Star punch is too long

[oneMOA]

Setting up my new Star sizer with the .459 die to size the Postell bullet for my 45-70. This is a four groove bullet and after lining up the lube holes in the die and plugging the others, and measuring from the base of the boolit positioned in the die, to the top, measured .500. Installed the die into the sizer and found the punch is way too long with the sizer handle all the way down and the lube piston compressed. I'm estimating the punch is about 3/8" too long.

Granted this is a long bullet with the four lube grooves and the die has holes from the top to the bottom of the lube area, with no more room for more holes and still be within the "O" rings. Are these punches intended to be machined to fit by the user? I have a lathe and can do that with no problem, I'm just wondering if I'm missing something here. This is my first Star luber/sizer and it appears the punch is the only adjustment on stroke length. Only lubing three of the four grooves is not an option for me.

[HATCH]

For the most part you don't have to modify the punch but you have a unique 4 groove boolit.
Just modify the punch

[quicksilver]

it might be nice to have a long punch sometime lathesmith would sell you a short one for about 15 bucks. is yours concave or flat?



Setting up my new Star sizer with the .459 die to size the Postell bullet for my 45-70. This is a four groove bullet and after lining up the lube holes in the die and plugging the others, and measuring from the base of the boolit positioned in the die, to the top, measured .500. Installed the die into the sizer and found the punch is way too long with the sizer handle all the way down and the lube piston compressed. I'm estimating the punch is about 3/8" too long.

Granted this is a long bullet with the four lube grooves and the die has holes from the top to the bottom of the lube area, with no more room for more holes and still be within the "O" rings. Are these punches intended to be machined to fit by the user? I have a lathe and can do that with no problem, I'm just wondering if I'm missing something here. This is my first Star luber/sizer and it appears the punch is the only adjustment on stroke length. Only lubing three of the four grooves is not an option for me.

[chloe123]

Were you able to actually lube 3 of the 4 grooves on your die, or had you just approximated the holes side by side to your bullet for purpose of measurement?

I had a somewhat similar issue but different circumstances. Removing part of the bullet feeder assemblage, and, and threading the punch nut from the bottom of the bullet punch, as opposed to the top, allowed me to thread just enough to line up 2 lube grooves with a particular bullet on the Star.

[HATCH]

Got a crazy idea..... Try doing the boolit upside down. Opposite of what you are now doing.
The boolit doesn't always have to be nose down. Just thinking outside the box

[oneMOA]

I have modified the punch by removing about 3/8" from the bottom of the punch. The original profile was flat on the end so an easy cut in the lathe. The punch now works as it should with my long boolit and four lube grooves. Although I don't know why I bothered. This particular boolit will be pan lubed with SPG and then sized in the Star.

[bbqncigars]

Pan lubed??! Why? You can set up the punch for just that boolit (measure distance from face to checkpoint on frame - you choose), and then have perfectly sized/lubed boolits as fast as you can feed them. I do this with my Postells and other boolits. No more pan lubing for me.