Lee Sizer, Lube first then size?????

[rbertalotto]

How are folks using the Lee sizer dies.

I'm talking pan lube, not tumble lube here.

Do you lube first and then size, forcing the lube tightly into the grooves?

Or do you size "raw" boolits and then lube?

Or do you do both, making it a two step process?

[MBTcustom]

I find that trying to size unlubed boolits is a loser. However, any small sniff of lube on your boolits will do the trick. If you want clean lead boolits for paperpatching or something, one trick is to get some mink oil and just keep your fingers lubed a little, and kind of wipe it on them as you place them on the ram, then put them in a plastic dish and shoot some dish-washing soap in there with some hot water, and roll 'em around and rinse 'em off. Another idea I just had while writing this reply, is to lube them with the dish-washing soap and then just rinse.
That being said, if you are trying to tumble lube your boolits, just use 45/45/10 before and after and be done with it.
Good luck!!!!

[rintinglen]

Lube then size. It makes the sizing easier, compacts the lube in the groves, and the lube, being a liquid and hence non compressible, supports the boolit lube grooves, keeping them closer to full size and allowing for more lube on the boolit when you shoot it.

[zomby woof]

Are you using a GC? I made the "bootleg case lube", it's Lanolin and IPA. I give them a light spray, add GC (or not), size then pan lube.

[357shooter]

Do you have to size? Sizing after pan lubing makes a mess of things, at least it did for me. So I would suggest pan lube & not size (assuming it works in your case).

Or, spray some WD-40 or case lube in the Lee sizing die, size the bullets & then pan lube.

Every so often spray a little more lube into the die, to prevent leading.


The one other alternative that comes to mind is to spray the bullets lightly, size and then pan lube them. I use WD-40, but end up tumble lubing. Which coats the base of the bullet, so any residue never contacts the powder. Don't know if it matters much, but it might with the WD-40. Spraying with case lube (like Hornady) won't cause any problems at all.

[Irascible]

If I'm going to tumble lube or lube in a lubrisizer, I lube the bullets with Imperial Sizing Die Wax to size. If I'm going to pan lube, I do that first.

[Ben]

rbertalotto :

This link might be worth your time if you're planning
on pan lubing and using a Lee sizing die :

Thanks,
Ben


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=34058

[williamwaco]

If I am going to tumble lube, I do not lube before sizing. This results in the necessity of re-lubing. Shooting bullets that were tumbled, then sized, then loaded will turn your barrel into a sewer pipe in about ten rounds.

I have read that sizing unlubed bullets will lead up your sizing die. In my experience this is simply not true. I have pushed around 30,000 through my .356 die It is completely clean and produces bright shiney bullets exactly the same size - to the tenth - as when it was brand new.

I have tried the WD-40 and the Imperial sizing wax. I prefer the Imperial but rarely use it.

It IS true that sizing unlubed bullets requires slightly more force but I am totally unsympathetic to that complaint, I am over 70 years old and I don't find that a problem.

[XWrench3]

when i pan lube, i size afterwards. i am not so sure it it packs the lube into the grooves or not, but it sure makes it a lot cleaner for storing them. one side note, as you size them, lube will end up on the nose and the bottom of the boolits. i wipe this of with paper towels. the base is imperative, or the powder will foul. the lube on the nose will only make a mess out of your seater die.

[HARRYMPOPE]

my experience matches williamwaco.

hmp

[6.5 mike]

If I'm pan lubing I lube first then size. Making cores for pp'ed I'll roll the boolits on my old case lube pad if I'm not taking them down much, if I am reducing them alot use imperial wax & wipe off. Works for me. :popcorn:

[popper]

Just got a 309 sizer to place hornady GC's on Lazercast .309 170 FP CB's. Noticed a lot of copper shavings coming out of the top of the die. Is this normal? Cleaned the die before using, noticed some scoring on the driving bans after sizing. Tumble lubed with 50/50 before and after sizing.

[Char-Gar]

I use nose first press mounted sizing either Lee or another make. I am talking rifle here. I put the gas check on the shank and size the bullet before lubing. Sometimes I may have to put a little lube on the first bullet or two, but after that there is no problem.I use my RCBS A2 press. There no damage or lead left in the die.

I then lube the bullets in one of three Lyman 450 machines.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I don't pan lube.

once in a while I will Dip Lube with a beeswax based lube.
I size after the dip lubing.
if the sizing die is cool enough, I peel off the excess lube off inbetween each boolit,
it's like removing a O-ring.
Jon

[bruce drake]

If I'm going to tumble lube or lube in a lubrisizer, I lube the bullets with Imperial Sizing Die Wax to size. If I'm going to pan lube, I do that first.

Ditto when I want to resize my .323 LEE boolits down to .314 to fit one of my Arisakas. The Lube works well but I only do it because I love shooting that Arisaka and I haven't bought a custom mold for it yet that drops to .314 to start.

After sizing to .314, I usually then run them through my Lyman 45 to get a full coat of BAC 50/50 Lube in the grooves.

Bruce

[G. Blessing]

when i pan lube, i size afterwards. i am not so sure it it packs the lube into the grooves or not, but it sure makes it a lot cleaner for storing them. one side note, as you size them, lube will end up on the nose and the bottom of the boolits. i wipe this of with paper towels. the base is imperative, or the powder will foul. the lube on the nose will only make a mess out of your seater die.

Ditto. Pan lube then size. I doubt it forces lube into the grooves, bu its great for cleaning the excess off of the bullet-- It leaves a ring of lube in the die that is deposited around the nose oft the next one in line, to be wiped off after. The wiping is a bit messy with a soft/tacky lube but liveable.

When I LLA tumble lube, I size them dry then lube. If I lube first then size, I end up with bare bands, and IMO TL needs it on the bands. If I TL, size, then TL again, the lube gets too thick on the noses and then collects dirt easier in loading. So, dry size then TL. No die leading so far.

G.

[jandbn]

If sizing before pan lubing and want to use something that isn't 'bad' for you, you like clean hands, and you have left-over lanolin from making lube such as Felix, it has been suggested by members to spray on 1 part lanolin diluted with 10 parts (90%+) alcohol. The alcohol evaporates quickly and there isn't any sticky/greasy. I sprayed a couple water dropped .453'ish slugs purchased elsewhere that I had on hand and ran them through a new .452 Lee push-through to what they would measure after sizing (after sizing measured .4522). The slugs went through like butter.

It has also been mentioned doing the same with Lee Case Lube. From Lee's website: Non-sticky, non-allergenic, and can be thinned with water.

[mjr350]

I place a hand full of non sized bullets on the RCBS case lube pad with RCBS case lube and roll around to give them a light coat just like you do with cases before you full length size.

I put a hand full of gas checks on the bench with the cup up and place the bullets into the gas checks so I have a whole row of bullets with the gas checks mounted ready to go through the Lee sizer die. This saves trying to place a gas check on every time you size a bullet.

I then pan lube with NRA 50/50 (Now Ill be using Ben's Kake Cutter method instead of the old push out method) and load up.

I don't get any leading in the die at all with the RCBS case lube

[Bulletlube]

For my .45 colts I have to size some to .454 and others .452 I lube and size them all .454 and use a Lee sizer to size any that need to be .452 after.