Trouble Sizing/Lubing/GC'ing Lee 309-170-F

[ultramag]

I've been trying to get set-up to size, lube, and GC some Lee 309-170-F's for a few days now and am having some troubles. These are cast pretty soft for rifle boolits probably and I think that could be at least part of my troubles? They are cast from range scrap, which is all I have on hand, but I wanted to give them a try. I also don't have a proper top punch, but am using a bolt ground flat in it's place and my problem is not deforming the tip. I tried a Lyman 402 TP as it is cross referenced for a Lee 309-150-F on the Lee TP chart on CastPics. It left a ring around the tip of my boolits.

My main issue is that the boolits are sizing more on one side of the boolit enough to get into the crimp groove. It's going to be enough to cause accuracy problems I would think. Work is being done on a Lyman 45. It seems to be very tight still for it's age and I don't see any issues with it being true. It is a fairly new lubesizer to me but I have used it before and noted no similar issues.

My Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook references using a #465 TP for the Lee 309-150-F but has no info for the 170 grain version. Is this likely an issue with not having a proper TP? I think it must be, at least in part, because the boolits sized using the 402 TP are sized concentric and did not get into the crimp groove or bore riding portion of the boolit. Anyone using the #465 TP on the Lee 309-170-F or getting away with a flat TP?

I'm sizing to .310 and this is just barely uniforming the boolits as cast. Basically trueing up and uniforming while lubing and GC'ing as they drop .3105 at the most.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

[MT Chambers]

If you can't get the right top punch, make your own by making an indentation of the bullet in an oversize top punch filled with somewhat stiff epoxy, let it harden and viola.....make the indentation when the bullet is well centered and well down into the sizing die for perfect alignment. Of course the other suggestion and the very best method is to use a Star sizer/luber and size nose first, seat the GC square, and lube, all in one pull of the handle.

[ShooterAZ]

I use a Lyman #8 top punch with the previously mentioned epoxy treatment. If you ever need to remove it or change it... a few seconds under a propane torch and it will come right off. Get the 5 minute epoxy...works great. You also might want to harden the alloy some.

[Boolseye]

You can try a Lee .309 push through sizer and pan or tumble lube them. Your alloy will be fine up to 1600 fps or so.
You can harden w/ CO wheel weights and water drop them for higher velocities. That bullet shoots great in my 300 blackout, but it looks like basically a 30-30 design.