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Just bought my first star sizer,,i actually stole it,,,,almost ashamed!!
Anyhoo,,my question is,the guy before me,sized base first,so naturally,this machine has a rn shaped punch.
Its set up with a .3575 die,,should be perfect for my 9,,,should i buy a flat punch,,or continue base first?
I purchased my first Star, because I specifically wanted to size nose first. Have a LAM for base first sizing. Flat punches are the way to go. No need/expense for nose specific punches.
Winelover
Flat punch. Lathesmith in the first thread can fix you up.
Base first sizing/lubing works well. In fact, Star never made a flat punch for their sizers, and refused to when asked. It was their belief that the machines should be used as designed, base first sizing and lubing. It was John Paul Jones who first started making the flat punches to sell for the Star machines, as he was a distributor for Star.
If the round nose punch fits the profile of the bullet you're going to be sizing and lubing, go ahead and use it. I have a couple Stars set up for base first sizing and lubing, and several set up for nose first sizing and lubing. I find either way works, as long as everything is correctly adjusted.
Hope this helps.
Fred
I would rather size nose up because if you have the correct nose punch it will keep the bullet centered. For most people nose first will be fine because the difference between the two is not a great amount though it does exist and only matters if you are in a competition and want to win.
Very interesting Fred!Quote:
Originally Posted by ReloaderFred
I have always wondered about sizing rifle boolits since I only cast for handguns. I suppose sizing a long sharp pointed rifle boolit base first would be better?
Sizing long rifle bullets works much better for me when sized base first, especially if they receive a gas check. Success also depends on having the proper nose punch. I've got a couple dozen different nose punches, so I'm able to try several until I find the right one.
Another trick is if you have one slightly larger than the profile of your bullet, you can put a small amount of epoxy into the nose punch and lower it down on to a waxed bullet to form the proper profile. I do this on my drill press (not running, of course) to get the proper alignment. The wax acts as a mold release so the bullet doesn't get glued into the nose punch. I also wipe off any excess epoxy before it fully hardens. One done in this manner works perfectly.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Don't tell any one ... fill the RN cavity with J-B Weld Epoxy , let set , sand dead flat , let cure ...
Flat punch .
Use hot glue it is easy to get out and to shapes the correct profile in less time then epoxy.
I use a Star and it has always been easier to keep the bullets straight with a flat punch as it aligns with the flat base, flat on flat. With a nose punch there was always more of a chance to get the bullet mis-aligned. On the few occasions I used gas checks they worked fine as long as they fit the bullet and I used a large enough flat punch.