Lee Bullet Sizer - My Regret - Should have gotten NOE

[Eddie1971]

The sizing dies I was having major issues with were the .323 and special order .325. For some reason no matter what kind of checks I used, they would get mangled. It seems that both of these dies came with egg shaped pusher stems. Listening to some of the advice here, I have had some better luck. First, I lightly lubed the heads with the pump bottle version of Hornady's one shot case lube that I had lying around. Next step, I ran the heads through the sizing die w/o the checks. After they were sized, I installed the check by hand and then ran again through the die. I found that the copper checks went on right with no issues. No matter what I did the aluminum ones still got caught up in the die and got wrecked.

[Land Owner]

Perhaps then it is the gas check that is to blame and not the lube-sizer. I HAVE aluminum checks in 22 cal. that look like tiny coke/beer bottle caps, with the serrated and raised edge all around. My research tells me this is check material that is too thin for the check maker.

A properly sized base metal (AL in this case) in the check forming die should not serrate the edges of the finished check. Please correct me in this if I am wrong.

I didn't make 'em. I bought 'em and that's how they came. Those serrations do hold the check on the 49-49-2 Pb/WW/Sn alloy 223 Bator bullet base pretty well though.

[gpidaho]

Eddie: As with everything in our craft, one size doesn't fit all. In my experience the Noe tooling doesn't improve the results that much over the Lee push through dies. I'm a BIG fan of Noe tools and own over 25 of the size bushings but the reason is price over the Lee. (Now there is something you'll not hear often) I keep on hand homemade checks made from different thickness's from .010 to .016 aluminum. Some moulds throw a bullet that have shanks too large to accept the commercial checks that are .014 or close and the check just won't swage down without being distorted. I recommend that you purchase the Noe gas check seating die and install the checks tight and square before running the bullet through the sizer. This helps a lot. Good luck. Gp

[Eddie1971]

I don't know guys, but I bought the NOE set up and not one hiccup mounting checks of any kind. The NOE kit seems to get the checks on perfectly squared every try, not one wasted check. I am amazed how good it works. Wish I knew about this one before I got those Lee dies.

[popper]

I have both and prefer the Lee. There is a difference in design, Lee has a long throat before the short size section. Pop can checks should be seated base first. Aluminum needs to be drawn slowly or it tears and cracks. Try just seating base first, then push out (NOE top punch?) reverse and size.

[redhawk0]

I use the lee push through as well...never had any problems with them. Easy to make slightly larger too.

I do run GC in two steps though. I first size the GC boolit nose up (It doesn't touch the GC base)...then seat the GC base up. Its an extra step but the GC crimp on nice and tight.

redhawk

[Rick Hodges]

All of my bullets needing gas checks have a flat nose meplat. I have no trouble with the lee push throughs running the bullets base first. I do polish the lead and frequently have to open them up a bit to size to the diameters I need with my alloy.

[garandsrus]

I have applied gas checks base first using Lee push though die. The boolits were flat nose. I didn't like how this makes the bottom of the gas check dome shaped and not flat.

Has anyone else noticed this or has noticed an accuracy issue because of the domed base?

Motor

If you are getting a dome shape, you are not pushing the bullet far enough through the die to get past the sizing portion of the die. You are using the next bullet as part of the push rod, which is deforming the gas check. Set the die lower in the press. It should help reduce the leverage needed quite a bit also.

You also want the sized bullet far enough into the die so that the next bullet has a chance to center itself on the punch before contacting the bullet above it. The diameter of the punch doesn’t matter much as long as it is close to the bullet diameter.

[gpidaho]

Noe makes a handy tool that mounts in the press like a shell holder. This holds a Lyman style nose punch for your bullet of choice and allows you to push the bullet into the sizing bushing or Lee die base first without nose distortion. Gp