Ideal lube sizer or Lee sizing dies. Total noob

[Dadswickedammo]

Hey fellas new to casting. Got a hold of some molds a but load of lead.
I have the opportunity to buy an old ideal lube sizer with about six or so new dies three tubes lube and some gas checks $90.00
Or
Was thinking the lee press mount dies.
Going to be casting 45 lc , 303 British, 300AAC, and maybe a few others.
Whats your thoughts?
Oh yeah I live in Kaliforinastan and ammo is about to get real pricy.
Have reloaded for years and stocked up on supplys would be nice to cast my own quality boolets.
Thanx

[DougGuy]

I use both RCBS lube-a-matic2 and a lee sizer. They both do different things. You would need a luber unless you want to pan or tumble lube, and the lee sizer makes quick work out of resizing after boolits have sat for a while and some grow as they age harden, and if you get boolits from someone and you want to make sure they are all uniform the lee comes in handy so yeah, as cheap as the lee is? I would get both.

[Soundguy]

I can't find a cheap lube sizer, so as mentioned I pan or tumble lube and use the lee sizers, they work perfectly, set gas checks, and are cheap.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If you are talking about the old Ideal #1 lube-sizer, like the ones in the photo below. The are not very robust and can't take much abuse. I use them to size 22 cal boolits. If you are sizing large boolits, especially if they are a hard alloy, I'd highly recommend a stronger press



http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/bothSizers1_zps55d1816f.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/bothSizers1_zps55d1816f.jpg.html)

[1bluehorse]

I thought if you shot a cast lead boolit anywhere in Kalifornication you'd go to prison....[smilie=1:

Maybe check into one of the "coatings" out there, from what I've read guys are having pretty good results with it. For "most" handgun rounds the Lee sizers with a good tumble type lube would probably work fine. Not sure about the rifle rounds.

[Soundguy]

I size my 35 REM and gas check them, after pan lubing, all on the same sizer that does my 38/357 pistol boolets.

Just a cheap 27$ push thru lee size die

[gwpercle]

The absolute best money I ever spent on anything related to reloading was for a brand new Lyman 450 lube-sizer. Drop in a stick of lube and one cycle of the handle produced a lubricated , sized boolit with a seated and crimp on gas check(if needed). Stack it in a box and you are done.
If you can't afford a new one, keep searching E-Bay until one comes along.
For now, to get started , get the Lee sizer and tumble lube with alox, or pan lube them . After you see if you will get more into casting you can up grade.
The Lyman lube sizer is really just a faster way to do it, not any better than any other method.
I cast for every gun I own....being the master of your own boolit supply is the only way to do it.
I wouldn't get that old Ideal sizer.....get something a little newer so getting sizing dies and replacement parts wont be a problem.
Gary

[Wayne Smith]

Brand new Lyman is now the 4500, the 450 is the old one, or may be. If it is a 450 jump on it.

[g17]

I do both, Lee for my TL bullets and Lyman #45 for the others.

[John Boy]

Works for me and much cheaper than the Lyman lube sizer with H&I dies ... Lee
I pan lube and size with the Lee. Works perfectly also setting gas checks - no extra die needed

[Mk42gunner]

Any lubrisizer is going to be better than pain lubing.

With that said, which model of old Lyman is it? Like JonB said, the #1 isn't that strong, and I have never used a 45, but they made the 450 for a long time and they are useable. MAybe not as strong as an RCBS Lubamatic, but they are useable.

For $90 you are basically buying three and a half H&I dies and getting the rest free. I'd go for it.

Robert

[AZ Pete]

45's are very nice lube sizers too. I've used one since buying it new in 1967. Be sure to clean all of the old lube out of the sizer, if it has been sitting in it for many years, it gets hard and may break something.


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[Soundguy]

Any lubrisizer is going to be better than pain lubing.

Robert

I dont think that is a fact, but rather an opinion.

If (insert device/method ) makes a properly lubed,sized, and if needed GC boolit, its fine.

Everything else is chrome, racing stripes, and go-faster wash.

[RogerDat]

I dont think that is a fact, but rather an opinion.

If (insert device/method ) makes a properly lubed,sized, and if needed GC boolit, its fine.

Everything else is chrome, racing stripes, and go-faster wash.

But pan lubing has to rate as a royal PITA sandwich. I can find reasons one might want to pan lube but I have to figure the time factor would have to be a non-factor first. Like a special bullet that was needing something "more different" in an attempt to make it perform well. And one that did not need a pressed on gas check.

You can purchase 4 calibers of Lee push through sizers for pretty close to $80 Tumble lube with 45/45/10 is relatively cheap, easy, and fast. Powder coat handles most things that the tumble lube won't and you can use the Lee sizing dies for that. They work for applying gas checks.

A good lube sizer is a useful and valuable piece of equipment. There are required accessories to make it useful for different bullet profiles and calibers. Each of those will run you close to the price of the Lee sizer for a given caliber. Lee pushes the flat bottom of the bullet to drive the bullet through the sizer nose first some lube sizers push the nose to run the bullet though base first, thus require a shaped nose punche to match the bullet being lubricated at an additional cost. You are paying for a high end piece of equipment that does that job very well.

Melting lube in a pan and using a tube of the right size to "cookie cutter" the bullets out once the lube hardens with lube in the bullet grooves is not very fast and is a cook lube, allow to harden with bullets, cut or eject the bullets, repeat. And you still need a sizer! PC or tumble lube should bump pan lube to a distant third place for inexpensive lube options. But if one has a lube sizer I could see pan lube a small number to test before cleaning out the reservoir in the lube machine and switching lubes. Or if one only needs like 20 bullets for a deer season I guess pan lube might make sense.

I will say this is just my opinion and not by any means holy writ, typed on keyboard, not written on stone tablets.

[Soundguy]

If the time factor were an issue, I wouldn't be reloading, casting, powder coating, or any other related hobby that takes longer than sliding a credit card and walking with a box of ammo.

Its a hands on hobby... We touch every piece, each step... MAKE the projectile, hand charge, to the grain-kernel sometimes.

I know some guys think reloading I writing a bug check, loading hoppers of cases, powder, projectiles and primers, and then flipping a switch... But I ain't one of them.

When I ring the long range gongs, or can keep the spinners going till the gun is dry, or drop some meat in its tracks... I set back and think... That started out as lead that I alloyed up, cast, etc, etc, with my finger prints on each piece, at every step. I got to inspect each projectile, look at lube, hand prime cases for feel, and hand charge, each one the same.... Cook my own lube, modify it as I need, not just buy a stick and chunk it in a tube... That's handloading....

[Chris C]

Amen to that, Soundguy, Amen to that.

[Dadswickedammo]

Well y'all are grate!!
Thank you!!
Pulled the trigger getting the lube sizer and some lee push throughs.
So now comes getting my lead right.
Thanks all for the info this is awesome! !

[Soundguy]

There are many paths to truth. ;)

Have fun on your journey.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Well y'all are grate!!
Thank you!!
Pulled the trigger getting the lube sizer and some lee push throughs.
So now comes getting my lead right.
Thanks all for the info this is awesome! !

Good news.
So, fill us in, what model lubesizer is it ?

[robg]

I'm with sound guy ,nothing better than shooting your own boolits loads into nice groups or hitting what you aim at.it's also relaxing while your hand loading or casting.

[Eddie Southgate]

I been using an Ideal #1 for 50+ years and it ain't broke a time . I size anything from .224 through .575 Minnie Balls with lots of .44,.45 , and 320 gr .457 for 45-70 without a hitch. Guess I just been lucky.

Eddie

[Tom W.]

I know the mystique of handloading and making your own lube and all of the satisfaction from small groups and deceased animals from things that used to be on truck and car wheels. However, I found that I couldn't match the lubes from White Label Lubes. And I'm neither ashamed to admit it nor am I going to try to make my own anymore. I'll just order a few sticks when I need more.

As for lubrisizers, I have the LAM II and several Lee push through sizers. I did have some trouble with one of my .30 cal boolits not wanting to seat a gas check, but after contacting Lee they sent me a die that wasn't drilled all the way through and in the nose configuration of the mold. I had to use as another step in seating the checks. It takes a bit more time, but this is a hobby, not a job.

If you want to tumble lube, there are many different recipes for suitable lubes. I prefer straight JPW.

[MT Chambers]

1. Star
2. RCBS
3.Lyman
4. Something you whipped up out of an old pipe nipple
5.Lee

[BrassMagnet]

But pan lubing has to rate as a royal PITA sandwich. I can find reasons one might want to pan lube but I have to figure the time factor would have to be a non-factor first. Like a special bullet that was needing something "more different" in an attempt to make it perform well. And one that did not need a pressed on gas check.

You can purchase 4 calibers of Lee push through sizers for pretty close to $80 Tumble lube with 45/45/10 is relatively cheap, easy, and fast. Powder coat handles most things that the tumble lube won't and you can use the Lee sizing dies for that. They work for applying gas checks.

A good lube sizer is a useful and valuable piece of equipment. There are required accessories to make it useful for different bullet profiles and calibers. Each of those will run you close to the price of the Lee sizer for a given caliber. Lee pushes the flat bottom of the bullet to drive the bullet through the sizer nose first some lube sizers push the nose to run the bullet though base first, thus require a shaped nose punche to match the bullet being lubricated at an additional cost. You are paying for a high end piece of equipment that does that job very well.

Melting lube in a pan and using a tube of the right size to "cookie cutter" the bullets out once the lube hardens with lube in the bullet grooves is not very fast and is a cook lube, allow to harden with bullets, cut or eject the bullets, repeat. And you still need a sizer! PC or tumble lube should bump pan lube to a distant third place for inexpensive lube options. But if one has a lube sizer I could see pan lube a small number to test before cleaning out the reservoir in the lube machine and switching lubes. Or if one only needs like 20 bullets for a deer season I guess pan lube might make sense.

I will say this is just my opinion and not by any means holy writ, typed on keyboard, not written on stone tablets.

I would call this a very good description. I would suggest the niche pan lubing fills is as a companion tool to go with a Lee Loader or a Lyman 310 hand tool if you are going mobile and space/weight are a big issue. Think buffalo hunters or survivalists preparing to bug out on foot with what fits in a back pack.

[Dadswickedammo]

It is oldddd it's the ones in the pix. Selling the 44 cal gas checks and three of the dies that gets me the lube sizer one .309 sizer die. Bunch I top punches 1k 30cal gas checks four tubes I lube for free. So for $6.00 ordered a ceramic heater going to mount it on a aluminium plate with a potentiometer to control heat. So gonna cast some .309s and give her hell if I really like doing It (think I will) then I start buy-in the good stuff.
Thanx

[RogerDat]

I'm not all about cranking them out, on the other hand I do want my time to be somewhat productive. Heck I ladle cast so I take a "speed hit" right there. I like to go for a balanced approach. Some pistol rounds are just for plinking while some rifle rounds are intended to be top drawer. Some auto loaders are a cross between the two, want a good supply of decent quality. I invest my time accordingly.

Putting Lee sizers a notch below something you whipped up with a pipe nipple is harsh. I notice a distinct improvement in accuracy with bullets fed through a Lee sizer. Of course some machinist can whip up a NASA space ship if you left them an assortment of plumbing parts.

[Ola]

4. Something you whipped up out of an old pipe nipple

That must be Redding. I have never used any other lubesizer but I have hard time believing the other presses would produce better quality.

(I really need to use the other brands at some point. All you guys seem to love RCBS or Lyman but I can't understand WHY. The speed of the Star, that I can understand)

[Soundguy]

Putting Lee sizers a notch below something you whipped up with a pipe nipple is harsh. I notice a distinct improvement in accuracy with bullets fed through a Lee sizer. .

I must agree. while the lee sizer is not a modern marvel, it does do at least one thing. when you push a bunch of lead slugs thru it.. they are uniform in diameter when they come out. That for sure, counts for something.

[MT Chambers]

That must be Redding. I have never used any other lubesizer but I have hard time believing the other presses would produce better quality.

(I really need to use the other brands at some point. All you guys seem to love RCBS or Lyman but I can't understand WHY. The speed of the Star, that I can understand)
Ola la: The Star is fastest and sizes nose first for best concentricity, the Lee is not in contention because it does not lube, like the others.

[Dadswickedammo]

So it's an old ideal has may-31 92 stamped on the handle has all the original parts just boiled it out all looks good.
Thank you for all the good info. Can't wait to shoot my first cast boolet

[Eddie Southgate]

So it's an old ideal has may-31 92 stamped on the handle has all the original parts just boiled it out all looks good.
Thank you for all the good info. Can't wait to shoot my first cast boolet

Congratulations ! Those old # 1's are my favorite .

Eddie
i

[RogerDat]

Pan lube, dip lube in melted stick lube or dip lube in alox, tumble lube, and PC are all lubes that one can use with Lee push through sizer. Lee is different in that it does not apply the lube and size in one operation the way those that use stick wax and pressure to feed the lube grooves.

[nitro-express]

Any lubrisizer is going to be better than pain lubing.

With that said, which model of old Lyman is it? Like JonB said, the #1 isn't that strong, and I have never used a 45, but they made the 450 for a long time and they are useable. MAybe not as strong as an RCBS Lubamatic, but they are useable.

For $90 you are basically buying three and a half H&I dies and getting the rest free. I'd go for it.

Robert

I started back into cast only a few years ago. The 45 has very little mechanical advantage and isn't very strong. Shortly after starting I traded the 45 for a 450, along with a few old H&I dies. The 450 morphed into the 4500, with several handle linkage changes. IMHO the latest version is the way to go, I have 2. Make sure you get the one with the heater. You have to start somewhere, buy the 90 $ deal, probably start you off, unless you do a lot of gas checks, they are handle benders for sure, especially with old style sizers.

[robg]

Use Lee push through sizers but I've lubed by hand just worked the lube till it softened then smeared it around the boolits with fingers ,it was in a warm room before I had a sizer of the right size ,funnily I found it quite therapeutic