New to Lubrisizers. Couple of questions.

[milrifle]

I just got a Lyman 4500 and tried it out for the first time last night. I am unclear on how often you need to tighten the pressure piston. Do you screw it down to pressurize the system and you're good to go for a few rounds or do you give it a little nudge on each round? Does it matter what position the ram is in when you tighten? For instance, should you only tighten when the bullet is fully bottomed out in the die?

The other thing is the depth adjustment. Is this normally not real critical, or did I just luck up? I'm sizing .30 caliber bullets and got lube into the top groove on first try without it getting up onto the bore riding section. Beginner's luck or pretty common?

[C.F.Plinker]

You might need to listen to the boolit. My 45 ACP with two lube grooves shoots best with just one lubed. On that one I can pressurize the system with the plunger in the top position and lube 3 boolits. You have to keep pressure on the boolit all the time so lube doesn't work under the base. Other single groove boolits take so much lube that I need to run the boolit down, apply a little pressure, then raise the boolit.

You may have lucked out on the adjustment screw. You want it so that all of the grooves you want to lube get down below the lube holes in the die but where the base doesn't line up with a hole. It is easier to squirt lube under the base (which you don't want to do) if it is lined up with a hole.

[milrifle]

Thanks. That explains something else. I am getting some lube on the base. I thought I had just given it too much pressure and it had oozed into the wrong place. I will make some adjustments and see if I can get that corrected.

I was able to do maybe 3-4-5 bullets before it wasn't filling the groove good, but then I got to wondering if I should have been giving each one a little 'shot'.

[Mk42gunner]

You have asked a couple of questions where the only correct response I can think of is: it depends.

On my LAM I had to fiddle with the depth adjustment when I first set it up; but once set it doesn't take a lot (if any) adjusting for different boolits. My vote is you got lucky the first time.

As to adding pressure to the lube reservoir; I like to add it when the boolit is inside the die. Depending on the boolit and its lube capacity I may add more each boolit, maybe every third one. On thing about the in and out lubers-- you get a chance ot inspect them for lube before they get buried in the pile. I think temperture and type of lube makes a difference also.

It usually helps to keep a bit of down pressure on the press handle to keep lube from getting under the boolit.

Robert

[Mike W1]

Ditto on Mk42gunner. I always add a slight amount of pressure while in the die. On my RCBS I have to have the depth adjustment as far up as it'll go for the .45 I've been sizing lately. There's also a thread somewhere on putting a piece of styrofoam on the moving part of the die. I haven't found it necessary thus far but also agree it probably depends on what lube you're using as well as temperature and pressure. I assume your 4500 has a ratchet on the pressure adjusting assembly. If not there's a way to adapt one inexpensively on the RCBS units.

[dromia]

A little nudge each time with the pressure. I like to have just enough pressure to lube or almost lube the boolit, I put the boolit through the die and have pressure enough to just fill the grooves, I then rotate the boolit a bit and size and lube again it fills out the grooves nicely and helps with concentricty. Another step but then I'm not in a race.

Too much pressure on the lube can led to all sorts of problems.

[milrifle]

Thanks guys!

[largom]

I also give each boolit a little nudge on the pressure, 1/16 turn or less. This assures that the grooves are filled to their bottom.

Larry