Star Lube Sizer?

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Howdy all,

Got a Question about the Star Top Punches , I will be sizing 38 Snakebite Big Lube boolits and 38-55 Big lube boolits, both with BP lube. I know that they take the same Top punch. The question is would it be easier to have 2 mated to the dies with locking nuts so that they stay adjusted for the boolits or is it real easy to adjust the one back and forth? Want to send my order to lathesmith and wanted to ask first.

Thanks,

Sam :D

[870TC]

At first you may find the adjustments a little difficult but after doing it once or twice it becomes easy. I don't even use the nut to hold the punch in place anymore, just leave a little lube on the threads so they are sticky and won't bump out of adjustment.

[cajun shooter]

Sam, You can cover most all of your needs with just two punches unless you are seating GC then you might want a closer fit. Chris will make the punches also and they use a 27tpi I think. I use a caliper to keep my adjustments in line and write them in my book. I have found that a lot of the CAS bullets have the same reading. Chris and I worked together on the design for a big lube die that he makes for the cowboy shooters.

[GabbyM]

Just count the number of threads below the lock nut after you fine tune your adjustment. Write that down an a slip of paper and store it with your die or bullet mould box.

I never measure punch depth just eyeball it. I have used a felt pen to mark the punch while aligning it and the bullet alongside the die holes. It's not that big a deal to hit and miss a few times on the depth adjustment. You could do as the book suggest and take a measurement of the punch height and write it down. You could even cut sticks to use as gages under the punch to set height. But then you'd have to keep track of the records or gages.

[AJ Peacock]

I just line up a boolits lube grooves with the holes and the nose punch. Mark the punch with a sharpie marker. Then after I install and verify it is perfect, I measure the distance as the book says between the punch and the installed die. I write that measurement down and can re-install in a matter of seconds later!

I've had no problem setting up dies first try using this method. I also just use a flat faced punch that LatheSmith made me, I send everything through the dies nose first.

I use the same nut for everything, but should probably get a second just incase I drop it while changing and can't find it! :roll:

AJ

[TAWILDCATT]

I USED A ALLEN CAP SCREW and two nuts pushed the bullet in to final point and put the screw up from bottom and locked the nuts.