Bullets get stuck in my Lyman 4500, even with lube

[Oliver]

I just purchased a Lyman 4500 Sizer/luber, intending to size cast bullets for my 45-70. I also bought a box of 400-grain .459 cast bullets, and a .458 die, and some Lyman moly lube. I'm a noob at sizing/lubing....

The bullet, even when pre-greased, stick in the sizing die. Hard. I pretty much have to pound it out, the regular bullet-remover mechanism will not generate enough force. I checked the bullets with a micrometer, they are just about .459-.460. I've tried axle grease, some lanolin based lube, even WD-40. The bullets stay stuck in the die.

Clearly I do no understand something. I've never lubed/sized before. Technically, I haven't yet, either. ;-) Lube is flowing into the die, and anyway the bullets are pre-greased by hand. I've read and re-read the Lyman directions and I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. The various videos on youtube all suggest the bullet more or less pops right out. Hah!

Clue me in, please. Otherwise I'll have to shoot store-bought ammon with (gasp!) smokeless powder. ;-)

[mold maker]

I'd do a really close examination of the sizing die. I've never had a problem with boolits sticking in the die. Sounds like a real rough inner surface in the die.

[rancher1913]

the only time I have ever had a problem with boolits sticking in the sizer was when I tried to "size" to much at once but it sounds like that is not the case for you, you might "mike" the sizer die and see if it might have got mismarked.

[Maven]

As mold maker said, a rough inner surface of the die is one possibility; an undersized die is another

[Walter Laich]

most of the dies will have their diameter on the top of the outer housing. That might show if the wrong die ended up in the package.
I've resized my 45-70 bullets all day in my 4500, very easy. You have a problem somewhere.

keep us posted

[Oliver]

These are good suggestions; thanks.

I have a .452 die as well, so I compared the bore condition to the .458 die; they sure look the same to me. I got to wondering if the size was wrong, etc, or my micrometer was wrong. I measured the little cylinder that goes inside the die; it's about a thou smaller than the stamped number, which make sense, since it is a sliding fit.

Since I have some .452 bullets, from the same vendor, I tried them in the .452 die and they slid thru so easily it was almost shocking. They weren't rattly-loose, but I could push them with my fingers. I mic'd the .452 slider, and also the bullets. They are .452l whereas the other bullet is .459 and I am trying to size it to .458, which doesn't seem like it would be that hard to do.....

At this point my best guess is that these bullets are a hard alloy. They are made by SNS casting; I got them from either Midway or Brownell's; can't remember which. I will get ahold of SNS and see if they have any ideas.

But feel free to jump in if you have any other ideas....

[country gent]

Purchased bullets can be very hard 18-20 bhn at times with some brands. This will affect how hard they size down also. How does the surface ont he ones sized look nice and shiny round and no scrape marks? Is there lead shavings on the top of the die? sharp edges could be a part of the problem and will show as scrape lines around the bullet where the lube holes come thru the die or where the burrs are it on the top. Does the bullet enter and go to the stop easily? and just ejecting it back up and out hard? Look over the bullets and sizer body good. Is the ejector pin cocking and bilding in the die body when at the bottom of the stroke?

[Don Fischer]

I've never bought cast bullet's but had a box around that my son got some years ago. They came lubed and sized. What is the dia of the bullet after it's sized?

[C.F.Plinker]

I've had it happen to me twice with the same die. I found that I needed lube between the die body and the inner cylinder. Take the sizing die out of the sizer, remove the inner cylinder, make sure there is lube in all of the holes in the die body, make sure the cylinder is not binding anywhere in the die body, grease the cylinder and the die body, reassemble. Operate the wrench to make sure that there is fresh lube going into the die. You will feel the increased resistance when this happens. Grease a boolit, insert it into the die and operate the handle. When the handle is down operate the wrench to inject lube into the boolit. Then raise the boolit.

[Ben]

Don't use WD-40, it can actually make a bullet stick.
Grease is much better to " pre - lube " a hard bullet with.

Certainly sounds to me like you have some super hard cast bullets.

[Oliver]

I bought a Lee hardness tester, and they were 21 (?) on the hardness, if I recall.

I also got a Lee sizer gizmo that fits their press, which gives more leverage, and it forces the thru more nicely.....

Sorry to be slow in responding; I get busy sometimes. Thanks for the advice however!

[Tar Heel]

Had the same problem with the 535 Postell bullets. What fixed it was changing lube. These are LARGE bullets with a LOT of bearing surface. My homemade lube of 2:1 Tallow to Beeswax did not have enough lubricity for the bullets in the sizer. I changed to NRA 50/50 lube (from White Label Lube at http://www.lsstuff.com) and that fixed the issue with these large bullets. I have some SPG lube now to try but don't know if it will work too. I suspect it will work just fine.

[Mitch]

I to suspect it is your lube or lack of.and that WD 40 should not be used.i slug barrels with CLP lube.Had the same thing happen when sizing simlar boolits.Try smearing some of the lyman bullet lube on your boolit befor sizeing it. Make sure you get some lube into the grooves>If your sizing die is not set right it will not get lube into the grooves.If this is happening the boolit comeing out will not leave lube for the next boolit comeing in.Once you get the cycle going it should be fine.Like said above the big boolits have a lot of bearing surface so getting them going is a bit tuff.As for the Lubes like wd40 or others.thay are made for ferrous metal lead is nonferrous so the same lubes we use for things use for iron or steel will not work very well.if you have some SPG lube try it to prelube your boolits>if you are going to shoot BP you will need something for BP like SPG or some home brew for BP.i use a mix of 6 oz of pure neatsfoot oil.8oz of beeswax and a bar of neutagina face soap original formula.all melted slowly together with a double boiler.measurment is by weight.Now I know this from when I started lube sizeing bigger boolits 500+ gr for 45/70 BP loads.i about took the old 450 right off the bench.

[Oliver]

Thanks! I have some CLP, and I need to slug some barrels anyway.

I used to shoot BP a lot in the 70s and early 80s, then life happened. I'm back now.

[Mitch]

great the BP game is totally new to me.and so are the big 45/70 boolits.The little ones stick to but not near as noticeable.good luck with the Bp shooting.

[Oliver]

Welcome t BP, Mitch. Modern guns are mostly plastic now, and use plastic to make them go Bang! (Nitrocellulose = cellophane = plastic. Its why old film stock is so flammable.....) Real guns are wood and steel, and run on charcoal and concentrated urine. ;-)