correct Star bullet punch for a Lyman 410459 mold ???

[rojo]

hi , I just bought a Lyman 410459 semi wadcutter bullet mold
for my .41 magnum , and I have a star bullet sizer which bullet
punch should I order for this lyman bullet so not to mar the tip ??
also where can I buy one ??
please post, :lovebooli

[Edubya]

Why would you want a nose punch for a Star luber/sizer? They work perfectly well going through 'nose first'!
EW

[dragonrider]

A flat punch of .400" diameter.

[anachronism]

A flat punch of .400" diameter.

Exactly correct! They should be sized nose first in a Star.

[sagamore-one]

I have both style punches and use the flat punches on most boolits.
I size the 41 mag H&G #256 base first with a flat nose punch. I do have a fitted punch, but it doesn't seem to matter with this boolit. . Only time a fitted punch is used is to "iron out" minor flaws in the front driving band, usually on H&G # 51"s.
Also .... you can "iron out" wings and other minor flaws in the base if you size base first. If you size nose first you can end up with skirts extending down from the base of the boolit.
I size almost all boolits base first in my Stars and change punches to fine tune or correct errors.
Just my 2 cents worth.

[Edubya]

So that's an inexpensive and quick way of getting hollow butt bullets. I've been wonder how I could achieve that. Now I can make HPHB boolits by casting .436 for my .44 and size them nose first, producing a skirt to seal up the cylinder and barrel!Thanks,
EW

[cajun shooter]

Stars are sold with a universal type punch to work on most all caliber bullets. That is if yoiu size the way the machine was designed to do and that is nose first. The only time you need a punch that is close to base size is when you are seating gas checks as it does a better job.

[Hank10]

I just use my star for .358, 429, 452 but size them all nose 1st with the same punch. No problems with skirts using the .357 on the 44s and 45s.
H10

[D Crockett]

gentlemen I will share a trick I learned get a piece of brass rod about 1/4 in stock take it to a machine shop if you do not have the tools to do it cut it to the length you need and have them threat to the size of the star now like in my case it was to fat to use so I chucked it up in a hand drill took a piece of emery cloth and turned it down in my case I needed it for a 30cal bullet the thing is to have your threader lined up right so your top punch goes in straight take you die puller with you and you will have the size of the threads with you that you will need D Crockett

[GLL]

PM lathesmith for flat punches to match a die !

Jerry

[Down South]

The only time I use a different punch on my Star is when I'm seating GC's and then I use a punch close to the diameter of the Boolit.

[dragonrider]

I make a die and a punch for each boolit I size. I do this so I don't need to adjust to get the boolit in the right place inside the die, I do not have to plug or unplug holes with shot. Each die has exactly the number of holes it needs. The punch is of specific length to position the boolit in the correct place the first time. All are done nose first, be they flat point, spire point, round nose, gas checked, it does not matter, nose first always. Spire points and small flat points need additional care. I make a brass pin about 1.25" long to push out each boolit, in this way you don't damage the points or dent gas checks.