Lyman 45 and RCBS lubesizers both sizing crooked.

[uscra112]

Does the top punch actually fit the bullet nose properly? I long ago chucked the idea of a "form fitting" design and gone over to a nose cavity formed with a 60 degree center drill when I make a top punch. This assures concentric alignment, although it often does leave a little contact ring on the ogive when the alloy is soft. It might not do for slender spire points...I don't cast or shoot them so I can't say.

[Slugster]

I have also had this misalignment problem with my Lyman 450. Found that the top punch hole was oversized. If I snug the set screw just enough to barely hold the top punch, my bullets will come out true. Could possibly shim the hole to center the punch. Having a "proud" sprue on bullets will also start them into the die a little off kilter, and could be part of the problem.

[45DUDE]

I had to take a stone and drill to widen the lip on one of my sizers because the boolit base was a bit large. You should see a little lead shave if not going in straight.

[uscra112]

I have also had this misalignment problem with my Lyman 450. Found that the top punch hole was oversized. If I snug the set screw just enough to barely hold the top punch, my bullets will come out true. Could possibly shim the hole to center the punch.

Funny you should mention that. Factory top punches are a sloppy fit in my 450s, too.

[MGySgt]

I don't use the top punch set screws. I put a dab of grease on the top punch and seat it by running into the sizer die.
Haven't used the set screws in over 30 years.

[trebleplink]

My Lyman 4500 top punch hole measures 0.263 - I turned a brass top punch to 0.262 and it has no slop for the setscrew to cause offset.

[uscra112]

Cut a flat or drill a hole in the punch shank so the setscrew can prevent it falling out without actually clamping the punch in an offset position.

[Baltimoreed]

Have you crossthreaded the large nut that goes over the die? That nut can be a pita to start straight. Are you using the right top punch?

[pworley1]

Have you considered powder coating. You can convert your presses to size as push through and size point down with your present dies. This is what I did.

[beagle]

All good suggestions.
To get really straight uniformly sized bullets you need to nose first size and come back and lube in a slightly larger die.
Long bullets will bend. Especially long .25s and .30s. This is complicated by cold weather and stiff lube. A lube heater isnecessary under these conditions. The bent bullets are easily detected on a pane of glass. Roll across it and watch for a whop, whop movement of the nose.
About 15 years ago, a bunch of us corresponded on developing a new precision lubricator sizer. The discussion went on one winter for months off site. Probably should have done it on site as a lot of good ideas came up and problems discovered.
First off, lubricator sizers do a pretty good job of sizing and lubricating for their design and cost. probably as good as we'll get for the money. The tolerance is a Lyman can easily be in the range of .020" throughout the system. More if old. That's a #450. The #45 is worse. The RCBS is a little better and the Saeco is even better. We didn't look at the Star.
Our goal was to develop a lube sizer that used conventional dies and lube with much tighter tolerances. We learned a lot.
The final estimate for a prototype was around $2,000 worth of material and machining so we broke up the discussion and said, it's been nice boys, let's move on./beagle

[uscra112]

"Tolerance" for what characteristic? Obviously not diameter of the processed bullet. I'd have a very hard time believing that the ram and die bores would be offset or misaligned by even .002", since they would be finished with the same tool Offset of nose punch center to ram axis? Radial clearance of ram in its' bore? Sum of both?

BTW the word tolerance is misused, I think. You meant deviation from nominal.