Preferred method for sizing powder coated boolits

[Doubles Shooter]

Another Lee push through user. I added an 8 year old power drive to make things easier. With the powder coating, I don't mind the grandkids handling the bullets.

[Grootjoseph]

You cant get a bullet to balance on the top of a Lee push thru die post? I might drop a few but then I pick them up and size them when I am done.

I use a compression spring of the right diameter and length

[Rockindaddy]

Somebody gave me an old Schmidt hand press. I made up a set of dies out of a piece of 1117 steel and case carburized them. Reamed and polished to size my Desert Eagle 307 gr boolits to .502" Drop them nose first into the die and down they go. I am trying both methods of sizing the cast boolits already powder coated or sizing before coating. I find that the polymer coating adds about .001" to the surface. Have been lubricating and sizing boolits for over 50 years. This powder coating is all new to this ole fart. 8mm Mauser surplus ammo has been getting scarce. Might have to start casting lead alloy boolits to load and shoot in my old Water cooled Maxim from WWI. The powder coated boolits allows me to drive the cast boolits much faster than conventionally lubed and sized boolits that cannot be driven over 1500 fps.

[farmerjim]

RCBS Rockchucker With either old Lee, New Lee, or NOE dies.
They all work fine and fast.

[Ed_Shot]

I powder coat everything now and my Lyman 450, circa 1968, works just fine as is.

[Finster101]

I'm another one that uses Lee push throughs, I also invested in the NOE setup when I needed new sizes. An old RCBS Jr. gives me plenty of leverage.

[hermans]

I use the Lee push through dies on my RCBS Rockchucker, but now I am wondering.....have an almost new Star sizer that has been sitting in the box since I do not lube any longer, wonder if the Star will be faster.......without the lube of course!

[fredj338]

I use a compression spring of the right diameter and length

That is novel idea but just turn the whole thing upside down??

[Grootjoseph]

That is novel idea but just turn the whole thing upside down??

No, I just put the spring over the ram punch and can then just drop a boolit in instead of having to balance it on top of the punch. Speeds it up a lot for me.

[fredj338]

No, I just put the spring over the ram punch and can then just drop a boolit in instead of having to balance it on top of the punch. Speeds it up a lot for me.

Why I said just turn the press & die over. You drop the bullet into the die instead of pushing it up, super fast.

[Gtrubicon]

I use the Lee app press for sizing after powder coating. Very fast, it will also crimp gas checks with a nose first feed. I snap them on the base first.

[lesharris]

Lee App press has been good for my uses.

[YoungGun88]

I just received my Lee APP bullet sizing kit and some bushings from Titan. Looking forward to adding a bullet feeder towards end of year or first of new year to speed things up and reduce hand fatigue feeding small 9/38 bullets.
My APP has proven itself a worthwhile investment for depriming brass in bulk, before wet tumbling, now to expand its capabilities with bullet sizing after coating

I have read some comments that Lee bushings can not always be "true to stated size", usually those comments mention being undersized from(like 354/355 instead of 356 or 357). I gather that someone might not be measuring as accurately, but like with revolver cylinders, are reamers run past their worn out point. I did notice that the interior of one bushing was a bit rough. I'll get some flitz and polish it up a bit. For the price that these die/punch sets are sold at, beagling one doesn't make yer wallet pucker up if you want to experiment with opening one up a touch!

[tinsnips]

lee app with noe bushings

[Mordecai]

Lee push thru here.

[gnappi]

I dumped the bullet lube from my push through Star sizers, made up a drawing of a mounting plate a few years ago and had a local machinist gen it up. Now without the heated base I mount three star sizers in just a bit more space than the one with the heater.

[Smoke4320]

If you are going to do a lot of different calibers the NOE will be better in the long run. Its far easier to do odd sizes with NOE as he offers so many different +.001 increments per std size
Lee cheaper by far if only needing 2 , 3 or 4 std sizes

[Land Owner]

Bullet fit to Groove diameter is King. Slug your bore. Select a GC cast bullet that is groove diameter.

Sage makes an aluminum gas check that is similar to a coke bottle cap. When placing the gas check and running the boolit down into the sizing die, the serrated edge is swaged into the shank, which holds groove diameter (say 0.223") extremely well.

PC after GC, then size with die 0.002" over groove diameter (say 0.225"), which really holds! and shoots best as the PC adds diameter and cements the GC in place.

On the one hand you size the gas check and lead alloy to groove diameter. After powder coat, you size for 0.002' over groove diameter.You then should have no lead deposit issues.

[charlie b]

Mine is a bit more complex since I size the drive bands and nose size. I do both before and after PC (yes, it is tedious, but accurate). I have one that I lube and then nose size.

I love the NOE system and it works well in any of my presses. Easy to change bushings. For the push through portion I don't mind the catch box on top of the press.

But, I don't cast thousands of rounds either, usually only a few hundred at a time. If I did a lot I'd probably go to a Lee APP with the auto bullet feed (most pistol bullets I shoot don't care if they go in nose or base first).

[PhilC]

I prefer the push through sizing die setup. I use the NOE sizer in an RCBS press.

How I do mine as well.