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Posted: 9/2/2009 5:46:37 AM EDT
| I'm curious how many of you hand prime vs. priming using your press? I would like you read what you do and more importantly why? Please indicate if you do this for rifle or pistol rounds (or both) and whether you are using a single stage\turret press or a progressive? |
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Quoted:
I'm curious how many of you hand prime vs. priming using your press? I would like you read what you do and more importantly why? Please indicate if you do this for rifle or pistol rounds (or both) and whether you are using a single stage\turret press or a progressive? Sir, considering the range of cartridges I reload I can't give you a single answer. For the cartridges that I reload for use in rifle competition I hand prime all cases using a Sinclair Int. hand priming tool after doing all resizing on a single stage press and hand case prep. I complete the reloading of those cases on a Dillon RL550B. I prime all BPCR cartridges with the same Sinclair tool and complete reloading of those cartridges on an RCBS Rockchucker press. All other cartridges that I reload including straight wall pistol or bottleneck rifle cartridges I reload on either the Dillon RL550B or an XL650 and employ the primer systems of the presses as they were intended. HTH, 7zero1. |
| I have a Lee press that's capable of priming, but I like to use the RCBS hand primer, I can go upstairs and watch TV while priming, then take my primes brass downstairs to load later once i'm bored, works great, casually doing probably 100 primers an hour, depends on drink refills, laughing, bio breaks, etc |
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I have Lee pro1000 and breach lock challenger. Could prime on both. But, don't anymore. I crushed 1 primer that set off 6-10 more whatever was left in the shoot, the tray was empty.
Now, I use a Lee handprimer for everything. Usually in the recliner watchin tv with the wife and kids. Hand priming seems to give me a better feel. I load 223 rem and 45acp |
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I load my handgun rounds on a lnl ap and use the primer feature on it. As the cases are straight, and dont require lube with carbide dies they don't have to be tumbled again after sizing.
For rifle cartriges I tumble to clean, deprime and resize, tumble to remove the lube, trim, hand prime and inspect the cartriges then proceed to load them with a turret press. I have the lee turret and don't like the feel of the primer function so I don't use it. |
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Thanks guys,
I am trying to put together a list of tools I need to start reloading and from the thread below, it seems that the RCBS Universal Hand priming tool is the best compromise between price, performance and quality. I will be loading on either a single stage or Turret press at first and I’m just trying to figure out if a hand priming tool like the RCBS needs to be on my “must buy” list or on my “can get it later” list? |
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Quoted:
Thanks guys, I am trying to put together a list of tools I need to start reloading and from the thread below, it seems that the RCBS Universal Hand priming tool is the best compromise between price, performance and quality. I will be loading on either a single stage or Turret press at first and I’m just trying to figure out if a hand priming tool like the RCBS needs to be on my “must buy” list or on my “can get it later” list? Check here for the list of equipment you'll need - http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=400 |
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After unpacking my Lee Load master that my brother and I used for pistol caliber loading 15 years ago ( the press was boxed up over 10 years) I started using it for 223, at times I would leave the index rod in that made the stations rotate for setting the primers only. I still get a pretty good feel when a primer seats right or not so right.
When using the press for 223 I just take out the index rod and use it as a single stage. I do have my finger on the buy button for the hand seating presses, ther RCBS looks nice , But my Load master will prime um nice . You do have to baby the primer part of these presses as the have alot of parts that can, will and do crap out on you at times. |
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I guess I'm the odd man out-
I used the Lee hand tool for a while, but I could never seem to keep from getting high primers- even after removing all crimps, uniforming the pocket w/ Sinclair tool, etc.- nothing helped. I finally quit after I broke the lever of my Lee tool trying cram the primer on a .223 round deep enough. In the interim of finding a replacement part and/or better tool, I tried the ram prime that came w/ my Lee Classic Cast press, and now I'll never go back! It's slightly slower, but every case I prime is done right, and my thumbs don't feel like they're breaking anymore. YMMV |
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When doing pistol ammo...........I use the on press primer set up on my LEE M1000 progressive to prime.
IMHO......why go progressive if you aren't taking advantage of it? But, for my rifle calibers (I own a Dillon) .........I use a single stage press and hand primer tool. It's has to do with...........how, I like to do things. Aloha, Mark |
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I hand prime using a Lee hand primer. Last night I loaded 50 rounds of 308 and I decided that I would use the press to prime them because I didn't feel like messing with the Lee tool for only 50 rounds. I had never used the press to prime with before. I batch load and always clean the primer pockets so last night I discovered that due to my batch processing it is much faster to use the hand tool than to use the press.
If I had one of those press mounted primer feeders it would have went much quicker but it would have taken more motion to bring the ram up to charge the primer feed on a case that has allready been deprimed and had its primer pocket cleaned. For me, I will stick with the disposable Lee hand primer tool. I bought two and I havn't broke the first one yet. |
| I used to hand prime when I first got into reloading. I upgraded to a 650 and all the priming gets done on that with the RF 100 loading the tubes. Every once in a while I'll get a primer upside down but it's not a big deal... Every round gets checked before it's put into a magazine. |
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i used to use the press mounted primer on my Rockchucker, and it worked great for all the pistola stuff I was loading.
On my new press, there isn't that option for the feeder tube, so I have been using the Lee Hand primer without a hitch, on 30-30, 9mm, 38 & .223. The only problem I had tonight was some 95-96 Lake City brass that didn't slide in & out of the shell holder on the priming tool; had to really force them out. Is there anything wrong with that year's lot of brass? |
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I tried the lee and an older rcbs hand priming tool. They were ok but I primed on the press with a RCBS ram priming unit. You have to set it up right or you can really squash them.
I finally got sick of interjecting that ram priming unit onto my single stage press so I broke down and bought a RCBS automatic bench priming unit. I read a lot of good reviews on it. You can vary your feel by choking up on the hand lever. I get arthritic hands really fast when doing brass prep so I skipped the hand press units. If I bought one I would have gone sinclair. My plan is to prime in front of the TV. I built a platform that holds a couple case blocks and the priming unit that I can set on a portable table. |
| Being a noob and reading the bizillion points on how dangerous reloading is, I started using the rockchucker w/ safety glasses, so my hands and fingers would be a foot away, instead if inches, from any possible kaboom. I got the feel of it just fine, including loose pockets etc , and have never set up my hand primer since. |
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