I spent all weekend lubing cast 45 boolits

[mpbarry1]

I started out making 4 batches of felix lube which i figured is a rite of passage. Then started in on 2100 Mihec HG 58 Boolits with a Lyman 450. My 11 YO helped run the sizer (Love that girl). It just took a really long time. I am wondering if Im making this harder than it is.... should i be tumble lubing these? Buy a Star or Mark VI? (Can't afford those right now.) Or is there a way to speed up the work w the Lyman?

[geargnasher]

Depends on how deep your pockets are, what caliber and gun you're shooting, and how much you shoot. 2100 boolits would take me about 5-6 hours to run through a base-first sizer, assuming a plain-based design. I try to never do more than one full reservoir full (500-800) at one sitting, makes the old hands hurt. I fill my reservoirs completely up with melted Felix lube so I get more boolits than with hollow sticks). But 2100 boolits would last me a couple of years in most of my pistols, so it's really no big deal to me. If I shot more I'd do more tumble-lubing than I do or get a Star, depending on how much money I could spend.

Gear

[btroj]

I am with Gear on this. It takes time, or money, to lube and size 2100 bullets.
How long will it take to shoot those up? If they will last for a few months then why size and lube them all at once? Leave the bullets in a container of some sort and lube 500 or so when you are running low.
I use a Star and can say with certainty that my arm gives out after 1000 or so. This is supposed to be fun, not work.
Unless you are an extremely high volume shooter or are selling the bullets you cast I don't see a point in spending big bucks for automated machines to speed up the process.

[cbrick]

If ordering a new Star isn't in the cards keep an eye out for a used one cause they are out there, watch gun shows and fleabay for example.

I've been accused of being rich (I wish) but the truth is that I have a total of $100.00 invested in two stars so it can be done. Dies are a different matter, I have about 30 Star dies and at todays prices that's a scary thought. In reality though I've been using the Star and collecting dies for well over 25 years so it's just over a die per year.

If you can't find a used one save the penny's till you can get a new one, either way you'll be a happy camper once you get it and you'll not spend an entire weekend lubing 2100 bullets.

Rick

[runfiverun]

i spent the weekend lube sizing and seating gas checks on 30 cal rifle boolits.
using the star isn't a whole lot faster than a single stage to do this with.
it would have made those handgun boolits go by in about 2-3 hours though.
i really hate lubing.
but taking the time to get things square is worth it on target at least in rifles.
i look at those boolits sitting there and want to break out the tumble lube, then remember i have to put gas checks on them still.