Using hand push thru sizer dies.

[jek279]

Anyone have any tips or tricks for pushing Minie balls thru the hand push thru sizers? How do you hold the sizer? How do you push the bullet thru without deforming it? Do you push thru nose first? If so, how do you push it thru without hurting the skirt?

[SHARPS4953]

Anyone have any tips or tricks for pushing Minie balls thru the hand push thru sizers? How do you hold the sizer? How do you push the bullet thru without deforming it? Do you push thru nose first? If so, how do you push it thru without hurting the skirt?

I push through nose first. I use a wooden dowel with the nose sanded close to the shape of the inside diameter of the skirt of the mini. Some use aluminum dowels but wood has worked fine for me. If they get tight I smear a little cooking oil inside the sizer with a Qtip. I use a vise to hold the sizer.
hope it helped

[Muley Gil]

I was given a sizer die holder that was made from PVC pipe holding a large metal washer whose center hole is the same size as the body of the sizing die. It was bought from a sutler at the Naionals.

I place the sizing die in the holder on my small drill press and chuck a wooden dowel that fits the base of the Minie. I then push the Minie through, nose first, catching it in a padded box under the drill table.

[Lou Lou Lou]

I prefer the push thru type that threads into a standard press. North east traders sells a pusher that fits the ram on all presses.

[Rebel Dave]

I second what lou said, John makes nice sizers that are easy to use.

Rebel Dave

[Mike Baker 11100]

Anyone have any tips or tricks for pushing Minie balls thru the hand push thru sizers? How do you hold the sizer? How do you push the bullet thru without deforming it? Do you push thru nose first? If so, how do you push it thru without hurting the skirt?

Push Skirt thru first to size the bullet. The skirt will conform to the size of the die. No deformity of skirt.

[Ron/The Old Reb]

I thread all my dies 7X14 to fit in a loading press. I made a pusher out of a piece of round stock and concaved the end to fit the nose of the Minnie. Then turned it to fit a No.3 shell holder. I push the Minnie skirt first. A little bit of work but it makes it a lot faster and easier then taping them thou with a dial rod. I also roll about every 10'th Minnie on a lube pad before seizing it that make them go thou the die easier.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Southron Sr is a real expert on those hand-held sizing dies. Get him to tell you how he sized those .580 diameter minies he bought from Dixie Gun Works to use at the first Nathan Bedford Forrest Skirmish back in 1977, and how he sized them down using a .571 sizer! I'm still amazed watching him size those bullets using just his bare hands to hold the die while pounding the minies through using a plastic mallet until the mallet shattered!

[Des]

Bought a hand press at harbor freight and welded an arbor on the end of the shaft to go inside the minie. Mounted on a wood block and towels under sizer to catch the minie. works fast and easy

[R. McAuley 3014V]

I have three progressive sized dies (i.e. .577, .576, and .575) made by Rapine setup in sequence with my Lyman T-mag turret press, together with three dies by George Gompf in .561, .560, and .559 for the Large Bore Whitworth.