lost on ordering a Lee Lube sizer

[loademwell]

I do believe that I need to buy a Lee Lube and Sizing kit for the 9mm and 30-06 (30-06 will have gas checks).

Why is it so hard to pick out what one I want? They have a bunch but they aren't listed in 9mm/38 or .30 cals..

So for a plain jane 9mm Beretta/Taurus don't I just want to buy the .358 mold?
Oh, and I am planning on one day doing the Powder coating on them... Do I have to consider that? Same with the 06.... But the 06 mold that I have is a gas check mold.

Can someone tell me which ones I want to get. Prefer Lee just for the price.

I better look into buying a gas check maker too.... (going to need a huge room for all this stuff if I keep expanding. lol...

 

[snuffy]

I guess I don't understand your confusion. Here's a link to the Lee sizer kit for 9mm, .356. Right next to it is the one for .358.

http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/501/501819.jpg

These "kits" work with the tumble lube 9TL), the TL can be used on none tumble lube boolits, and to install gas checks.

If you're looking to lube and size in one pass, you'll need the Lyman system, the 4500 is the current model, or the RCBS lubrisier.

 

[Mike / Tx]

Well here is how I personally would go about it. I would pick up the .356 sizing kit, and this is why. If you haven't already slugged your bore, you are simply guessing that it is going to shoot well with a .356 diameter bullet. Well it might but then again it might not.

So the old adage of, it's easier to take away than to add to, comes into play here. Of course you could also say measure twice and cut once as well. THat would play well into slugging your barrel.

Either way, with a piece of 600 or so wet dry around a dowel rod, and a couple drops of oil, you can always polish one of them out a bit bigger, but you can't make them smaller.

Usually you want to go at least .001" over bore. I would also suggest simply doing a few searches on the handloading forum for what sizes most are picking up commercially and having good luck with. I would love to add more but I simply don't have anything I am pouring for in 9mm.

On the 30-06, funny that comes up. I was just researching some info on loading for my rifles this past weekend. I lie to browse the net and copy and paste write ups or articles into word so I can either print it out or read up on it again later on. I make up a folder especially for that type document, and it makes it really easy to relocate.

Anyway here are a couple of links for you that will help you out greatly before you jump into buying a mold only to not have it work out for you.
FYI-This-is-how-I-do-a-pound-cast

Just a few tips for new rifle casters

Read through those a couple of times and when you get your wits up go for it. This is how you find out exactly what bullet molds you need for YOUR rifle. Not that picking out a Lee 308150RF won't do it but you will find that by checking out the instructions there that lead isn't quite as forgiving as jacketed when it comes to rifles and accuracy.

Hope this helps

 

[mikld]

Convert your caliber (9mm, .38, 357, .45 ACP, etc.) into diameter in inches (.356", .357", .451") and order the appropriate size die. Normally cast bullets are sized .001"-.002" or so, over groove diameter of the barrel, so a barrel slug is in order...

 

[totalloser]

Since price is an issue, you might try getting the mold and no sizer first. If they feed into the brass and chamber as dropped, they should be fine. Too small is where you run into more serious problems. In 9mm I'd start with .357" if you don't slug first, but tumble lube adds thickness so that also must be considered.

With lead bullets, gas cutting leads up the barrel if you have too small of a projectile. With powder coated, this won't happen. But I recently read a lengthy thread where the OP sized PC to .356" because that's the size of the jacketed (bad logic IMO) he was running were. He had *major* throat/rifling erosion in short time. PC prevents the leading, but if you size too small the barrel takes the brunt of these rocket motor speed gasses sneaking past the bullet, which I believe to be the cause due to too being sized too small.

IE always err on the side of slightly too large IMO.

As to powder coating, there is a little experimentation and research required to figure out what will work for you, but I think it is well worth the effort. I would not bother with lubing (except maybe tumble lubing) if you intend to go PC in the future. After going to PC I have no intention of wasting my time and alloying metals on the lubing process again.

The size for tumble lube may be .001" too small though since it leaves a coating. For instance, a PC bullet sized to .357" may chamber, but the same projectile in tumble lube may not since the lube is applied after sizing and thus increases the diameter slightly.

If you don't want to wade through search lists, Lee's site is pretty good and very easy to find what you are looking for. But their price is much higher than retailers, so I take the part number once I find it and make the purchase from a retailer- usually www.natchezss.com Here's Lee's casting section: http://leeprecision.com/bullet-casting/ Add "Lee" to the part number and you have Natchez's part number.

Here's their sizing kits by diameter:
http://leeprecision.com/bullet-casting/lube-and-sizing-kit/

 

[chris in va]

Problem is, just about every Lee mold I have drops bigger than the stated diameter. For example my 356-125-2r drops at a whopping 362 with wheel weights. I size it back to 358 for my CZ. I'd rather have it drop larger as everything in 356 keyholes with this gun.

My 45's are mostly spot-on at 452.

 

[mikld]

When casting bullets for a specific gun, you gotta know a few things first. What is the groove diameter of the gun's barrel? For a revolver, what is the diameter of the cylinder throats? Know what your particular alloy casts, diameter, in your mold with your methods. Shortcuts work, sometimes, but I like to work with my guns using hard facts, not guesses (I have slugged every gun I own, even if I don't shoot lead in it. Some military surplus barrels are just nowhere near what's "supposed to be". I have recorded all cylinder throat dimensions , and barrel slugs, a couple chamber casts for future reference).