Larger Press for Resizing Boolits?

[Daekar]

I am using my Hornady Lock-n-Load single stage press for sizing boolits using my NOE bushings, and unless I size things down .001 at a time the force required is really significant. This is mostly a problem before powder coat, but also afterwards. My question is, is this normal, and should I consider getting a different more powerful press to facilitate sizing?

If a more powerful press is the answer, which ones would you recommend?

[Wisest.fool]

The press you have should be fine for the job. o style presses are quite strong.

I use a lee classic cast (O-style) with the Lock-n-load bushings and i don't find it hard to size bullets. the hardest has been sizing .312(plus powdercoat) down to .309 but even then entirely manageable.

if you are not powdercoating afterwards try a bit of lubricant of some sort.

[Sig]

How hard are your boolits? I try to size mine the same day I cast. I found if I wait a week it takes considerably more force to size them.

[358429]

What type of bullets are you resizing that are requiring so much force? I would make sure that the Press Parts and linkages move freely when under no load.

It may also be advantageous to adjust the height you are using the press, to increase mechanical leverage of your hand. Do you sit or stand? If you sit try different height chairs. If you stand maybe change the angle slightly one way or the other that you face the Press.

It's also useful to reduce fatigue by staging the input and output boxes that you are processing in such a way that requires the minimum amount of efficient movement.

Don't do what I did and try to resize a finger

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[Wisest.fool]

The .312 are 22 bhn with a lee hardness tester

[Daekar]

How hard are your boolets? I try to size mine the same day I cast. I found if I wait a week it takes considerably more force to size them.

That's a good question. They are cast out of scrap I've gotten from a scrap yard and analyzed with an XRF gun, so I know approximately the composition. According to my spreadsheet, the mixed alloy is 8.19% Tin, 7.24% Antimony, 0.47% Copper, 84.1% Lead, for an estimated hardness of 17.6. I would prefer them to be softer, but that's what I've got to work with. I've got another order in to them so a few weeks from now they will hopefully have 200lbs or so ready for me and I might be able to get a bit purer mix this time.

Your point about sizing the same day is well made. I waited a few weeks to size a batch one time and it was markedly more difficult.

What type of bullets are you resizing that are requiring so much force?

Well... it seems to be all of them. I have a Lee 358-158RF, Accurate 36-159S, and Accurate 35-245P. The lube groove design doesn't seem to be any less affected by the problem than the NLG designs, so I don't think that's it.

I would make sure that the Press Parts and linkages move freely when under no load.

That makes sense. I use the same press for other operations and it seems to work just fine without any friction - it feels right and moves easily.

It may also be advantageous to adjust the height you are using the press, to increase mechanical leverage of your hand. Do you sit or stand? If you sit try different height chairs. If you stand maybe change the angle slightly one way or the other that you face the Press.

I usually stand, I don't think I would enjoy sitting down for loading operations. I've got a stool but never use it. Your point about changing the angle, and even location of exactly where you stand can make a difference in how quickly I get fatigued, but doesn't seem to really affect the really stubborn ones that just don't want to go through.

Don't do what I did and try to resize a finger

Too late! My fingers have been both seated and resized.

[358429]

Absolutely the worst is trying to deprime your thumb. I'd rather trim a thousand 308 Winchester then try to deprime my thumb again

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[Daekar]

The press you have should be fine for the job. o style presses are quite strong.

I use a lee classic cast (O-style) with the Lock-n-load bushings and i don't find it hard to size bullets. the hardest has been sizing .312(plus powdercoat) down to .309 but even then entirely manageable.

if you are not powdercoating afterwards try a bit of lubricant of some sort.

Well I'm glad to hear the press is up to the task, I was wondering if I had made a poor choice.

I am powdercoating afterwards, so lube isn't an option. I tried with alcohol once but it didn't really work. For sizing after PC, I have found that just a smidgen of case sizing lube really helps though.

[358429]

I suppose it would not hurt anything to use a bore diameter Brush and Clean the sizing die now would it

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[Winger Ed.]

I've got a RCBS sizer/luber I've run at least a ton of cast boolits through.
I've also got a Hornady single stage.

Not being an engineer, but just from looking at them:

The Hornady is a 8 pound sledge hammer compared to the RCBS sizer being a 1 pound claw hammer from the grocery store
and far as their relative strength appears.

[Wayne Smith]

Do you have the short stroke handle on your press? That is quicker but increases the workload.

[TjB101]

I also use the Lee cast press, mounted upside down … much easier to drop bullet in and size. Bullet plops into a bucket on the floor.

[garandsrus]

The position of the die in the press will make a huge difference in the force required to size bullets. You want most of the sizing effort to be in the last inch or two of the press handle movement.

Screw the die further from the shell plate to move the force towards the end of the stroke. You do want to completely size the bullet in one stroke though so you don’t want to go too far. If you aren’t pushing it far enough, the next bullet will push on the previous bullet and may deform. Not good….

[Sasquatch-1]

In swaging a lot of people will make a longer handle to increase leverage. If things are too tight you can break things.

[Daekar]

In swaging a lot of people will make a longer handle to increase leverage. If things are too tight you can break things.

That fear is why I didn't just order a steel rod and thread the end to make a longer handle.

I am going to cast up some new boolits this week and try the suggestion to move the sizing die toward the top of the stroke and see if that helps.

[megasupermagnum]

There's only two things you need with a push through sizer. #1 a smooth die. #2 lube. Since you say the problem still exists with powdercoat, then your problem is your die. I do not own the NOE bushing sizer, but of the other things I've bought from NOE, they generally come as rough as a cob. I'd polish that bushing with fine sandpaper like 800 or 1000 grit. With a smooth die, you should be able to size a lubed/coated bullet down .005" without hardly feeling it. I could size a .315" bullet down to .310" with my Lee hand press with minimal effort. Bullet hardness is a factor, but I've not found a monumental difference between 12BHN and 22 BHN, not enough to question if you are going to break something.

[Char-Gar]

For such chores, I used a 1960 all steel RCBS A2. It is only slightly larger than a Rockchucker but a bunch stronger. It was designed for jacketed bullet swaging. Out of print and expensive on the used market, but well worth the price.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve used a Lyman turret press since the eighties. I got worried about the pressure I was putting on it sizing. I picked up a Rockchucher. You can find them for, what I consider reasonable prices. Works well for de-priming military brass too. I like the powder to take care of the extra build up at the base of my PCed boolits, I sometimes get. I never size more than two thousands at a time. Often only one. I use the NOE system, so I have a complete range in one thousand increments. NOE sizers are great. They also work well to determine the size of the slug after you’ve slugged a bore. I use them as go no go gages. I’ve found it a lot easier than trying to mic them with a normal mic.

[BJK]

I found that adjusting my die so that I had maximum leverage helped a great deal with my Rockchucker. Max' leverage is found at the bottom of the stroke.

edit: I use a LEE sizer and may need to readjust the die if I apply a GC for .308, but so far with a flatnose bullet in 9mm no problems.

[wilecoyote]

...If a more powerful press is the answer, which ones would you recommend?

for real heavy duty I use a RCBS Ammomaster.