NOE sizer

[cwlongshot]

Who has one how do you like?

I just received to try to nose size. (I only bought size dies in a few dia I could not previously get. 402,403,460....& 350 & 351 nose size) But broke my Summit press I like to use. So while I wait for RCBS parts..

I size with a couple 450’s and a bunch of lee push thus. Mostly I powder coat so the push thus are most convenient.

Who nose sizes? How’s it work. Do you have any tips?

CW

[gpidaho]

I've had some success nose sizing my bullets. You need to work out a system for a positive stop so as to make each bullet the same and not encroach on the drive bands I use copper tubing cut to various lengths on top of the ram around the bullet. this comes to a stop when it contacts the inside top of the press and lets you size to the top band or very close. Some have posted concerns that nose sizing makes for nonconcentric bullets but I seat the bullets into the lands and as tight as will chamber and let the rifling swage the bullets down like a piece of bubble gum. And yes I'm talking about powder coated bullets. Gp

[blpenn66502]

I used the NOE sizer, don't use it any more. Push through effort compared to a Lee push through was probably at least twice the effort due to the rough/poor interior finish of the NOE relative to Lee. It did size to specification however. YMMV.

[cwlongshot]

The LEE sizer does so using a VERY narrow band. You can tell this because you can feel each grease groove. The NOE have hundreds of times the surface contact & the Lyman style thousands of times more again. This is the reason for the greater resistance sizing.

The NOE is about 1/2” the lyman closer to 1.5” while the LEE is about 1/8” sizing surface. They all work.

CW

[Dimner]

I use my NOE sizer all the dang time. Far better than the lee in my opinion. The interchangeable bushings allow me to tweak bullet fit to the particular rifle. I primarily use BLL.

I do not nose size often, but when I have had to, it works fine. The key I have found to any push through sizer is lubricating the bullets. Some people use water and dishsoap, I always use BLL unless I'm using a wax type lube.

I'm using it on a lee classic turret. Plenty strong enough to push through size. However, I only size down about 0.004 or less.

[abunaitoo]

Never nose sized, but I do use the NOE sizer.
Cost of the starter kit is high, but not as much as a lube sizer.
Bushings cost way less than the Lee sizer.
So far it's working well for me.
I size nose first, so I save on nose punches.

[Kraschenbirn]

For the last couple years, I've been sizing all my PC using an NOE sizer and have yet to encounter any significant issues. I do, occasionally, size the nose of a couple of bore-rider designs (after PC) to fit them to the rifling of a particular barrel. So far, I've not had the need to size down any more that .0015 so it's not difficult (for me) to feel when the die contacts the first drive band.

Bill

[cwlongshot]

Nose sizing aint gonna work...

Nose sizer worthless... I jammed first bullet so badly had to MELT IT OUT!!!

Jammed second one so I needed a 5/16" punch & hammer... and now the insert dosent fit properly...

Didnt try for a third. ����.

Thats ok 9$ wasted.

There is only .350 & .351 offered. My bullets nose is .3525/.353...

[gpidaho]

Between nose sizing and body sizing Noe bushings I own fifty three. If they didn't work well for me, I wouldn't have bought more than a couple. I'm a big fan of Noe moulds and tooling. Gp

[Dragonheart]

If you are only going to size one or two calibers I would buy the Lee as I find it to be faster sizing. If doing more calibers Noe becomes less and less expensive because you are just adding bushings. The NOE sizer is more accurate than the Lee. If the NOE says .308" it is .308" the Lee will be .308"ish maybe .3085"? The LEE die sits flush in your press. The NOE bushing holder stands 1" proud in your press, so depends on you whether this makes a difference.

As far as NOE nose sizing bushings a complete waste of money as far as I am concerned. I assume everyone that casts knows when a bullet comes out of the mold is is not round (lopsided). This is simply the physics of the casting process. We can size the bands of a bullet to make it round and with NOE Bushings we can size the nose of the bullet to make that portion round. But the non-concentric(lopsided bullet) problem still exists. The two step process leaves you with two completely round surfaces, at least where the sizer touches. But it is like laying a nickel on a quarter you can have two completely round surfaces, but that doesn't mean they are concentric to each other. That is what you have with a two step sizing process, a non-concentric (lopsided) bullet. In flight as velocity and distance increases at some point a lopsided bullet is going to start to wobble, once the wobble starts it is only going to get worse and accuracy follows suit.

[cwlongshot]

The bullet that has given the problems is a clone of the Lyman 358009. Its long parralell nose is the issue.

This is a great bullet. Just NOT friendly with powder
Coating.

I have a few reg sizer dies that are working just fine. Ill buy more of those.

CW

[gpidaho]

As others have problems and concerns with the Noe nose sizing bushings I'm going to say some of the folks I have very much respect for and value the opinions of don't care for the idea of nose sizing. I'm going to post my opinion. I powder coat 95% of my rifle bullets and likely use a softer alloy than some. By adding the girth of the powder coat some of my moulds (bore riders) throw a bullet with to fat a nose to chamber freely. I usually seat my bullets hard into the lands and as snug to the bore as practical. In this situation I believe the bullet will swage nicely in the bore regardless of the nickel on a quarter problem mentioned by Dragonheart. Just my opinion and it seems to work for me. Gp

[cwlongshot]

I agree and know its not a problem to do as you describe.

But for me most everything revolves around a hunting need. Little is target only.

Having a bullet that could become stuck in barrel when extracting a case is a bad thing. Been there dont wanna do that.

I shoot allot of the lyman 30 RN of same design and it seems to NOT cause issues for me. Meaning it is seated i to rifling as you describe but dosent give the hard bolt or extract issues.

Another aspect is my concerns to others. I try not to have situations that might cause others issues should I not be around to explain. Mortality is a constant consern that way.

Cw

[gpidaho]

cwlongshot: Totally agree. I should have mentioned that I no longer hunt. Shooting paper off the bench is what I do these days. Gp

[Dragonheart]

As others have problems and concerns with the Noe nose sizing bushings I'm going to say some of the folks I have very much respect for and value the opinions of don't care for the idea of nose sizing. I'm going to post my opinion. I powder coat 95% of my rifle bullets and likely use a softer alloy than some. By adding the girth of the powder coat some of my moulds (bore riders) throw a bullet with to fat a nose to chamber freely. I usually seat my bullets hard into the lands and as snug to the bore as practical. In this situation I believe the bullet will swage nicely in the bore regardless of the nickel on a quarter problem mentioned by Dragonheart. Just my opinion and it seems to work for me. Gp

A bore rider design may indeed benefit from nose sizing if used to fit the nose to the barrel lands. Even if the bullets remains non- concentric as there will be swagging done by the barrel because the nose is riding on the lands and the bands are providing the seal. However, forcing a bullet into the lands is not a good practice due to over pressure. When a powder charge ignites the pressure spikes, even a .003" bullet jump to the lands allows an immediately pressure release.

[gpidaho]

If I were shooting jacketed bullets at near maximum charges I would indeed seat the bullet a few thousands back from the lands. Using a relatively soft alloy and a very rare load at +1,800 fps It is my belief there is very little danger in seating into the lands. Just my practice, not recommending it to all. Run your test, chronograph when possible (I use a LabRadar) and stay safe. Gp

[cwlongshot]

If I were shooting jacketed bullets at near maximum charges I would indeed seat the bullet a few thousands back from the lands. Using a relatively soft alloy and a very rare load at +1,800 fps It is my belief there is very little danger in seating into the lands. Just my practice, not recommending it to all. Run your test, chronograph when possible (I use a LabRadar) and stay safe. Gp

Agreed 100% and almost forty years doing this is my rationale. There is good reason cast and jacketed data is different.

CW

[cwlongshot]

It needs to be nose sized....

Cw