Author Topic: sizer die wear.... (Read 736 times)

myronman3 · « **on:** June 16, 2005, 02:29:46 PM »

how many bullets do you guys size before your dies increased in diameter? i have a lyman 430 sizing die that now sizes at .433. i took it out, cleaned it up, and measured with my calipers. yep, .433. it started out as a 430. and all i did was maybe size 700 gas check design bullets. do gas checks put that much wear on a die?

no wonder my bullets didnt want to chamber in my f.a.

from what i hear, lyman customer service sucks eggs.

yikes, i figured if i took care of this die it would last my lifetime. i guess it is time to buy a rcbs die.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #1 on:** June 16, 2005, 10:03:32 PM »

i would have to guess the die was made from to soft of steel ive got star dies with unknown thousands of gas checked bullets through them that are as good as new.

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #2 on:** June 17, 2005, 08:23:34 AM »

Myron, do the sized bullets measure .433? The die has a taper and it is very difficult to measure the die directly.

hiram · « **Reply #3 on:** June 17, 2005, 10:36:01 AM »

I know the die is stamped .430, but, did you measure it before you used it??

myronman3 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 17, 2005, 02:26:28 PM »

when i first got it, bullets would come out at an even .430. now they are coming out @ .432; and i have to seat them deep into the case if they are to chamber. no more of that. i will be ordering another die; one that is made by RCBS this time. the other bullets that are loaded will be shot through my marlin-they chamber fine in that.

Duffy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2005, 06:36:21 AM »

Did your bullet hardness change? Harder bullets size larger but generally not that much. May have gotten one that missed the tempering furnace. Most RCBS dies are fairly hard. I've honed a few for special sizes and it takes a bit to enlarge them a thou or two.

HL · « **Reply #6 on:** June 22, 2005, 01:43:43 AM »

I've been sizing .430 and .376 bullets for over 10 years now and have not seen any increase in bullet size. If the die is made of hardened steel, lead should not wear down the sizer, IMO.

Although, I have gone to the Lee push through dies on my press. Much easier than the Lyman or RCBS sizers.

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 22, 2005, 12:41:25 PM »

My thought was the same as Duffy. Sounds like a difference in bullet hardness. You may be getting more springback after the sizing. I can't envision gas checks wearing a steel die in such a short time even if it wasn't tempered correctly.

myronman3 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 22, 2005, 04:13:46 PM »

i figured that also. this isnt the first time i have wrestled with the problem. so i used up my 50% ww/ 50% pure lead mix and melted a pot of pure lead, casted a few bullets of pure lead. ran them through and they popped out the same damn size. at that point i cleaned up the die and got out the calipers......

myronman3 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2005, 05:07:41 PM »

just figured out my problem....

!!!!! wrong top punch!!!!!

all this time it is something that simple. :oops: yikes!!! well, if nothing else you guys helped me to eliminate some possibities. thanks! :wink: