Lee Luber/Sizers

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Last Post 13 May 2009

Standard Member

CB posted this 30 June 2008

I am a die hard Star user, but I tried the Lee sizer when I got some RD molds for my Marlin lever guns.

It took me only a little while to see the advantage of this system, I am not going to sell my Star or even my door stop Lubamatic, but the Lee system gives me other choices. I recently did some 7mm bullets for my 7TCU with the Lee .285 sizer and the liquid Alox. They were really good shooting. I haven't pushed the bullet out beyond 1,600 FPS with the Alox lube, but another day I will try faster speeds.

Jerry

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10 Comments

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Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 01 July 2008

Certainly appears that it's a good way to size without bumping the nose of a bore riding bullet. Also, you can generate more sizing via your press than sizer.

Cheers from New Zealand

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CBA Member

billwnr posted this 01 July 2008

how's the Lee system work if one would want to size the bullets and not lube them (yet)? Does the bullet slide thru...or does it leave lead smears on the die?

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Match Director

linoww posted this 01 July 2008

billwnr wrote: how's the Lee system work if one would want to size the bullets and not lube them (yet)? Does the bullet slide thru...or does it leave lead smears on the die?

I never lube them before sizing.It makes your GC push up and seat better having the resistance.The most I have done is .313 down to 309.I have run a few 1000 that way without problems.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CBA Member

Duane Mellenbruch posted this 02 July 2008

Is the bullet pushed through nose first? Have you had any tendancy for the gas check to fold back or did you polish the entry to the die? I would think that the extra resistance would help square the bullet base and flatten any sprue bump that might have been present. Please comment if you did happen to notice any improvement on the bullet base/bump. Thanks. Duane Mellenbruch Topeka, KS

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CBA Member

RicinYakima posted this 02 July 2008

Duane,

You must have been looking over my shoulder last year! Yes, they are sized nose first.

I bought one hoping to have better gas check seating for a 32/20 bullet mould that has a bad section on the top of one cavity and didn't seat the gas check square. It also tended to have a lump on the sprue plate cut.

As manufactured, the sizer was pretty rough on the entry and resistence was high enough, un-lubed, to center and seat the gas check. But only if there wasn't a lump. There isn't enough resistence to push the gas check to fully seated if there was a lump.

I used an old RCBS seating stem that fit the bullet nose to drop down the top of the sizer, and while supporting the bottom of the bullet with the press handle, wacked it with a leather mallet. That works, but it hard on the bullet nose if wacked too hard.;)

HTH, Ric

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Standard Member

CB posted this 03 July 2008

I have done a few hundred bullets now, Gas checks work well with this, no bumping of the nose like with the RCBS/Lyman types.

Currently I have done 45-70 RD Bullets to .460, 7mm Soup Cans to .285 and 44 RDs to .432. All have shot well for me.

I am not totally convienced about using Alox or Xlox as the lube for all bullets, but this gives me some hope for low volume runs of some bullets and making up the RD bullets.

Jerry

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Standard Member

jhalcott posted this 03 July 2008

I just got a 225415 mold (49 grain /linotype) it drops a .225 x .229” bullet. When I sized the nose UP ,the checks would hang against the sides of the sizer . This caused the check to back down around the pusher and form a tiny cup. The pusher is .220 diameter and the sizer is the .224 one. I decided to try pushing them nose DOWN, (they ARE flat nosed!). This is working Much better so far

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Match Director

linoww posted this 03 July 2008

jhalcott wrote: I just got a 225415 mold (49 grain /linotype) it drops a .225 x .229” bullet. When I sized the nose UP ,the checks would hang against the sides of the sizer . This caused the check to back down around the pusher and form a tiny cup. The pusher is .220 diameter and the sizer is the .224 one. I decided to try pushing them nose DOWN, (they ARE flat nosed!). This is working Much better so far

I also use a .225 Lee and haven't run into this problem.I wonder if the “leade” into your die isn't as tapered as mine?? I have sized .229 bullets with no problems.I am surprised they center up well running them backwards.I would have thought the check resistance would cause them to get crooked pushing on the small flat nose.I guess i over thought it.I'll have to try some that way tonight.

George

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CBA Member

billwnr posted this 03 July 2008

miestro_jerry wrote: I have done a few hundred bullets now, Gas checks work well with this, no bumping of the nose like with the RCBS/Lyman types.

Jerry

If you are “bumping” the nose you may be using the wrong nose punch or too soft of an alloy.

But then I use a 70/30 Lino/ww alloy and it's around BHN 18-19.