Lee boolit sizing dies

[Joel Chavez]

Have any of you guys used them and how affective are they? Are they worth buying or should I invest in Lyman 4500 for $104 at Cabela's? I'll be resizing 38/357 and 45ACP stuff only. Thanks for all the input. Hope it warm and dry where you are. Here, it's getting colder by the hour.:(

[txbirdman]

I use both. I use the Lee pushthroughs mostly for rifle. I feel that the bullet has less chance of being deformed in this type die. Only problem is that you must use Lee Liquid Alox or pan/hand lube with the pushthroughs. I'm not a big fan of LLA and hand lubing is pretty messy so I mostly pan lube. For handguns I stick with the RCBS lubrisizer for most applications. I think there's a poster who goes by "goatlips" that has a step by step procedure of pan lubing (pictures and all) on his website.

[rmb721]

Look for a used Lyman or RCBS luber-sizer. You should be able to get one for $50 to $60. You can buy used sizing dies and top punches too.

[versifier]

I have been using them for, well, since they first came out. I use them for both handgun and rifle boolits with LLA (about 1000rds/month in the summer) and love the system. If you need a size that Lee doesn't make, Buckshot does and will make you a better quality die for less than Lee's custom prices. I don't feel that there is any reason for you not to give one a try first and see what you think. And they seat gas checks. They're not at all expensive, and if you don't like them, post them on Swapping & Selling. There are different ways to apply LLA, and there are other tumble lubes that work well, too.

[Char-Gar]

I am a mega fan of nose first push through sizing and the Lee does as good a job as any. I use the Lee dies, a clone made by Buckshot and RCBS/Lyman dies held in the reloading press by a gizmo also made by Buckshot.

I probably can't convince anybody that doesn't want to be convinced, but I am certain this is a better way to size rifle bullets.

I don't use LLA or pan lube. I remove the die from the press and lube in a trio of Lyman 450 machines.

Yes, this adds an extra step to the process, but it is worth the time and effort

[454PB]

As with most things Lee makes, there are always more expensive, faster, and better built ways to do things. However I use a few of their push through dies and they work as advertised. The LLA works, but has some disadvantages. The worst problem is the tendency to build up in the seating die, which can be prevented by cleaning it frequently or cleaning the LLA off the boolit nose before sizing.

[budman46]

who is this buckshot y'all refer to? is there a web-site for me to look at?

[VTDW]

Here is the info on BuckShot but be forwarned that his prices are so good and his work of such quality that you may become addicted.:-D

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?find=lastposter&t=3051

[Scrounger]

who is this buckshot y'all refer to? is there a web-site for me to look at?

Here is a picture of Buckshot; don't know who the dude on the left is....

[brimic]

The lee push through sizers work good.
Look on ebay for a used lubrisizer- I got a used Lyman 450 there for about $65 delivered last year.

[Ranch Dog]

The Lee Lube & Size kits are all I use and I chunk out about 10,000 boolits a year through my Marlin's.

[buck1]

I mostly use my RCBS & Saeco rigs but, I have the LEE push through and it works well but I use my own lube. I smear it in the groves and the boolits come out looking/ shooting just like they do from my luber/sizers.

[KCSO]

For my target loads i lube in an old Lyman 45 and then size in a Lee push through. A little more work but NO deformed bullets.

[Bear Claw]

Lee & Buckshot get my vote as well

[Norton]

I use them for my boolits with Alox/beewax but you can use heated lubes with the cake cutter method. Melt Red Rooster or whatever you like in a fruit cake tin set the boolits in the lube up to the lube rings. When they cool take them out by pushing a a slightly larger brass case down over top the boolit and pop it loose. Then run them thru your LEE sizer. It is slow and messy but if you have the time it works. That is why I joined this board, so I can learn how to use a real lube sizer and do it like the rest of you guys. But I do believe they are a good product and they do not deform your nose. They do not work on tumble lube boolits in my opinion. That is my experience with them.

[Scrounger]

Over the years I have owned at least half a dozen RCBS and SAECO lube-sizers. And every time I sell them and go back to the LEE because it is easier (OK, I'm lazy) and quicker. Theinning the Alox with mineral spirits cuts down the mess alot. Sprinkling the lubed bullets with baby powder helps a lot, too. And if you pan lube and run them through the LEE, it is as "clean" as a lubsizer and still not labor intensive. If you're running a large amount of pistol bullets out every week (I'm talking hundreds here), the Star sizer is the best choice. For no more rifle bullets than you'd normally use in a week, the LEE would work nicely. I wonder how many here shoot 200 bullets or more a week?

[tomf52]

Joel - I use both the Lee and the Lyman tools and am presently leaning more towards the Lee. Faster and easier. Don't have to tumble lube first as they say. Throw the bullets in a margarine tub and spray with Hornady One Shot Case Lube . Let dry a few minutes and they go right through the sizer with no trouble. Then either LLA or pan lube or whatever. Eliminates handling of messy bullets when sizing.

[Joel Chavez]

Thanks guys. I'll give the Lee's sizers a shot. Hope its warm and dry where you are.:-D

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Joel,

It's a nice balmy 68 degrees here with a nice warm breeze blowing here near Athens , GA. Hope things warm up for you soon.

Regards,

Dave

[wills]

who is this buckshot y'all refer to? is there a web-site for me to look at?

http://www.castpics.net/buckshot/buckshot.jpg
Buckshot is the one with thumbs, who can operate machine tools.

[versifier]

Thanks guys. I'll give the Lee's sizers a shot. Hope its warm and dry where you are.:-D

Hell, Joel, if I wanted it warm and dry I wouldn't live in New England. :-D It would take all the fun out of skiing and ice fishing. [smilie=1: If it weren't for winter, I'd never get caught up on my loading.

[hiram]

It was too difficult to size a 45-70 bullet in the Lyman 450. Lee sizer/press set up is fine. I pan lubed the bullets.

[lovedogs]

I'm always interested in learning something new. I've used Lyman Luber/Sizers in the past and am using a Saeco now, but have never seen a Lee or understood how they work. By looking at the pictures in the catalogs I can't really tell how they work. Would anyone want to take the time to explain how they work? I've tried tumble lubing before and thought it quite messy. Using the Lee luber/sizer does it still leave lube all over the bases and noses of the bullets? Will they fill the grooves with lube like a Lyman or Saeco? How does it seat the GC's?

[Sundogg1911]

I think A Lyman works well. I like my Star better, but I have to admit i've never used the Lee. I tried the Liquid ear wax once, but I just ended up making a complete mess out on my reloading bench, and I'm pretty sure I was swearing a lot. I swore to never uses that stuff again. I know people that love it, but it turned my bench into a sticky mess

[Buckshot]

..................Lovedogs:

I'm always interested in learning something new. I've used Lyman Luber/Sizers in the past and am using a Saeco now, but have never seen a Lee or understood how they work. By looking at the pictures in the catalogs I can't really tell how they work. Would anyone want to take the time to explain how they work?

....................They are simply a steel cylinder with a hole through it. You have a taper leading to a constriction and the boolit is simply swaged to the spec'd diameter. A pushrod fitted to the 'T' slot in the press's ram does the pushing. The boolit goes through nose first, so it tends to center itself. A much more accurate means of sizing.

I've tried tumble lubing before and thought it quite messy.

...................I thin the TL 50% with paint thinner. I tumble them in a sealed plastic food container. Put in some boolits, sqeeze in some TL, seal and rotate the container. When coated, spread a piece of waxed paper and pour'em out onto the paper. I then use the lip of the container to help spread them out so they're not piled up. Next day, lift up an edge of the waxed paper so the boolit's roll down then dump them into a suitable container.

Using the Lee luber/sizer does it still leave lube all over the bases and noses of the bullets?

................It will leave lube where ever it doesn't touch.

Will they fill the grooves with lube like a Lyman or Saeco?

...............Nope, but it will leave the lube there and due to the swaging it will tend to deposit more lube into the grooves as the slug passes through the die. Unless the TL was applied really thick it usually doesn't fill the LG's.

How does it seat the GC's?

.................Assuming the GC shank of the boolit isn't oversized, the pushrood pushes against the GC as it forces the slug through the die. The taper and minor ID that sizes the slug closes or crimps the GC in place. If the GC isn't fully seated and there is minimal effort in the sizng operation it's possible the GC won't be fully seated, or seated straight.

....................Buckshot

[lovedogs]

Thanks, Buckshot. Appreciate your description. Now I know!