Sizing Cast Bullets

[GLOOB]

Blarby:

I don't mean to be a pain, but you are mentally dismantling something you've never held or used- and that's difficult to do.

Which is why I asked you to do it. Even if you're not explaining it the way I can understand it, I figure I could eventually get there via point and counterpoint. But you're not really leaving me anything to dissect, here.

I'm wondering, do you press so hard when seating the check that it actually swages the base of the bullet? Small imperfections, at least? I can see how you could get way more pressure on the bullet this way, perhaps enough to iron out some small wrinkles.

Other dude:

Try this: run your bullets through the Lee push thru sizer BASE FIRST with the gas check first. This seats them the same way that using an "in and out" tool like the Lyman does

Now, this idea seems to have no benefits and all downside. So, yeah, I WILL try it the next time I size some boolits just to see what happens, but I'm not coming up with any reason this should work better, and a few reasons it should work worse.

Blarby:

Unless you cast flawless bullets, every single time ( I certainly as heck don't ) and seat them completely square and level on the lee sizing ram- you are going to get reject quality check application. You just can't seat a check properly that way. It may work 9 times out of ten, it may even work ten times out of ten sometimes- but its never been 100 for 100 in my experience.

I just don't see what straightening the check is supposed to improve. For a base-first sizer, yeah; you put it in, crooked, and it'll crimp on crooked. With a nose-first sizer, the check straightens when you push it through the die. That's my experience. 1400 for 1400. Goes in crooked, comes out straight. So just as I'm starting to buy into your description of the Saeco, here you have me wondering, again. I have to wonder if it's a caliber/bullet/gas check difference. Cuz our experiences and understanding of the Lee sizers are totally different.

 

[Hungry1]

I shot the 30.06 G/C 160gr , .311 boolit over Unique today. Results at 50 yards were good. About a 3", 5 round group with iron sights. Impacts were right on with battle sights of the 1903 too.

I did get some leading which I believe was throwing off my accuracy towards the end.

19 gr of Unique is what I'm going to work with when I move out to 100 yards.

After the barrel was fouled and I knew that my last round of 24 gr was going to be useless, I put up a 1/4" steel plate at 25 yards. I was very surprised to see that my cast lead round punched right through it!

I was having some fun with cast lead from my .357 GP100 also. I was able to consistently hit a large (About 4'x5') oil drum at 200 yards!

 

[GLOOB]

Blarby,

Seeing as I only ever used the Lee sizers, I might be full of theoretical BS. But while reading about bullet lubes, I came across a post from a guy that has done a lot more casting and shooting than I probably ever will. A guy that has a lube named after him, over on Cast Boolits. He apparently uses the Lee sizer to size and install the check. Then he puts the sized and checked bullets into base-first Lyman/RCBS lubrisizers, afterward, only to apply lube. He adds a completely extra step in order to use the Lee sizer, and I'm guessing it's not because he likes to waste his time by having to meticulously set the checks straight, first, only to still have "blowouts" and "reject-quality check application."

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?67654-Tumble-Lubing-Made-Easy-amp-Mess-Free/page2

See post #37, #38, and #39. Someone has even apparently posted instruction on how to convert a LymanRCBS to size nose-first.

FTR, I am not trying to win an internet argument. I had forgot about this whole thing, until Hungry1 bumped the thread just after I read this over at Cast Boolits.

Your Saeco might be awesome-on-a-stick, but the Lee method circumvents obvious problems of the base-first method in my reasoning and in this guy's experience. And they only cost $16 and come with a $5.00 bottle of liquid alox. You should avoid trying a Star, at all costs. You might have to trade in your Saeko and spend even more $$$.

 

[blarby]

FTR, I am not trying to win an internet argument.

Coulda fooled me.... this keeps going on and on......

Theres also a guy over at castidiots.com that has a bullet lube called, and I quote ( with all respect on the language, but it lends to the facts at hand) :

---deleted-- Yep.

Thats OK over there- and it shows a lot of the mindset. The verbiage and mentality go round and round and round the same schoolyard.

Doesn't make their methods or advice any better than whats found here, simply because they can't spell bullet correctly.

The OP has long since said he isn't going to get the Saeco- and thats fine.

I've used and use both.

I know which one is better ( for me ) for what things.

Far as I'm concerned, end of story. You wanna keep kickin the horse- be my guest. I got goose to get..... and sleep, too.

 

[Walkalong]

The OP was just trying to get some good answers and y'all couldn't stop arguing. If one of you thinks it wasn't your fault, just remember, it takes two to tango.