Can Lee hand press be used to size cast lead bullet’s ?

[bcraig]

I have a lee hand press and wondering whether it can be used to size cast lead bullet’s
Down ?
Specifically 44 caliber RNFP Hollow point pistol bullet’s.

[Recycled bullet]

I use the lee hand press with the breech lock sizing tool. I hold the press upside down over a plastic container then when I size the bullets I let them fall in after being sized. Harder alloys require more Force obviously, If the force is required is too much clean the sizing die and lubricate the bullets. I do 9 mm 38 357 and gas check bullets for 30 cal.

[Bazoo]

I have used the Lee Handpress to size bullet on occasion. I primarily have used it for 45 bullets, the Lee TL452-230-2R and TL452-230-TC. It was doable and I didn't do huge amounts at once. It was easier than sizing 44 Magnum.

[jmorris]

If you can size a case, you are probably going to be able to size a bullet. Messing with had presses depends a lot on the person.

It’s generally easier if something is mounted, so you can focus on operating it vs orientation of it.

Even mountable presses seem better suited for the job if you invert them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01zbImsdkbg

[GhostHawk]

A I agree with jmorris.

B Lee hand press is my "primary" press. But I have an old lee classic C mounted inverted for sizing.

C Yes the Lee hand press will work. Generally takes less force to size cast than to resize brass.

[Doughty]

This is how I use mine to size bullets. It is bolted to a piece of old bed rails that is in turn bolted to my bench. Removing the two bolts in the handle and its usable as originally intended. It normally has a piece of tubing attached to the bottom of the die that leads to a jar on the floor.

Sorry about the rotated picture.

320133

[Charlie Horse]

I use the lee hand press with the breech lock sizing tool. I hold the press upside down over a plastic container then when I size the bullets I let them fall in after being sized. Harder alloys require more Force obviously, If the force is required is too much clean the sizing die and lubricate the bullets. I do 9 mm 38 357 and gas check bullets for 30 cal.

Whenever I try something like that I inevitably drop an unprocessed whatever into the bucket then I can't find it. Try finding one, unflared 380 case out of a bucket of 500:(.
Or one unsized boolit.

[Lloyd Smale]

If you can size a case, you are probably going to be able to size a bullet. Messing with had presses depends a lot on the person.

It’s generally easier if something is mounted, so you can focus on operating it vs orientation of it.

Even mountable presses seem better suited for the job if you invert them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01zbImsdkbg

i do the same but with the little hand press mounted upside down. found hose the right size that fits over the top of the upside down die that feeds them into a coffee can. works great but they do wear out and get loose or break eventually. im on my third one now but thats many thousand bullets

[mdi]

Yes. BTDT many times. I often size with an old "C" single stage, but sometimes didn't have room on the bench, so I grabbed my hand press. Can get tiresome after a bunch, balancing press and squeezing off center, but very doable...

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have sold several of my hand Presses to guys who were using it specifically for Sizing Boolits. they usually clamp the press to a table top so as not to get all fatigued and such.

Also there is a new video on YouTube by Chris Costas about my Hand Press. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa3S_YqnGh4 Check it out.

Randy

[Mk42gunner]

It doesn't take a lot of force to push a boolit through a Lee sizing die, so I would say that the press will be capable of it. Holding the press while doing it may take some ingenuity on your part though.

I use Lyman's version of a convertible hand press, the Accupress, for bullet sizing (among other things) and it does remarkably well. I do however have mine mounted to a 2x4 that I clamp upside down to a table, with a short piece of clear vinyl tubing running down to a coffee can on the floor.

Robert

[Recycled bullet]

Are there any videos showing resizing 308 Winchester with your hand press? He skipped over that and the video you posted or linked to.

[Lloyd Smale]

only thing that sucks about the hand press mounted upside down is that handle is very uncomfortable when your doing large batches. wish they would redesign it with a round handle

[bcraig]

Thank's to all for the information.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Are there any videos showing resizing 308 Winchester with your hand press? He skipped over that and the video you posted or linked to.

Ultimate Reloader (Gavin Gear) in his first video on my tool was resizing .308 "Machine Gun Brass" in one stroke with my tool. It takes me 3 pushes to do it on my Rock Chucker!! ( In part way, back out , in, out, in all the way, done.)

7.62 Machine Gun Brass has thicker walls and the gun chambers are bigger than a Regular 7.62x51/ .308 cases to enhance extraction and feeding at 10 rounds per second.(600 rounds per minute)

Randy