Base-First sizing in a Star??

[zipdog]

I recently purchased a used Star, and it included a die and top punch for base-first sizing. I thought one of the major advantages of the Star is nose-first sizing. What gives with the base-first thing? Someone's personal preference, ???

[Dale53]

Early in my reloading career, base first was the way most everyone sized, complete with a nose punch that matched the bullet nose shape. However, while the Star was precision made and was aligned pretty well, someone came up with the idea to size nose first which, pretty much, allows the bullet to self align.

I nose first size, now, and have done so for many, many years. I doubt that I invented it, no doubt some worthy mentioned it and it was like a 'light bulb" lit up.

Lee's push through through dies take advantage of the bullets self aligning and as a result do excellent work in spite of their low cost. I pan lube my big bullets for the 40/65, 45/70, and 45/90 BPCR's and it is a snap to run them through the Lee die after lubing.

Dale53

[colbyjack]

i do it the old way, nose up in my star. thats the way the book shows and its dated 1957 on the paper work that came with it. either way works. all my punches are hollow so the nose can go up into them.









this one is not



all i know is itll eat your finger if it gets in the way and being hollow it takes a chunk out. -chris

[TAWILDCATT]

The old ideal tools sized nose first as the pins were either made for hollow base or were flat.the lyman/RCBS would be harder to work nose first.and its easyier to make flat nose pins.

[Echo]

My complaint against nose-first sizing is that doing thusly often leaves fins on the base of the boolit. How do you guys manage it?

[lathesmith]

Echo, fins on the base are usually a result of sizing a fairly oversize slug--say, more than .002 or .003. Since I rarely size my slugs more than .001 so, I never have the fin problem.

The "chunk out of the finger" is a pretty convincing argument for me NOT to size base-first, although if I was having the fin problem I might be tempted to try it. On second thought, I would probably try and find a way to cast a smaller slug, like using an extra coat of that mold release or something.
lathesmith

[hammerhead357]

I don't know about a chunk out of the finger thing but I do know about the chunk out of the thumb thing with nose first sizing. My ex-wife left a chunk of her left thumb in a 356 or 358 die one time. Cost me about 650.00 to get it surgically replace and that was 23 years ago.

One gets to going to fast and then you miss feed and then there goes your thumb. Get the stupid bullet feeder if you are going to feed them nose first.....Wes

[HeavyMetal]

I'm not sure if it matters with the Stars but years ago I tested boolits in my match 45 and found a 20% ( average) reduction in group size from the same boolit, cast at the same time, using the same alloy as I had base sized in my Lyman sizer!

I actually converted it ( by pulling the center pin out of the sizing die) to a push through and accurracy became the same as the boolits run through the Star.

As I couldn't figure a way to make the Lyman as "fluid" as the Star it sat and collected dust for many years.

As for your finning problem? As Lathesmith says your boolit is to big. I have had the issue with some molds and used a P-3 cut off tool as a scraper and simply cut the fins off. They were never so heavy that this didn't work and if they had been I'd have change molds!

[deltaenterprizes]

The point of nose first sizing is that the base of all bullets is flat thus eliminating the need for designated nose punches.

[Willbird]

I don't know about a chunk out of the finger thing but I do know about the chunk out of the thumb thing with nose first sizing. My ex-wife left a chunk of her left thumb in a 356 or 358 die one time. Cost me about 650.00 to get it surgically replace and that was 23 years ago.

One gets to going to fast and then you miss feed and then there goes your thumb. Get the stupid bullet feeder if you are going to feed them nose first.....Wes

As a machinist I have had to learn not to put my fingers into places where they get cut . I fail to see how base first sizing prevents a person from putting their finger between the punch and the bullet and pulling the handle ?


Bill

[colbyjack]

I fail to see how base first sizing prevents a person from putting their finger between the punch and the bullet and pulling the handle ?


Bill

its the same but picture this like a paper punch out goes chunk of finger.


then picture this just pinching you. the same but one hurts alot more.....



-chris