Let's talk sizer throughput

[Cherokee]

JSH - Yes you can record certain measurements for ease of repeatability.

"When you get a bullet in the die where the lube grooves are lined up with the holes you are going to use, raise the bullet punch all the way to the top, and measure with a calipers the distance from the top of the die to the punch. Write it down. When you go to set it up again later (after removing the die, doing another bullet type, etc) you will have a reference point for that bullet to get the depth right. You put the die in the press, raise the punch, and adjust it in or out to match the distance from the measurement you wrote down."

In my opinion, there is always room for the Lyman/RCBS. I started with a Lyman #45, then a #450, now a #4500, plus the Star. All 4 sizers get use.

[JSH]

Sounds like me short the 4500 and the Star. I have an old 45 that is what I used when I first tested the waters. It worked fine and seemed to be in better working shape than most 45's I hear about. I have not used it since I got the 450, NIB for cheap.
What really makes me mad is my first miss of a Star. I was at one of the big GS's in KC. There was a lot of realoding stuff there that year, cheap. Redding dies that looked to be new, $5-10 per set. I loaded up on those for stuff I don't even own,lol.
I walked around a bit and saw this funny looking thing. Looked like a walnut cracker to me???
Buddy of mine was with me and we had gotten seperated. I saw him about an hour after we had been there. He asked did you see that Star? I was just ????? WTH are you talking about? He explained what it was. I didn't have a clue. He did ask the gent that had it and he new it was some kind of sizer but not sure for what. My friend new what it was. Asked the guy how much.
$60 and all these bushings and some other stuff to go with it some kind of electric plate. I all but ran back over there. You guessed it, it was gone.
If I live to be a hundred it will never happen again. My friend said there was at least 20 sizing dies and several punches and a bunch of lube with it. Makes me sick to think about it,lol.
Jeff

[BruceB]

My collection of Lyman 450 machines suits me just fine.

There's little doubt that the Star offers much-increased production rates over the Lymans IF, repeat, IF, the caster is using a limited number of designs and wants large numbers of those designs.

In my case, I want relatively-few (generally a thousand or so) bullets of MANY different designs and diameters, and trying to get set up for all the various combinations in a Star is too much expense and hassle. If I was still shooting Bullseye competitively, it's a sure bet that I'd have a Star on the bench. As it is, I don't need or want one.

Once again, for maximizing productiion we must study our hand motions. I don't have a handy figure for my rate on a 450, but there are some things I do to keep the rate up. For one thing, I keep my right hand on the operating handle all the time, unless gaschecks are being installed. The lube pressure wrench is tweaked with the left hand for each bullet, after the bullet is pushed down into the die. The next bullet is picked-up, quickly inspected, and the sized bullet is brought up out of the die.

I have a good-sized tray (cookie sheet)projecting from the bench face below the sizer, and the finished bullet is simply tipped out of the machine by the side of my hand to fall into the tray. This saves considerable time in handling, because now the left hand is immediately free to place the next bullet in the die, and continue the process.

Sequence:

-push the unsized bullet down into the die

-tweak the lube pressure

-pick up and inspect the next bullet

-push the sized bullet up out of the die and tip it out of the machine into the tray

Repeat.

Lube-sizing is also the perfect occasion for sipping a cold brewski while contemplating the state of the universe and the decrepitude and sleazology of Democrat politics.

[Sundogg1911]

I have 3 stars and a Lyman 450. I still use my Lyman for some of my multi-lube groove, and flat base boolits. It's a great machine, but no where near the speed of a Star. The Star is a little slower to get dialed in, but once you're in you can just lube away.

[twotrees]

Y'All got me thinking ( Thats dangerous) If I was to make a plate like the lube pressure plate ( With "O" ring) that was just clearance fit to the shaft. Drop that on top of the lube put in a sutable coil spring, then the threaded pressure plate over that.

Once you pressurized the coil spring, then it would power the lube and you would only need to re-pressureize the lube after you had used 1/8- 1/4 of the lube.

Hummmmmm, where is my "O" ring cutting tool for that lathe??


Does it have a chance??

TwoTrees

[Echo]

I have a Star and two RCBS/Lachmillers. The Star is for plain-base pistol bullets, and they fly through the lube/sizer. The RCBS/LM's are for GC pistol and rifle boolits. I sometime, depending, set the GC prior to s/l'ing, sometime during the s/l'ing. I don't want the possible hassle of trying to set the GC's on the Star. And I really would rather s/l them base-first, rather than nose-first, even if Star/Magma suggests otherwise.

EasyEd
USAF Ret
NRA Patron
O&U

[TAWILDCATT]

I used an allen bolt and nuts to set the ram.adjust the nuts to set length of bolt.
then next time use this gage to adjust ram for depth.
Star dies are made bullet specific.

[largom]

Like BruceB I am happy with my Lyman 450's. I am too old to get in a hurry especially when processing Boolits or handloading ammo. I do not strive to create great volumns of ammo, I strive to create ammo that is as near perfect as I can make it. This takes a lot of time but it's work I enjoy.
LARRY

[MtGun44]

The Star pushes the boolit into the sizer die, they injects the lube
through holes in the die with a pump stroke. The key thing is getting
the lube grooves lined up pretty near exactly with the lube holes in
the die. Any hole that is above the full diam portion of the nose or below
the base will push lube out into the air, a real mess.

SO - while I love my two Stars, they are for large quantities of the same
boolit since they are fussy to set up. But once set up they are very fast
and put the lube just where you need it, esp good for BB boolits as mentioned
earlier.

Measuring the depth setting that you push the boolit down into the die
will allow you to reset it the next time - however, if your alternate boolit
is of such a groove spacing that it will not line up with the unplugged holes
that are right for the previous boolit design ----- you have to pull the die,
unplug some holes and plug others with 7 1/2 lead shot - a significant PITA
if you ask me.

Great design, not ultra quick on switching to very different boolit designs in
the same die. If you have a die plugged for a particular boolit and measure the
depth, resetting it when swapping dies is pretty quick - not bad at all.

Bill

[TAWILDCATT]

were designed to have dies bullet specific.not universal.but the star was developed when there were not to many civilian shooters using them.and most civilians were using one or two bullets.

[TAWILDCATT]

cabin tree products makes a kit to upgrade the lyman to spring power.$45 for kit.

[jcw1970]

I have 3 Stars, one with a heater and a Lyman 45. I had inherited the 45 and all the molds I had acquired, you couldn't get the top punch for unless you had them made. I have 3 because I use 3 different lubes, 50/50, BAC, and Carnuba Red, all from Lars(great stuff). I have alot of spire point rifle molds so the nose first lubing works great. You just drill a hole and counter sink the hole on 2 bullets, then keep swapping them out. no more flat tips. Got that advice here on the site. to keep track of the punch location for different boolits, I used enamel paint. once i got the punch were it belonged, i put a dot of paint on the nut and one on the punch. different colors ofcourse. so if i'm going to do a 38 rn. i look in my book and know i have to plug the bottom holes of the die and line up the green dots on the punch.

[StarMetal]

One other thing to mention is that the Star won't get lube on a bevel base if the punch is adjusted properly. You also won't have any lube on the gas check.

The star is equivalent to a Lee push through sizer that also lubes the boolit as it passes through.

John

Please tell me how a Lee push through sizer lubes the bullet?

Joe

[Dale53]

Joe;
It doesn't. You lube the bullet first and sometimes after, also. John is just suggesting that the Star is a "push through" sizer that also lubes as opposed to the RCBS, Saeco, and Lyman lube/sizers.

Dale

[TAWILDCATT]

I took an allen screw and put 2 nuts on it and up thru the bottom to touch the bullet. next time I needed to adjust I held screw up and brought the bullet down and that was that.all adjusted.

[MtGun44]

Damn smart, TAWILDCAT!

Great idea.

Bill

[.30/30 Guy]

I use a Star and have 9 different sizing dies for it. Once I have it adjusted for a specific bullet and die I cut a piece of hardwood dowel to length that just fits between the nose punch and top of the die. I then label it as to bullet and die. It takes me more time to sort through my box of spaces than it takes to readjust a die.

[Echo]

Dang good idea, 30/30Guy! I will borrow it.

[AJ Peacock]

I'm new to Star sizing, I sized 1200+ the other day in around 80 minutes. I was doing other things around the reloading bench at the same time and wasn't trying to hurry. Spent a bit of time adjusting the heat and waiting for heat to come up on the lube, so it's not the fastest number by any means! Probably could do that many in an hour if I was to hurry.

AJ

[warf73]

I use a Star and have 9 different sizing dies for it. Once I have it adjusted for a specific bullet and die I cut a piece of hardwood dowel to length that just fits between the nose punch and top of the die. I then label it as to bullet and die. It takes me more time to sort through my box of spaces than it takes to readjust a die.

Great idea.

Dang I love this site.