Lee sizing dies

[tomf52]

When using the Lee sizing dies, are you supposed to tumble lube the bullets first and then push them through the die or can you push them through the sizing die without the initial lube and then just tumble lube them after sizing? Thanks for any help you can give.

[rbstern]

tom, they have to be lubed before they go through the die or you will get leading in the die.

Sometimes you can get away without lubing them again after sizing, but it's a heck of a lot easier to tumble them again than clean a leaded barrel, so I just tumble them again, pour them out on some wax paper, and leave them overnight to dry.

[RayinNH]

tomf52, I use Hornady One Shot spray case lube.Just put them in a container and spray the pile. It dries in about 30 seconds and works real well. I suppose any spray lube would work just fine though. When your done sizing, tumble lube with the Lee Liquid ...Ray

[rbstern]

Ray, that's a great tip. I'll try it.

[Maven]

Wire pulling lube (available at Lowe's, Home Depot, et al.) is cheaper and works like liquid alox. I.e., you squirt some into a margarine tub or other container, add your unsized CB's and swish them around until coated. They'll go through the Lee sizing die as slick as can be. It can also be used for FL resizing cases (in the appropriate die of course!).

[six_gun]

The first time I tried to apply gas checks to bullets that I had tumbel lubbed, I found out that it is much easier to put on a gas check, run it through the sizer, and then tumble lube.

I know Lee says to lube, size, and lube again but I have never gotten any leading in my size die when pushing through bullets without lube. I have 3 sizes of lee sizers and the bullets that I size are all used in competitive shooting sports, which require a high degree of accuracy. I get the most consistant accuracy with my lee sizers, compared to my lyman and rcbs equipment.

Groups with these bullets are all one hole at 100 meters and within 3 to 4 inches at 200 meters, with open sights.

I will advise to lube them after you push them through, espically if you are applying a gas check.

Sixgun

[35remington]

One of the reasons you may not have any detectable leading without using a lubricant is that the gas check scours the lead out of the die when the bullet is pushed through.

I can state that I tried pushing unlubricated .45 automatic plainbase lead bullets through the original Lee sizing dies years ago when you used a rubber mallet and punch to force them through the die. Same concept, just not threaded for a press. The dies were heavily leaded from this treatment. This would build up to the point where it would gouge lines in the sized bullet. I made my share of beginner's mistakes starting out.

I'd suggest using a light amount of some kind of lubricant.

[utk]

I melted a small amount of Lyman Alox lube into a little square tin box. Then I gently roll my boolits on the semi-hard lube surface before pushing them through the lee sizer. Enough lube for sizing and seating the GC but not enough for shooting...

Urban

[fiberoptik]

I tried to find the "Wire Pulling Lube" at both Home Depot & Lowes, but they'd gone to something else. I picked it up, still says water-based lube, but I'm clueless if it's the same stuff, & can't smell anything, let alone know if it smells like alox, as I never smelled it b4 loosing my sniffer.

[Maven]

fiberoptik, It's called "Wire-Aide: Wire Pulling Lubricant" (made by Gardner Bender) and comes in a white quart bottle with the product name & manufacturer on a red label. Mine came from Lowes. Btw, it hasn't much odor and is almost the consistency of hand cream.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Home Depot definately does not have the Gardner Bender brand and whatever that stuff is, it ain't alox near as I can tell. Thanks for the information the stuff is at Lowe's. I like buying from them better anyways.

Dave

[Maineboy]

The first time I tried to apply gas checks to bullets that I had tumbel lubbed, I found out that it is much easier to put on a gas check, run it through the sizer, and then tumble lube.

I know Lee says to lube, size, and lube again but I have never gotten any leading in my size die when pushing through bullets without lube. I have 3 sizes of lee sizers and the bullets that I size are all used in competitive shooting sports, which require a high degree of accuracy. I get the most consistant accuracy with my lee sizers, compared to my lyman and rcbs equipment.

Groups with these bullets are all one hole at 100 meters and within 3 to 4 inches at 200 meters, with open sights.

I will advise to lube them after you push them through, espically if you are applying a gas check.

Sixgun

My experience is similar, except I never get one hole groups unless I'm firing only one round!

I used to spray a shot of WD40 on the boolits, attach checks to their bases, and then run them through the sizer. I've since stopped the WD40 treatment and don't get any leading sizing them dry. I don't resize any of my PB boolits, just shoot them as cast.

[Char-Gar]

hummm... I have been sizing bullets in my Lee .452 press mounted sizer for about 15 years without any problems and I have never lubed them first. This thread made me curious, so I looked at it under a strong light and there is not a speck of lead in it, after many, many thousands of unlubed bullets.

I size in nose first press mounted sizers and lube in a Lyman 450 machine.

[Char-Gar]

Oh yes... I do seat gas checks and size unlubed bullets at the same time in my nose first push through set up. No problems yet.

[Bass Ackward]

hummm... I have been sizing bullets in my Lee .452 press mounted sizer for about 15 years without any problems and I have never lubed them first. This thread made me curious, so I looked at it under a strong light and there is not a speck of lead in it, after many, many thousands of unlubed bullets.

I size in nose first press mounted sizers and lube in a Lyman 450 machine.

Yep. Me too. But I admit to being a coward and using lube. Especially if I am going down .002 or more. And definately when sizing rocks. So .... I store my bullets to be sized in the lid of my case lubrication pad and roll the bullets on that before I size. Works like a charm and eliminates .... extra stuff off my bench which is probably my biggest problem in reloading.

[tomf52]

Received my Lee sizing die today and immediately tried it out. Big letdown. Machining of sizing die bore was so poor that I got heavy leading of the die with any bullets I pushed through it. Tried all different lubes and it made no difference. All leaded the die. Also it was a .356 die and bullets came out closer to .357. Polished the bore of the die with JB Bore Paste and an electric drill and it made a huge difference but still not as good as it should be. First Lee product I was dissapointed with.

[Buckshot]

..................I'm not an apologist for Lee but I guess something slips through the cracks every now and again. BTW, size dies WILL size different alloys to different OD's. However there are dies finished incorrectly that don't size right. I always mike the first couple boolits out of the sizer anyway, just to see what they really are.

I think it's Curmudgeon who has 2 or 3 different size dies (by 1/1000") increments that all size to the same size

.................Buckshot

[StarMetal]

One of the reasons you may not have any detectable leading without using a lubricant is that the gas check scours the lead out of the die when the bullet is pushed through.

I can state that I tried pushing unlubricated .45 automatic plainbase lead bullets through the original Lee sizing dies years ago when you used a rubber mallet and punch to force them through the die. Same concept, just not threaded for a press. The dies were heavily leaded from this treatment. This would build up to the point where it would gouge lines in the sized bullet. I made my share of beginner's mistakes starting out.

I'd suggest using a light amount of some kind of lubricant.

35Remington,

I've sized 1000's of 45's through the old style Lee die such as you have mentioned. There is one big difference between them and the new Lee size dies that screw into your press and it isn't just that the new ones screw into the press. The old pound ones, even though had a counterbored bore to easily start the bullet, had a much much longer sizing surface then the Lee screw in dies. To tell you the truth I believe the old ones are better and that they should have incorporated those to make the screw in. BTW I have I believe two .357 or .358 old tap dies and one .452, all new if anyone is interested in them.

Joe

[Newtire]

hummm... I have been sizing bullets in my Lee .452 press mounted sizer for about 15 years without any problems and I have never lubed them first. This thread made me curious, so I looked at it under a strong light and there is not a speck of lead in it, after many, many thousands of unlubed bullets.

I size in nose first press mounted sizers and lube in a Lyman 450 machine.

I tried the sizing without lubing & get the big leading problems myself. What's the difference I wonder. Maybe sizing dies need to be smoothed out?

[Leftoverdj]

If I have followed the various threads correctly, Wire-aide is comparable to Lee's case lube, not to their bullet lube. The case lube, and presumably Wire-aide, is quite usable as a mid-range pistol bullet lube and was widely used as such before the advent of Liquid Alox.

Trying to add GCs to bullets that have be LAed is a mess, but some trace of lube is helpful in sizing. I just work with greasy hands and ain't too particular about the grease.