Sizing ?

[roysha]

Before someone rips me a new one, I have read so much about this process my eyeballs are spinning but I haven't found anything specific about when to size the bullet. Before PC or after? I have read what seems to be, the sizing being done either way, but can't seem to find anything definitive, one way or the other.

I'm trying to decide if I want to jump in, mainly for rifle use. But before I do, I want to make sure I understand as much about the process as possible. This question is really the only thing left that has me a bit confused.

[Pine Baron]

I've had the best luck with AFTER PC, Lee "push up" sizer, on pistol boolits.

[GRUMPA]

I do it before and after. As I hope we all know most moulds don't produce perfectly round boolits. I round them up generally .001 under the size I want, then after PC I size to the size I want which would be .001 larger than the first sizing I did prior.

Keeps things more consistent that way...

[earthling121757]

On any forum with more than one member, you probably won't find a consensus on anything. Me, I size after only on boolits with out a GC. On checked boolits I size and install the check, then size again after coating. Just try it each way and see which you prefer and if it makes any difference in YOUR guns...

[fredj338]

I size after. The bullets are slicker & you don't want anything on the naked lead bullet when PCing.

[chutesnreloads]

Size after also....however with newest mold I'm seeing some PC scraped off along edge of gas check.Will try shooting these before continuing this process with this boolit

[Gremlin460]

When using PC I size after the coating, when I use HiTek I size between the 2 coats . I only shoot pistol not rifle.
I size to 358 for all the casts and store them at 358. If I load for my 92fs I resize the last coat to 358, just makes it a bit slicker, if I load for the wifes 1911 I size to 356 for her.

Sizing raw uncoated casts "burnish" the lead somewhat and close the "pores" that either PC or HiTek coatings use to get a firm bond to the lead. In the old days when using grease as lube this did not matter as the ancient lube had a grove or groves all of its own to contain it.
If you had a sheet of glass and acid etch one half, then PC coat the sheet, the un-etched side would release the coating easier. Same principle applies to cast lead or sized lead.