Which sizer

[fishboy747]

If you were to choose which lube sizer to get which would you choose. How much
do you use yours and pro's and con's. Thanks

[Defcon-One]

*1st post here!*

I have just joined this site and am waiting to see the responses here. I am not a beginner. I have been casting on and off for 30+ years, however, I am just recently getting back into it after a long break. (Many years, due to family, work, etc. taking up all of my time!)

My recent research indicates that the Magma Star Sizer is the way to go. It has pass thru sizing, which means that you only handle the bullet once, straight thru the die and into a container, and the lube pump design gets lube into the grooves without any issue of lubing bullet noses or bevel bases. (I love bevel based bullets, so this really matters to me.) These units appear to give you much better control of where the lube goes and when. Other units seem to leave it under pressure without a valve to meter it. The bullet/die plunger act as the valve and a beveled base will always get lubed in that design.

I think that sizing nose first is better since it replicates the way a bullet will be running through the barrel, nose first. Why not size the same direction? Also, there is no need to buy a top punch for every different caliber and nose shape. A couple will do and they are flat on the bottom to keep the bullets square in the die.

[No_1]

I have to agree with the previous poster. No need to get a top punch which matches the bullet profile is a super bonus. I have 5 top punches and they handle the whole range of bullets I lube.

[lathesmith]

A simple rule of thumb: if you are feeding a progressive or even a Lee turret loader, the Star and up is the best and most cost effective. If you just load a few rounds a year with a single stage setup you would probably be happy with a lower cost Lee or Lyman or RCBS setup.

lathesmith

[Walter Laich]

Got a Lyman 45 from my Dad and through the years it's now a 4500. Did some trading and such, Lyman even swapped out the 450 body for a 4500 one. Didn't get the heater hole but I can live without it.
Do have to admit it's not the fastest horse in the race but mine is paid for and works.

[dragonrider]

I started out pan lubing and using Lee push thru sizers, I think everyone does, moved on to a lyman and then a Star. Every boolit I cast gets sized in the Star, rifle, handgun, every single one. The Star learning curve can be vexing but worth it.

[Cowboy T]

A simple rule of thumb: if you are feeding a progressive or even a Lee turret loader, the Star and up is the best and most cost effective. If you just load a few rounds a year with a single stage setup you would probably be happy with a lower cost Lee or Lyman or RCBS setup.

I must disagree here. I have sized well over 10,000 boolits in my nearly year and a half of casting with Lee's setups. I use the following diameter sizing dies:

.356"
.358"
.430"
.452"

Of them, the .358" gets by far the most use, since that's what I shoot the most of. I can easily size 500 boolits in an hour with this setup. Tumble-lubing 1,000 boolits takes me less than 5 minutes of work. The whole kit, including the little single-stage press I use with it, is about $50 including shipping, with no top punches needed (nose-first sizing).

Here's the Lee sizer setup in action, if you'd like to see it. The specific video series is the fifth one, "Sizing and Tumble-Lubing Cast Bullets."

http://www.sanfranciscoliberalwithagun.com/lead.html

- T

[captaint]

I started out tumble lubin like many here. Then I got a Star. It works really well and is fast. Get your dies from Lathesmith. He does great work and is great to deal with. enjoy Mike

[casterofboolits]

If you plan on doing large quantities of boolits, the Magma Star is the way to go. I have three.

[btroj]

I have a Lyman. Have had it for over 20 years. About 3 years ago I got a Star. Don't use the Lyman much any more other than for long 30 cal rifle bullets. If I got a special die with lube holes in the right spot to handle those I would never use the Lyman.
The Lee can handle a volume of bullets too. But it limits you to either tumble lube, pan lube, or smearing it on with fingers. The Lee is a SIZER. It is not a UBE/SIZER. Big difference. If Lee tumble lube is all you will ever want to use then go with the Lee.

Ultimately YOU have to decide what you need. What are your expectations? What cartridges are you loading for? How many bullets per year? What lube do you want to use? What is your budget?

I looked at all of these issues and the Star won hands down.

Brad

[1Shirt]

Have 2 RCBS and 2 Lyman, and will pick up another one or two when and if the price is right with the hope of dedicating each to a specific cal. Can't argue with any of the previous threads, as they are all right for the individuals that posted them. IF I were a serious hand gunner, and shot a few thousand rounds thru an auto, there is no doubt that I would have a star! However, I piddle around with so many different blts of various cals, that I can't justify a star, and my set up works just fine. I have the time to just piddle around with what I do, and realize that time saving is a big factor to many.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[lathesmith]

I must disagree here. I have sized well over 10,000 boolits in my nearly year and a half of casting with Lee's setups.
I can easily size 500 boolits in an hour with this setup. Tumble-lubing 1,000 boolits takes me less than 5 minutes of work.

Yes, if you like tumble lubed slugs only, if your guns shoot them without leading (all of my revolvers I have ever tried them in HATE tumble lube, they lead like crazy), and if you dont mind a coating of lube on the nose, and if you really can lube and size 500 an hour (I sure cant), then the Lee setup may be for you.

I was only stating my preference that covered ALL styles of cast bullets, and not just being restricted to tumble lubed ones.

As you can see, there is lots of different preferences here, and really no right or wrong ones, it all just depends on your usage and what is important to you.

lathesmith

[snowshooze]

Possibly you guys could elaborate a bit further..

A star is faster and cleaner??? I have RCBS, I never thought to improve this part of my operation.
Do dies interchange?

Thanks!
Mark

[btroj]

The Star does not use the same dies as any other sizer.
The Star is faster because you only handle the bullet once. They go in the top and fall out the bottom. I have a bin below the sizer that catches the sized and lubed bullets. With the Lyman or RCBS you put the bullet in go down,come up, remove bullet with hands. More steps for 1 slug.

Brad

[bobthenailer]

Just my 2 cents ! ive been casting bullets for 45 years and have been shooting around 10,000 + a year for the past 25 years . ive owened and sold 2 lymans , 1rcbs and 2 saecos . i bought my first star in the 1980s the second in the early 1990s. and would not go back to the other lube/sizers.
They leave nothing to be desired in speed of production or accuracy with cast bullets in pistol as well as rifles .

[snowshooze]

Thanks for the replies!Ok...
I am learning fast here, I found the Magma site, it is quite a piece of equipment. and priced accordingly. That does not rule it out at all.
Now I see an old Star, on ebay.. do they work the same? Pass through and lube delivered directly to grooves? I happen to like the old gear, so a antique doesn't do anything but make me happier..
Thanks again!
Mark

[btroj]

Far as I know the old Star works same as the new. Mine is a new one. I really like it.
Only down side is that there is a bit of a learning curve to get the adjustments of the punch, heat, and pressure right. Get that figured out and it blows away the other sizers.

Brad

[miestro_jerry]

I have an orginal Star sizer, been using it for many years. It work extreme well and is rather fast. I have several sets of dies and make my own synthetic lubes.

In all of my molds I have several Ranch Dog molds and they produce bullets that are best tumble lubed. I do use the Lee sizer, but I use XLox with this method.

In the past, I had an RCBS, it worked well, but it was slow compared to the Star. After 10 years or so, my RCBS luberSizer needs some repairs. So I fixed it, then bought the Star.

Jerry

[snowshooze]

Great!
Thanks again..
Does anyone know if the dies interchange between the vintage Star and the current production Magma?
Brad, is heat necessary?
Again, thanks!
Mark

[dragonrider]

Yest they do,
Heat depends on the lube you are using.

[snowshooze]

Thanks Paul;
Ok, the trusty RCBS now on the ol' Ebay chopping block. I am surprised what they bring...can't remember what I gave for it.
I will be in the market for dies pretty darned quick.
Thanks again!!!
Mark

[btroj]

Yep, the lube determines the temp at which it will flow, not the sizer. Depends on ambient temperature too! I use a little heat to get my Carnuba Red flowing. Too much and I get a mess.

Brad

[HATCH]

I was given a lyman 45.
It works great. But for me my time alone (without the 2 kids and wife bugging me) is priceless.
So I needed something that worked faster (more efficiently).
I bought a Star.
Best money I ever spent.
Yes, like anything there is the initial learning curve on setup.
I reload 4 different calibers (9x18,38sp,41mag,45acp).
So I ordered 4 new punches and lock nuts (nuts with set screws) from Lathesmith.
Once I have the Star setup in a caliber, I put a lock nut on the top punch.
When I change dies, I change top punches
Each Caliber has its own punch so switchover is easy.
I just put the top punch in a bag with the matching die.

Now, I did put a air cylinder on my setup and currently working on a PID controller for my Lyman universal heater.

I can see if you size different boolits (of the same caliber) wanting a lyman or rcbs sizer.
I can't size and lube swc's (358477) and then switch to WC's on the star without swapping dies since I have some holes blocked on the die .

[snowshooze]

Will the Star handle gas checks?
I am just shooting my hard alloys as of now, but should I want to do gas checks, with the push through style, I am thinking I would have to do something else to get that gas check on there...
Thanks again! You guys are a lot of help!!!
Mark

[btroj]

A star does checks well. Pushed them in square before they get crimped.

Brad

[Omnivore]

I don't have a Star, but I've used the Lee to install gas checks, and it's a nose-first, once-through system also. It worked well seating and crimping gas checks, but I could imagine if the bullet isn't being sized down much, the small force required to push the bullet through the die might not be enough to square up the check nicely. Anyone have issues with that? How about using as-cast diameter bullets with gas checks? I don't see that working well with a push-through sizer, but I haven't tried it.

[snowshooze]

Well..
I have come to the conclusion that it is not worth shopping the ebay market as the Star sizers are fetching around $175 right now, so I will probably go with a new purchase unless one of you fellows are letting one go.
Thanks again for all the help!
Mark

[snowshooze]

OMG...
The video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCtLi8i7tMg
Star in action. I could not believe it.
Thanks guys, this is outstanding.
Mark

[dragonrider]

Gas checks on a Star are a thing of beauty. However installing checks on any press be it Lee, Lyman, RCBS, or Star the most important factor is how flat and square the base of the boolit is. The better it is the better the installed check will be.

[snowshooze]

Awww.. gee...this makes me sick.
A bullet feeder too..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8NdY15RstE

[Short-Sighted]

Well thank you for all the debate on the subject, I have also got to the stage where I have to invest in new Lube/Sizing equipment. I want to get more out of my boolits the my Lee equipment can provide, I don’t load .22 RF, I don’t size .310 Cadet, I paper patch my MH .577/.450, but I want to drive my .303 British faster! I think the video of the Magma "Star" Boolit sizer was great, but they don’t sell them in the UK, they do sell Lyman 4500 & RCBS Lube-A-Matic 2! It’s a shame everything costs 50% more here, than in the USA.

[mack1]

I finally have my new star up and running and wow is it a fine addition. I almost regret the money I spent on my 4500 and sizers for it but I would not appreciate the star as much if I had it first. Now Lathesmith will keep me in the poorhouse with all the new sizer dies I now need. My vote is to skip the other sizers and go for the star but I am still learning so there may be something better I do not know of.

[snowshooze]

I have my RCBS on ebay, but figured it will be a bit before I can buy my Magma Star, so I figured I best size up the pile of cast bullets I have on hand.
I was just dying. After watching how fast that guy was going with the Star, I nearly threw in the towel and just quit. But after about a half hour.. I had all 300 bullets done. It nearly killed me.

[HATCH]

This should really show you the reason why you want a star.

Pan Lube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_vYYoArHtE

Typical non-star sizer (forget the non-english speaking instructions, watch the sizer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzVc4-NPUds

Now for a star (copied first link from above)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCtLi8i7tMg