Star Die Hole Spacing

[wtfooptimax200]

Pardon my ignorance, but it is my understanding that if I have 2 bullets that I want sized with the exact same size, but different lube groove spacing or number of grooves, then I will need 2 dies. Is this true? Is there any way around this, as I don't want to buy multiple dies of the same size to account for this.

Thanks,
Branden

[MT Chambers]

You shouldn't need 2 dies for this, as long as the Star die has enough holes for the one with the most grooves or in the case of Loverin bullets, the distance from top of holes to bottom of bottom hole is enough. The normal distance between a set of holes is .125" I believe.

[HeavyMetal]

Yep!
Multiple holes allow for different boolit/ lube groove spacing.

You will need to.plug holes you don't use in the die and, maybe, have to switch
plugged holes for each boolit design.
You use lead shot for plugs and size and lube in specific lots.

[cbrick]

Should be no need of two dies of the same diameter. While I don't have any Loverin design boolits with 70+ molds I haven't found any combination of lube grooves that can't be correctly lubed. Magma will sell dies with one row of holes if you tell them you have a one lube groove boolit but I always order dies with three rows of holes and plug the un-needed holes. That way if in the future I get a new mold with more or different lube grooves I can still use the same die by plugging un-needed holes.

Rick

[6bg6ga]

Only people like me buy a die for each bullet and have a different die in each machine.

There are some that will disagree with me about this but I am telling only my personal opinion so no rants when I get done, ok? I like to be able to simply remove a die and install a different one without the need to either plug a hole or drill out the shot that is plugging a hole. Like I said this is just my opinion and what works the best for me. Some here will disagree with me and they are entitled to their opinion just as much as I am to mine. I have a die for 3) 45acp bullets with two lube grooves and a die for a 230gr round nose bullet with one groove. Generally one die is in the Magma and the other die in the Ballisti-cast Mark VI. I also have dies for 9mm, 40cal, 357, and 380 just to name a few. I have dies specific to the bullets they size.

There is a lot more money in doing it the way I do. There is however a trade off for me and that is time. The ten or 15 minutes required for me to pull the die and remove or add shot takes time. I can do a die change if needed in just a few minutes. Punch setup is taken care of by the already made pieces of dowel rod that are cut to the correct lengths. A change over for me is a matter of removing the die, installing the different die, dropping in my dowel rod with a piece of flat plate over the top of it and bringing the ram down. The dowel piece is now flush with the top of the die and all that is left is to adjust the punch up or down so that it just touches the top of the bullet when it is in its futhermost down position and then lock it down.

[cbrick]

6bg6ga, one of the truly great things about this hobby, pursuit, passion or whatever it is to you is that if you are getting the results you want doing it your way you are doing it exactly right for you. There are probably as many ways of doing things as there are people doing it.

No one is is saying "this is the way it's done" period. These posts offer suggesstions on how the poster does a particular thing, how successful it is and why. If that suggestion sounds better, different, cheaper, faster or whatever as opposed to how the reader is either doing it or would like to learn how to do then they will probably try it. Or not. As it should be.

Your post is exactly the same, it's offering your method & why. Don't sound so defensive, if your happy your doing it right for you. As it should be.

Rick

[dragonrider]

Like 6bg6ga I have a die and a punch for each boolit, I make them myself. It makes a Star the easiest fastest, cleanest machine to use for sizing/lubing. Also no adjusting or measuring of punches, screw it in and start lubing, always perfectly set. Die and punch changes take about 1.5 minutes or less. Yes it costs more for those who don't have the equipment and skills but it will pay for itself in time saved and boolits made. Contact Lathesmith on this forum and have him make your dies and punches.