Lee sizing post scratches

[BrutalAB]

The post for my Lee sizing die is scratches up pretty bad. I noticed it today, no telling how long it's been that way. I then checked my other two posts and one has a single scratch and the other is clean.

I only noticed it because I was inspecting boolits and saw a ring on the bases where the post is not covering the whole base. I don't know if this will affect accuracy, I assume it will.

Is this a common problem? Anyone experience it before? I would attach pictures, But the site is not letting me at the moment.

[JSnover]

Never had that problem. Some wear marks but no real scratches and no issues with the bases. Is it possible you ended up with a pin for a smaller sizing die?

[OS OK]

The post for my Lee sizing die is scratches up pretty bad. I noticed it today, no telling how long it's been that way. I then checked my other two posts and one has a single scratch and the other is clean.

I only noticed it because I was inspecting boolits and saw a ring on the bases where the post is not covering the whole base. I don't know if this will affect accuracy, I assume it will.

Is this a common problem? Anyone experience it before? I would attach pictures, But the site is not letting me at the moment.

Could it be that you have switched the posts? One possibly too small and leaving a ring at the boolit base and the other a bit too snug and scratching on the die?

[BrutalAB]

I've tried doing that on purpose when I misplaced my 357 a while back. Doesn't work. I have a .309 .357 and a .40.

Upon more inspection my post is clearly not round. I have damaged it somehow.

[BrutalAB]

Update:
The press I size with was causing the problems.
The ram and die do not line up exactly. This caused the post to rub one side of the die.

New press and new size kit, no more problems.

[David2011]

Congrats on finding the cause. Kudos for posting it.

[troyboy]

What press,dies and brass. Please elobrate as this will be very benificial.

[ukrifleman]

I find that it pays not to tighten the post into the ram.
That way, the post finds its own centre.
ukrifleman

[jetinteriorguy]

Ok so I'm going to assume that the term 'post' is referring to the die body. I've never in over 30 years of loading heard the term 'post' as part of a sizing die. At least by the description of your problem it sounds like your referring to the die body. The main reason your getting a ring at the bottom of the shell case is because your not setting the die all the way to the shell holder and not sizing the brass as completely as possible. Now, if my interpretation of your use of the term 'post' is incorrect and my assessment of the problem therefore incorrect, please explain to me what the post part of a die is and what it's function is. Never too old to learn something new.

[Taterhead]

Ok so I'm going to assume that the term 'post' is referring to the die body. I've never in over 30 years of loading heard the term 'post' as part of a sizing die. At least by the description of your problem it sounds like your referring to the die body. The main reason your getting a ring at the bottom of the shell case is because your not setting the die all the way to the shell holder and not sizing the brass as completely as possible. Now, if my interpretation of your use of the term 'post' is incorrect and my assessment of the problem therefore incorrect, please explain to me what the post part of a die is and what it's function is. Never too old to learn something new.

"Post"probably means the pusher that pushes bullets into the bullet sizing die. This is not a brass sizing die.

[David2011]

Ok so I'm going to assume that the term 'post' is referring to the die body. I've never in over 30 years of loading heard the term 'post' as part of a sizing die. At least by the description of your problem it sounds like your referring to the die body. The main reason your getting a ring at the bottom of the shell case is because your not setting the die all the way to the shell holder and not sizing the brass as completely as possible. Now, if my interpretation of your use of the term 'post' is incorrect and my assessment of the problem therefore incorrect, please explain to me what the post part of a die is and what it's function is. Never too old to learn something new.

Lee calls it a "bullet punch." It snaps into the ram where a shellholder would normally go and pushes a boolit through the boolit sizing die.
http://leeprecision.com/new-lube-size-kit-.308.html

A little off topic but an alternate use for the bullet punch: I used a Lee .40 bullet punch with a Dillon sizing die for a while to push brass all the way through the sizing die to iron out Glock bulges. It took a LOT of pressure, as in body weight, on the handle of my RCBS JR2 and jolted me pretty hard as the web passed through the tight spot. Fortunately some push-through dies and pushers came on the market shortly after I started doing this and I won a Magma Case Master Jr. at a USPSA match for that purpose. Someone at Magma told me that they used Dillon dies in the CM Jr and diamond honed the die in it to remove the taper that Dillon put in it. That took out the tight spot I hit using the RCBS press.

[jetinteriorguy]

Ok, duh. I knew I was missing something here. Brainfart.

[ShooterAZ]

It probably happened because it was out of alignment. The proper way to align the size die it to screw it in, and insert a boolit on the punch. Raise the punch so the boolit puts some pressure on the die, then tighten the lock ring down.