Lee Size and lube???

[mechdriver]

I'm new to casting and right now I only have a couple of molds. Both are of the tumble lube variety.
My question is. What are the advantages to somthing like a lyman 4500 as opposed to the lee size/lube sets? Am I trying to compare apples to oranges?

Thanks,
Mechdriver

[dubber123]

I'm new to casting and right now I only have a couple of molds. Both are of the tumble lube variety.
My question is. What are the advantages to somthing like a lyman 4500 as opposed to the lee size/lube sets? Am I trying to compare apples to oranges?

Thanks,
Mechdriver

The Lee is basically just a die that threads into your press, like a reloading die. It just sizes. The lubers like the Lyman 4500 mentioned is a whole press unit that takes it's own dies in varying diameters, to size and apply lube under pressure. The Lee set up requires lubing via a seperate method, Lee liquid Alox, pan lubing, hand lubing etc.

[Junior1942]

Soon after I discovered Lee sizing dies and Lee Liquid Alox, I removed my Lyman 450 from my loading bench.

[lovedogs]

I've always used Lyman and Saeco lubers and have never even seen one of the Lee units so still don't know how they work. They're sure reasonably priced. I understand they size bullets and then they bullets go up into that reservoir; I can see that in the pictures in their ads. Is there something you put on your presses ram to push the bullets through? Is that container/reservoir on top just to collect the sized bullets? Or can you dump Lee Lube in there to tumble lube them? Or do you then tumble them after sizing? Or do you lube before sizing? I'd appreciate a short treatise on these things.

[Black Wolf]

1. Something to push bullets through with Lee sizer? Yes, there's a metal dowel that slips into the bullet case holder on the press - it comes with Lee sizing dies. Just put the dowel in place, put the bullet on top, and lower the ram and it goes up into the sizing die.

2. Device on top of die. Yes, it is designed to capture the bullets as you push them up through the die. A really fast process actually.

3. I would absolutely not put Lee Alox in my plastic container that catches the bullets. Just use a plastic bowl, like whip cream comes in. Put a little (very little) bit of Lee Alox in the dish and swish the bullets around until they are all coated. It takes about 30 seconds.

4. Tumble lube before sizing and after sizing? Both, before sizing so that the bullets slide through die easily (and crimps gas check in place). Afterwards because the die swags the bullet and removes some of the lube as it goes through the die. I believe that is documented in the instructions that come with the Lee sizing dies.

You can mix the Lee Alox with mineral spirits to thin it a bit. Stuff lasts forever.

[lovedogs]

Thanks for the answers to my questions. Don't mean to seem ignorant but I've never seen one of these sizers and was wondering how they worked. Goes to show that many of us with quite a bit of experience don't know everything so we should have patience with our fellow loaders. The only dumb question is the one we don't ask.

[Black Wolf]

Thanks for the answers to my questions. Don't mean to seem ignorant but I've never seen one of these sizers and was wondering how they worked. Goes to show that many of us with quite a bit of experience don't know everything so we should have patience with our fellow loaders. The only dumb question is the one we don't ask.

No problem. It wasn't only a few months back I asked many questions about casting boolits too.

[Single Shot]

I removed my Saeco lubrisizer from my bench too. Only used it for standard lube bullets I was selling on Traitor Bay. Used LLA for my own stuff.

LLA is great stuff.

Here is Ranch Dogs' article complete with pictures. It is about two thirds down this page.http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=24619&page=2

[454PB]

The Lee sizing system is ingenious and inexpensive. I don't see why it couldn't be used exclusively if desired, however, it is slow and messy compared to something like a Star sizer. If you were wanting to size and lube a couple of thousand boolits a week, I think the Lee system would get old in a hurry.

I use them all....Lee, Lyman 450, and Star. Each has it's merits. In my experience, the Lee sizers tend to size a touch smaller than they are marked, but they can be easily opened up if desired.

[mooman76]

I use both Lee and Lyman 450. I like them both and they both are good according to your wants or needs. I use the 450 mostly for rifle and the Lee for pistol although I don't size pistol too much any more, I just shoot as cast. One couldgo totally with either system they want. Lee will custom make you a sizer for about $30 and recently Lee startes making sizers for smaller caliber rifles so they are inexpensive to use also. I have been leaning toward JPW lately instead of LLA. Still a little messy but doesn't look as bad when finished and isn't as sticky when done. The LLA was getting all over my reload dies. It appears the JPW works as well but I haven't used it enough to make a full deturmination. Plus I can p/u JPW locally at the grocery store.

[The Dove]

I've got a Lee sizer and Lube kit ordered. I'll let you know what I think about it in a week or so.

The Dove

[Ghugly]

If I'm doing a bunch of pistol boolits (and I pretty much only do a bunch of pistol boolits), I'll coat about a fourth of them with LLA. I do just fine pushing one coated boolit followed by three uncoated boolits. When they're all sized, I give them all a coat of LLA. Not a speck of leading and it cuts down a little of the mess. I also thin the hell out of it with mineral spirits. LLA stinks and it's messy, but it sure works well for me.

[Tom W.]

If it's a tumble lube boolit that you're casting, you won't need a sizer. I can be shot as cast. You will need to lube it first...

[Limey]

Lee sizing dies are great if you are only casting/shooting for smokeless.....


....but if you are shooting BP you need a different lube and lubing method rather than LLA and tumble lubing.....


...I use the Lee kit for all my smokeless reloading and currently I have to use my Lee kit (it's all I have and can afford at the moment) in conjunction with pan lubing (very messy,...... effective....but very messy and slow)....for all my BP bullet lubing.....loaded rounds need a lot of cleaning up after loading and the reloading dies get very messy as well.....

I've written to Lee and asked them to make a Lyman 4500 lubrisizer equivalent but naturally, cheaper and more efficient!!!!....have'nt heard back from them yet!!!

Safe shooting and reloading


Limey