down and letting boolits drop into your storage container directly? I use mine right side up on my regular press, and the little cup the Lee dies come with catches the boolits just fine. Every 100-200 boolits (depending on size/caliber) I pick it up and dump it into my storage container, which takes all of 15 seconds.

This^ and a 3' piece of clear vinyl tubing slipped over the sizing die arched to the bench instead of that red Lee cup, will deposit the sized bullets in a container on the bench.
No stopping to empty anything.
just another way...

[MyFlatline]

Mdi you’ve answered your own question.

I use the old catch can too for 50-100 bullets or so.

When I have several thousand to do...dropping out the bottom speeds things up exponentially.

Not only that, it is much easier to drop a bullet in verses balance a bullet on. At least for me. I like and prefer in inverted method. We all have a choice.

[dikman]

Bottom line is there is no right or wrong way, you just do what works for you.

[Lloyd Smale]

I did the same but took some angle iron and made brackets to permanently mount it to one of my benches. I don't know how many thousands of bullets that cheap little lee press has sized but its surely a six figure number. Its starting to get a bit sloppy but it still works fine.

I wanted to try upside down sizing so I took a Lee hand press and put in a bench vise upside down to try. Used a small coffee can under the press to catch the boolits. It worked like a charm.Never used the vise for any thing so the press is still mounted in it.I use my setup with the Lee sizers, but I don't know why the NOE sizers would not work as well.

The Lee hand press mounted upside down works good because the handle is pulled down to push the boolit through the sizer.


If you have a lot of boolits that need to be sized upside down sizing is the way to go..........

[6bg6ga]

I'm kinda curious as to why one would buy a Lee and secondly why one attempt to size in a somewhat unusual un-productive way. I guess I'm different. If I'm going to size bullets I will buy something that will do it fast and efficiently. Want to size powder coted bullets fast? The Star / Magma is still the way to go. Fit one with a collator to drop the bullets in nose first, disconnect the lube arm and size the hell out of them.

I'm still lubing my bullets (haven't gottten into Powder coat yet) I can size them and have them in a tube ready to go into my 650 press's bullet dropper in the blink of an eye. No extra handling now for me. Its size it invert the tube and install on the bullet dropper.

[MyFlatline]

From a quick search, seems you have close to 2k in the Star sizer. That's more than I have in 7 presses including plates and dies for 10 different caliber/sizes.

Secondly, what you consider un-productive, I consider innovative and simple by achieving the same results for pennies compared to the Star Magma.

Good thing we can all choose what we like.

[OS OK]

Why the resistance to such an easy way to size with increased production?

All it takes is a C-Clamp to try it and see for yourself if it does make any difference...

[6bg6ga]

Why the resistance to such an easy way to size with increased production?

All it takes is a C-Clamp to try it and see for yourself if it does make any difference...

I would assume this method is better than what you had before but it isn't close to what you can do with a Star or Magma sizer with a bullet feeder.

2K? Naw, I bought my Magma bullet sizer new for I think it was around $300 or so. My Star I bought used the prior owner had purchased it and didn't know how to clean out 30 years of stuck lube in it. I simply added a new stick opened up the clean out plug and let the pressure take the old lube out. My air cylinders and heater setup with PID I did myself. So, maybe 1K for two sizers, air cylinders, and sizing dies along with the bullet feeder. Collator is home made flips the bullet nose first to be sized. The bullet collector tubes mount under the sizer have a pin at the opposite end that can be pulled when put on the press. The top pin on the bullet tube is installed when the bullet tube is full. My time has been cut back considerably since I dump bullets in the collator they are fed to the sizer and the output automatically goes into the collection tubes. So, no more stcking bullets in the feeder tube and no more filling a bullet dropper tube when reloading.

[6bg6ga]

From a quick search, seems you have close to 2k in the Star sizer. That's more than I have in 7 presses including plates and dies for 10 different caliber/sizes.

Secondly, what you consider un-productive, I consider innovative and simple by achieving the same results for pennies compared to the Star Magma.

Good thing we can all choose what we like.

You have 7 presses at what cost? If you throw in $70 a press that is $490.00 What is the cost of the sizing die per caliber? Manual operation of putting the bullet in the sizing die? If you throw in say $20. each for the sizing dies (an estimate here) and say you have 7 calibers that is another $140 which brings the total to $630 and its still manual feed. Now, if you were lucky enought to already have owned 7 presses then the only cost you have is in bracketing and the sizing dies. At any rate its far above the production level of say a Lyman 450 sizer.

[OS OK]

I would assume this method is better than what you had before but it isn't close to what you can do with a Star or Magma sizer with a bullet feeder.

2K? Naw, I bought my Magma bullet sizer new for I think it was around $300 or so. My Star I bought used the prior owner had purchased it and didn't know how to clean out 30 years of stuck lube in it. I simply added a new stick opened up the clean out plug and let the pressure take the old lube out. My air cylinders and heater setup with PID I did myself. So, maybe 1K for two sizers, air cylinders, and sizing dies along with the bullet feeder. Collator is home made flips the bullet nose first to be sized. The bullet collector tubes mount under the sizer have a pin at the opposite end that can be pulled when put on the press. The top pin on the bullet tube is installed when the bullet tube is full. My time has been cut back considerably since I dump bullets in the collator they are fed to the sizer and the output automatically goes into the collection tubes. So, no more stcking bullets in the feeder tube and no more filling a bullet dropper tube when reloading.

Hows about some pictures of this exemplar setup? A pic does so much more to explain...or reveal?
Every 'fast' setup seems to always have a drawback somewhere that eats into all the 'saved time' we boast about here. How about caliber change?
Is that just as quick and simple?

[mdi]

Hmmm. For all you guys that want your bullet sizing easier and faster; you can buy bullets already sized! Now that's pretty fast...

[OS OK]

Your draggin your anchor now!

[Kenstone]

Hmmm. For all you guys that want your bullet sizing easier and faster; you can buy bullets already sized! Now that's pretty fast...

I buy 38/357 coated bullets...resize them for 9mm/380
keeps the inventory down,

[6bg6ga]

Hows about some pictures of this exemplar setup? A pic does so much more to explain...or reveal?
Every 'fast' setup seems to always have a drawback somewhere that eats into all the 'saved time' we boast about here. How about caliber change?
Is that just as quick and simple?

No real point to posting a picture of a collator feeding a Star or Magma with a bullet feeder. They are all over the internet. My bullet tube catch system is another story and I am currently working on a turret assembly that will hold multiple tubes. When I get ready I will post something or maybe I should say when I totally automate my setup. Working on the automatic operation of the Star/ Magma currently with a Bodine gear reduction motor with adjustable speed control. When I am done I will post a video of it running. My only function will be to change the full bullet tubes and put a retaining pin in a hole in the top of them. Oh, caliber change will be either by changing the sizing die on the Star or Magma or simply trading the Star/Magma with one that has the correct sizing die on it. Granted the full bullet tubes will take up more space but I will be rewarded by not having to fill bullet tubes on my 650 press when I am reloding on it.

Bullet tubes for my 45acp bullets and my 45LC bullets are from plastic red or blue water pipe roughly 1/2 inside diameter.

[6bg6ga]

Hmmm. For all you guys that want your bullet sizing easier and faster; you can buy bullets already sized! Now that's pretty fast...

Why didn't I think of that?

[MyFlatline]

Price: $338.00 (without die)
Star Die $52.50
Dies are available from .218 through .585.
When ordering Star Dies please give us the size and if more than one grease groove the distance (center to center) of the grease grooves.
Star Bullet Punch $18.50
Heated Base available in 110V & 240V $120.00
Bullet Feeder for one Caliber $125.00
Small or Large Caliber Conversions $28.60
Caliber Conversions for bullets under ½” $31.50
Air Feed for the Bullet Lube (60 psi air pressure required) $105.00
Swivel Handle $35.50
M-A Systems Collator for the Star Sizer $1,040.00