how do I size bullet's?

[44minimum]

I don't have a bullet Sizer, but in the Midway may flyer on page seven there is a Lee Lube and Sizer kit. Is that all I need in order to size bullets? It looks like i just get this and screw it into a regular press and you're all set up to size bullets. Is this correct?

[nelson133]

Yup, it is just that easy. Some reccommend lubing bullets before sizing, but I generally don't.

[Bucks Owin]

Yep. I used a .430 Lee with good results until I got a used Lyman 450 lubrisizer....

FWIW,

Dennis

[klausg]

Okay call me stupid or just a rookie, but I'm wondering if I buy the "Lube & Size Kit" from Midway, do I need to get anything else? I understand that it fits onto my reloading press, but does the kit come with whatever attaches to the ram to push the bullets through the die or is that something else I need to buy? Thanks for any info, this looks like a good, cheap stop-gap until I buy bigger stuff.

-SSG Klaus

[Dale53]

SSG Klaus;
The Lee sizer kit is really all you need. However, you need one of them for each bullet size that you size. Frankly, I have to admit that the Lee sizer is a SUPERIOR way to size, not an inferior way as it's price might suggest. You push from the base and you introduce NO distortion.

It IS advisable to lube the bullets before you push through. There is no point in pushing a soft lead bullet through a "dry" hole. Some have gotten away without lubing the bullets before sizing but I suggest that you do lube. There is a variety of spray lube products that work well. You want a product with "great film strength" (STP as opposed to WD 40 as an example). A simple way to lubricate is to simply use Lee's tumble lube before and after.

And, don't think that you have to size all bullets. Some bullets will work well, as cast. Some (most) require sizing. Just measure and use judgement before proceeding.

Dale53

[klausg]

Dale53- Thanks for the quick response & the information. A I have stated before you all are a great bunch of guys and you actually read & post information to this forum; hopefully eventually I'll have enough knowledge to give some of it back. Until then thanks again.

-SSG Klaus

[Poygan]

Few more thoughts on the Lee system. Sometimes I would pan lube the boolits first and then size them. I also have an RCBS LAM II that I use most of the time. I recently cast some .356402s and ran them through the RCBS first with a .358 die. This for me is an easier way to lube them and then I may run them through the Lee at .357, if that is the final size I want. It is an extra step but the Lee sizes more smoothly than any of the RCBS or Lyman dies I have. It also puts lube in the grooves before I start sizing down, and that seems to keep the lube grooves from shrinking down too much. One of the reasons I haven't bought more Lee dies is that I don't want all the plastic cases they come with. If you try and like the system, check out Buckshot's sizing dies.

[Ranch Dog]

SSG...

A picture is worth a thousand words...

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/Tumble%20Lubing/Bench.jpg

I happened be out doing this very task and snapped a few pictures for my home pages. This is the bench set up using the Lube and Size kit. I heat water in a soup bowl and then let my Alox heat for a couple of minutes. When I'm not using it, I keep it sitting in the bowl so it stays hot. I've got the S&L Kit die setup on a Lee C-frame press... a great little press for the task.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/Tumble%20Lubing/TLBoolits.jpg

I use a Glad Salad Bowl to tumble the bullets in. They come in a pack of a half a dozen or so and they are also a great way to store your boolits once the are ready. These bullets need a coat of Alox prior to running them through the Size die. I let a drop of lube hit each bullet, give it a couple of seconds to seep around the Micro-Bands and then swirl them.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/Tumble%20Lubing/LSK01.jpg

The boolit has a gas check set on the shank and it is sitting on the punch waiting to be sent through the die.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/Tumble%20Lubing/Ready.jpg

TLC432-285-RFs ready for two more coats of wax!