Help --- Having trouble setting up my Star Sizer

I'm trying to size some 41 magnum bullets and they get stuck in the die. The die was made by Lathesmith and the mold is an Accurate version of the H&G 258, a Keith Type SWC. The die is .411 and the bullet is .413-.414 cast from clip-on wheelweights. I've lubed the die and the first several bullets. The first bullet will go until the ram bottoms out. The next bullet stops solid with the base even with the top of the die. Solid enough that I slightly bent the handle. I have to use a punch to drive the bullets back out. The first one that goes in measures .410-.411 after I get it out.

Is sizing .003 smaller too much?

Any help or suggestions are appreciated.

What kind of a sizing machine are you using? What kind of lube are you using? Are you putting lube into the lube grooves in the sizer? Are the boolits powder coated or bare lead? .003" is asking a lot for a single pass, especially without the proper lube in some sizers.

Its an original Star Sizer and I'm using Canuba Red from White Label lubes with a base heater. The pump on the sizer is putting lube in the die and the lube groove. The bullets are bare lead, straight clip-on wheelweights air cooled. I used a q-tip with Tri-Flo on it to lube the inside of the die and I put a coating on the first couple of bullets.

I would "slug" the sizer die. Just to verify that it is .411.

The bullet that gets stuck and has to be driven out measures someplace between .210 and .211.

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Originally Posted by lightman

The bullet that gets stuck and has to be driven out measures someplace between .210 and .211.

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I'm going to say that you meant to type .410" and 411".

I take the first couple of bullets and run them through the die again, which gives the inside of the die a very light coating of bullet lube. I've never had any luck using oil type lubes on my bullet sizing dies, but the bullet lube works good. While sizing, when the bullets get hard to push through the die, I just run 1 or 2 already sized and lubed bullets through the die again and you can tell immediately that it makes a difference.

I run bullets that have to be reduced .003" through my Star Sizers, but when reducing that much, I have to rerun a sized and lubed bullet through more often to keep the die lubed up.

Hope this helps.

Fred

I have used a "spacer" boolit so that every other one is being sized. It reduces the effort required as your only sizing one boolit.

Have you contacted Chris/Lathesmith? He's pretty good about tending to any problems. I doubt he didn't try it first to verify it sized correctly.

.414 to start and it's being sized to .410 .
That's a .004 down size. That's to much for that aluminium framed sizer.
Get a .412 sizing die and you have to size twice unless you make some other changes.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

Sizing 0.004" doesn't present any problems on my Star sizer.

Thanks for the replys everyone. Yes Fred, I did mean .410 and not .210. Good catch. It may be a day or two before I can get back to this project. I will try the things you'all suggested. Thanks for the replys.

Run a lubed Bullet through the die every so often and it will be easier to use.
Tony

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Originally Posted by AnthonyB

Run a lubed Bullet through the die every so often and it will be easier to use.
Tony

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Definitely. The recommendation is to run a sized and lubed boolit back through every 10 boolits. That works well for me.

Well its been a few weeks since I started this thread.

I swapped molds and started using one that drops a slightly smaller bullet. I got everything adjusted and it runs like a top! I went back to the bullets cast from that other mold and they are working fine now. Maybe the die just needed more lube that I started with? I was getting pretty frustrated and had to stop and walk away a few times! I can see my appreciation for Lathesmith growing! The set screw on the top punch is pure genius and will make next time much faster.

Thanks to all of you for the help and suggestions.

I found the set screw on the top punch a great addition also .

yeah i size 456 down to 452 NO problemo on my star but I do need to buy the locking set screw, Lathesmith has these?

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Originally Posted by bruce381

yeah i size 456 down to 452 NO problemo on my star but I do need to buy the locking set screw, Lathesmith has these?

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Yes he does , I find them very helpful .