Lyman 450-Need Input

[alamogunr]

I've gone for many years without sizing and lubing. I mostly cast for my handguns but have been acquiring molds for my milsurps. I'm now casting rifle boolets for the first time. The mold is the NOE 411299. Plan to use these in a Springfield 1903 A3

Question centers around a Lyman 450 I bought used and now have set up on my bench. Since all I've done is push boolets thru the Lee sizer, I wasn't sure how to use the L450. I'm not even sure that the 450 is complete. So far I'm just eyeballing how far to push the boolet into the die. Occasionally, I go too far and get luibe on the nose ahead of the top drive band.. Is this really an eyeball operation?

Also, I'm getting lube squeeze out around the ejector pin at the bottom. Is this normal?

I don't have instructions so I'm not even sure that I have it set up correctly. I have to say that the boolets look good coming out.

[C.F.Plinker]

Here's the instruction book.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/pdf/LyC_BC_LS_4500.pdf

The boolit needs to go in just far enough to size all of the bands. Your leaking at the bottom is most likely due to too much pressure. What lube are you using and what is the temperature of your loading area? Some lubes need to have the lubersizer heated a little especially when they are in a cool or cold area. There are plenty of threads about that.

[Freischütz]

Fig 24 in the manual shows where to adjust the bullet's depth in the sizing die.

[alamogunr]

Thanks for the replies. I should have looked these things up but I seem to be easily frustrated lately.

The instructions answered my questions. I'm using the NRA Alox/Beeswax lube. All my shooting is at an outdoor range and a little smoke is of no consequence to me. I definitely don't need a heater. This stuff is soft enough that it tends to deform as I stuff it into the sizer reservoir.

Too much pressure is not the problem. I only put about an eighth of a turn on the pressure screw when I see that the grooves are not filled. The leakage is not enough to be a problem. I just thought that it might be something I overlooked.

I just finished sizing and lubing 50 boolets to load tomorrow or Monday.

Thanks again.

[GP100man]

As it warms up I switch to a firmer lube as 50/50 gets very runny in my neck of the woods in summer !!

Start with the boolit hi in the die & adjust down keepin firm pressure on the handle to keep lube from squirting under the base . I try to keep just enuff pressure on the lube to fill 2 boolits then gve the pressure screw a nudge.

Question , does the boolit emerge from the die with rub marks on the bands !!
What`s the dia. of the die /boolit ??? when there a little undersized it just aggrevates the "messy" lubes. It helps alot when the boolit bands help seal the bore of the H&I die !!

For most of my needs I run the nut underneath the stop bolt but for shorter boolits ya can move it on top. Sometimes 1/16 of a turn can save alot of hair pullin/head scratchin which ever may apply !!

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx110/GP100man/102_0392.jpg

[afish4570]

Here's the instruction book.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/pdf/LyC_BC_LS_4500.pdf

The boolit needs to go in just far enough to size all of the bands. Your leaking at the bottom is most likely due to too much pressure. What lube are you using and what is the temperature of your loading area? Some lubes need to have the lubersizer heated a little especially when they are in a cool or cold area. There are plenty of threads about that.

I stripped the screw that applies pressure to the lube in my old 450 using a cordless drilll.....learned my lesson and just will use the little Lyman ratchet tool... I bought the kit from Lyman and noticed that it included a nylon bushing stop which mine never had so I didn't put it in when I reassembled it. First to remove all the old lube I put it in a restaurant sized pickle can (5 qts. or so) filled with water. Then I took by propane fired Harbor Fr. brush burner and boiled the lube out in 10 min. or so. Came out clean and quick too.... When I reassembled I put a stick of Lars 2500 lube in and can't seem to get my Lee 175 gr. .401 bullet for my 40 S&W lubed properly. When I take the pressure off the handle I have gotten lube under the bullet but despite all my adjustments none in the grease grooves......Any suggestions.....Never had this problem before and I've lubed alot of rifle and pistol boolits over the last 40 plus. years.:|:|afish4570

[C.F.Plinker]

Put a 60 watt bulb close to the 450 for a while and see if the 2500 lube will flow better if it is warmed up a little. Another way to see if the lube is flowing is to take the center plunger out of the die and crank the handle a little to see if lube comes into the center opening. If it does the lube is flowing and the lube holes in the die are not plugged and you should be able to lube the boolit by adjusting the die so the holes in the die line up with the lube grooves. If the lube doesn't come to the center of the die, take the die out and see of the holes are plugged with dried out lube.

[GP100man]

Ya may have to do as the Star sizer users do , remove the die & measure the holes to the lube groove then to the top of the boolit to get it all lined up .

It still sounds as if ya got to much pressure ???

Back off the pressure ,insert the boolit then add a little pressure, see where the lube starts from , that may give some indications of what needs to be done !

Either way pressure or not it sounds as if the base is lining up with a lube hole .

[afish4570]

Used the wrong top punch. Checking my notes after pull what little hair I have left out and discovered in misread my reloading notes...I had a RCBS 595 where I had always used the 565 punch. Works great with the 565 punch even though the correct punch is a Lyman 43....this lee 6 cav. mold is a 175 gr FP 401 dia for 40 S & W. Good notes and double checking everything prevails....Admitting my own fault.afish4570:drinks: