lee sizing kit?

[saz]

I am looking for some advice....... I am fairly new to casting, and I started by casting my own blackpowder projectiles- RB's and minnies for my 58. I want to get into casting for my .44 Mag. I have aquired some lee 310's in the past from a friend and they shot VERY well. However, my question is about sizing and lubing. I dont shoot pistols that much, and dropping a ton of cash on a RCBS, Starr, Lyman etc., seems like a very big investment to start especially if I dont enjoy the pistol side of casting. My question is has anyone used the Lee sizing kit? Is it really that much of a pain to pan lube then run through the sizer if im not doing that many at a time, say 100-200 bullets at a time? I do enjoy shooting my pistol but I may only burn up 50-100 rounds a month if im lucky- I shoot WAY more blackpowder than that. Any advice will be greatly appretiated!!!!! Thank you.

[dromia]

Firstly do the boolits you will be making need to be resized for your firearm?

Most don't so check that first. If you don't then you can just pan lube and shoot without having to bother resizing. Or you can just get some liquid alox from White Label Lubes, loads cheaper than the Lee offering and use that to tumble or dip lube a la Ranch Dog.

If you do need to resize then the push through type that Lee offer work very well, I'd check out Buckshot here on these boards as he makes fine sizing dies.

[Bret4207]

I started of hand lubing, then played with pan lubing and dipping. Then I got a RCBS and 2 Lymans. The I tried that cheap, hunka junk Lee because so many guys gere said they worked good. News flash- They work GREAT!!!! I only wish they'd had them back in 1987 because I'd have been a much happier camper back then. The Lee system does a better job sizing, IMO, than any traditional sizer, put the GC's on just as straight and securely and is at least a couple times faster than the traditional rigs.

The sticky point is the lube. Some guys use Mule Snot (Lee Liquid Alox) and have a mega disaster. Others, like me, find it works in many guns up to the 14-1600 fps rangem maybe even higher. In other guns it's a total failure. LAR45 (link at the bottom of the page) sells a liquid lube that reportedly works well and other guys use Johnsons Paste Wax. Read around here a bit and see what your options are. I wouldn't hesitate to try the Lee system though. The dies can easily be opened to a larger size if you need it.

[Silicon Wolverine]

i rarely need to size pistol projectiles in my casting. they dropa round 355-356 and shoot just fine out of several 9mm pistols i own. i use all Lee alox lube with good results up to about 1500 FPS. after that leading becomes a MAJOR issue with alox. rifle bullets i use paste wax for the most part except for my 45-70-500 loads i use a combination of alox and beeswax melted in a pan over a heater to lube with.

SW

[mooman76]

Yes, like others said you may not even have to size but if you do it's easier to size using lees than others. Lubing may be a little more. I did the tumble lube and still do at times. It's not that bad just something you have to give yourself some time because of drying.

[RugerSP101]

I am looking for some advice....... I am fairly new to casting, and I started by casting my own blackpowder projectiles- RB's and minnies for my 58. I want to get into casting for my .44 Mag. I have aquired some lee 310's in the past from a friend and they shot VERY well. However, my question is about sizing and lubing. I dont shoot pistols that much, and dropping a ton of cash on a RCBS, Starr, Lyman etc., seems like a very big investment to start especially if I dont enjoy the pistol side of casting. My question is has anyone used the Lee sizing kit? Is it really that much of a pain to pan lube then run through the sizer if im not doing that many at a time, say 100-200 bullets at a time? I do enjoy shooting my pistol but I may only burn up 50-100 rounds a month if im lucky- I shoot WAY more blackpowder than that. Any advice will be greatly appretiated!!!!! Thank you.
I got my Lee Sizer kit and used it today.
The wife saw me doing it and wanted to try it out with the bullets we have cast so far. She was getting addicted pretty quickly so it looks like she'll steal the job next batch too.
I lubed them earlier today and let them dry then we went ahead and sized them.
I have a hand press so I guess it should have been more difficult, but its works great for us so far. We're using it upside down though, setting the bullets in nose down in the sizer hole then pushing them through as normal.

http://pix.web77.org/albums/userpics/10001/sizer1.JPG
http://pix.web77.org/albums/userpics/10001/sizer2.JPG

[RugerSP101]

Also, we lubed the bullets by using a ziplock sandwich bag. Just toss in 75-100 bullets or so and a bit of the LLA, ziplock the baggie and roll them around in the goop till theyre all coated lightly. worked like a charm. :)

We sized a few hundred bullets in no time

[cajun shooter]

SAZ, Just remember that you can not use the Lee Alox for bullets that are to be fired in BP cartridges. You will have a big tar ball that does not clean very well. You can pan lube with the correct lube then use a Lee sizer die to the correct diameter. The Lee dies have a very narrow sizing ring in comparision to the other methods of sizing and that's why I chose to not use them. I think the other styles( I use Star) will produce a more concentric bullet. For just blasting some dirt bank they will do. You will not see any serious target shooters using anything that Lee makes in the casting area.

[mooman76]

[QUOTE=RugerSP101;551798]I got my Lee Sizer kit and used it today.
The wife saw me doing it and wanted to try it out with the bullets we have cast so far. She was getting addicted pretty quickly so it looks like she'll steal the job next batch too.
I lubed them earlier today and let them dry then we went ahead and sized them.
I have a hand press so I guess it should have been more difficult, but its works great for us so far. We're using it upside down though, setting the bullets in nose down in the sizer hole then pushing them through as normal.

I tried to talk the wife into sizing for me saying it was a good way to exersize but she didn't buy that!

[saz]

SAZ, Just remember that you can not use the Lee Alox for bullets that are to be fired in BP cartridges. You will have a big tar ball that does not clean very well. You can pan lube with the correct lube then use a Lee sizer die to the correct diameter. The Lee dies have a very narrow sizing ring in comparision to the other methods of sizing and that's why I chose to not use them. I think the other styles( I use Star) will produce a more concentric bullet. For just blasting some dirt bank they will do. You will not see any serious target shooters using anything that Lee makes in the casting area.

Thanks for the heads up on the Alox- I have heard the oppisite from a few people. I have been using bore butter (all of the blackpowder shooting I do is with a muzzleloader) with pretty good results, but I am gonna try the nasa lube from bullshop when I get home. I have heard nothing but good things about it- I am not looking for extreme accuracy out of my .44 mag. It goes with me EVERY time I go hunting- again with muzzleloaders. I have been charged once by a frisky blackie, and only having one shot for defense just doesnt make sense to me. My .44 is a 4 5/8" SBH, so the farthest I may use it is about 50 yds.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Saz, Hullo, 1st let me thank you for your service to our country. Semper Fi.

The lee sizer will do anything most of us need. It works just fine. If your SBH is like most, it wants a over-sized boolit to shoot it's best , so I would check the as cast Lee before I ran out and bought a sizer, shoot a few rounds and see what you get for accuracy. There are a host of variables that can affect this.

You might consider checking the cylinder throats and the bore to determine what size you really need for your boolit. Say .002 over bore size works for me in the Rugers. I think Lee goes up to .431 in size, I use .432 or as cast depending on the weapon. If you need larger than .431 try BuckShot , he posts here on the forum and can help with a larger sizer if needed.

[TAWILDCATT]

#1 its not pan lube that is a different proceedure.
#2 the old molds were made to produce over sized bullets the new molds are made to Tighter specs.:coffee:[smilie=1:

[Ranch Dog]

saz and others... I posted this for my mold customers. It gives an idea of the time involved with a few tips...

Dipping Alox (http://ranchdogmolds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=99)