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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - FINALLY stepping into Reloading (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 11/27/2013 2:06:42 PM EDT
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Okay, So I have FINALLY decided to just bite the bullet and pull the trigger. I'm looking at reloading the following calibers:
.223 300blk 45ACP 9mm Im wanting a single-stage for now to learn on, then possibly upgrade later. Right now Im looking at a lee kit, and just learning on the most basic stuff so I can have a general understanding of how stuff works, and then making things easier. Wife is buying me the press for christmas!!!! lol |
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Sounds like a good plan. Read a reloading manual or two and start with the pistol calibers and you will be fine. Have Fun here's a good price from Midway Lee press kit Does anyone have a code for more off $$ |
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Ask around locally and you might find someone that reloads that is willing to donate an hour or so of their time to help you get started.
When I started, I was 17, and a cop that worked for the same PD I worked for as an office worker helped me get started down the right path. Can't hurt to ask! |
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Ask around locally and you might find someone that reloads that is willing to donate an hour or so of their time to help you get started. When I started, I was 17, and a cop that worked for the same PD I worked for as an office worker helped me get started down the right path. Can't hurt to ask! I have a guy that wants to help me, hes got like 7 grand in presses that his aunt and uncle gave to him(they did competition shooting, gave the presses to him when they retired). So im good on that one! Cant wait:) hopefully in the next few months ill have everythign I need to get started! |
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Do some reading at the top of the page. Best book for starting out. Explains all the components, the tools, and how to reload. IMHO the best manual to start with. Also has a great "how to reload" section. Do some reading, and ask questions on what you don't understand. Straight wall pistol cases are the easiest to reload, so I would start there. With bottleneck rifle cases, there is brass prep that is not needed for straight wall pistol cases. Welcome to our hobby.
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Great move. You will never regret reloading. You'll only regret not starting sooner. Lee is a good place to start. Here's an excellent source with great prices, selection, and customer service: http://www.titanreloading.com/ I'm not associated with them other than being a happy customer. Two words of advice: STOCK UP. As soon as you have a reloading manual and have a reasonable idea of the loads that you want to start building immediately begin laying in a supply of components (brass, bullets, primer, and powder.) Don't delay. You can (and should) be buying brass and primers now and as soon as you've decided which loads you want to build follow up quickly with powder(s) and bullets. Since the events of a year ago components have been hard to find. It's gotten a bit better in the last month or so but it could go back to scarce or unavailable really quickly. Once you get in the groove the next step is casting your own bullets. Here's the ARFCOM of bullet casting to start studying ahead: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/index.php |
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Thanks guys, I cant wait! The wife said to me yesterday, "i really like the 300 blk round, we should just get rid of my 5.56 upper and ammo, and buy a 300 blk and reload for it". lol
Now im just stuck between getting a 4 hole turret or single stage. The turret can be made into a single stage, so I'll probably go that route |
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Quoted: Thanks guys, I cant wait! The wife said to me yesterday, "i really like the 300 blk round, we should just get rid of my 5.56 upper and ammo, and buy a 300 blk and reload for it". lol Now im just stuck between getting a 4 hole turret or single stage. The turret can be made into a single stage, so I'll probably go that route I have a lee turret, that my wife bought for my birthday. Best thing I ever did was reload. If it wasn't for reloading, I would not be about to shoot anymore. now that I make my own I am able to dial in loads for my firearms and have become much more accurate. find a lee turret kit and buy that. this is where my wife got mine. https://kempfgunshop.com//index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=630&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=41&vmcchk=1&Itemid=41 after getting I realized I needed a few little things to make life easier, but it worked right outta the gate. |
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Quoted: Do some reading at the top of the page. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/How%20To/51fVqjMi0rL__BO2204203200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-clickTopRight35-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg Best book for starting out. Explains all the components, the tools, and how to reload. IMHO the best manual to start with. Also has a great "how to reload" section. Do some reading, and ask questions on what you don't understand. Straight wall pistol cases are the easiest to reload, so I would start there. With bottleneck rifle cases, there is brass prep that is not needed for straight wall pistol cases. Welcome to our hobby. I got started a couple months back and so am green as well. Have only done somewhere north of 1,000 pistol rounds and a couple hundred 223. That said, I second the versatility of the Lee Turret. I would recommend the "pro" auto disk as it is easier to change disk sizes. Great press, does what it is supposed to. You will need other stuff like a tumbler (Harbor Freight wet tumbler can be has cheap right now), bullet pullet, trickled, etc. Read the references Dryflash posted and you will be a long way ahead. Plus it gives you something to do while you wait. Oh, and take whatever you budget for this hobby on an ongoing basis and add $100. Just saying....
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get the books first then buy equipment
read them 2 to 3 times before you even start i would also add the hornady reloading book, it has better info on max in minimum loads. i like it better than the lyman I would also look at the Lyman tmag turret press, i have one it has been fantastic. it has 6 holes and works great. you can never have enough holes. i keep a turret head setup for each caliber. btw buy once and cry once. always read the reviews before you buy. the midway website has some of the best reviews and it has guided me many times on what to buy and not what to buy. i think i have over 1.5k in my setup alone. |
| Well guys, I got invited to a friends house this weekend, he's got two dillon 650's I do believe and some other equipment. He said I'm more than welcome to come use it wheneveri need to, just buy my own dies and components. So I'll get my first taste of reloading this weekend!!! |
| If youre still active there are some pretty good deals to be had on presses. Even bass pro keeps a 10% discount on presses, and components, and if you get it before the year is up it still counts towards the rebate for hornady, and rcbs. I started with a lee press, but ended up buying a rock chucker shortly after. I've worked on single stage, mostly because I'm super anal retentive about reloading and get nervous about speeding up the process, but I know guys who make near match quality out of progressive presses as well so its more the skill of the loader. Read a bunch, and really listen to what the other guy has to say. Big thing that a lot of people don't do at first is buy the case gauges. Wilson makes great ones, and there are several other companies that do as well. Welcome man. You'll be addicted in no time. |
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Welcome to a great hobby.
The first time you squeeze the trigger on your own reload and it goes bang (in the good way) is a great day. I have a lee turret as that was what the budget could afford at the time. It has served me well and I don't intend to do away with it anytime soon. However 2014 may be the year I go blue. Read the books that Dryflash and others have recommended. Lyman's 49th does not leave my bench. Ask questions, this is a great group of folks that have answered a ton of my questions, many of which I didn't even ask I just saw the responses to someone elses questions. |
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I began my journey last Saturday. waiting for my books to arrive. went to the local gun shops and picked up all the free catalogs and powder brochures they had to hold me over. post how your reloading session went. Will do! we are planning on meeting up at his house at noon, having a show and tell session of the toys, then heading to cabelas to see what they have in-stock. He said if nothing else, i can get some .45 bullets and he has plenty of powder/primers that I dont need to get any right away. So, hopefully I'll be able to load a few 45 rounds at least! Looks like im going to get the Lee breechlock anniversary kit for christmas, from Midway, its $150 to my door for the kit, case length gage and shell plate and the dies. Not too shabby! |
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cant stress enough on reading the manuals...i just started recently as well and i have the lymans, hornady, lee, and speer manual! you can always educate yourself more
i went with the RCBS rockchucker kit and love it! let us know how the weekend goes and good luck! |
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Depends on the die brand you choose. Lee dies do not have lock rings, and is why the turret is popular. Hornady and RCBS dies do have lock rings and cost a little more. Having lock rings mean dies can be screwed into and out without losing their setting. A big thing for new reloaders, as the hardest thing for them is die adjustment. |
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Depends on the die brand you choose. Lee dies do not have lock rings, and is why the turret is popular. Hornady and RCBS dies do have lock rings and cost a little more. Having lock rings mean dies can be screwed into and out without losing their setting. A big thing for new reloaders, as the hardest thing for them is die adjustment. this did not answer my question? Lol my buddy is coming down next weekend to help set her up. |
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Okay guys, need your advice ASAP. Should I go with the Breechlock single stage kit or the Delux turret kit? the turret kit is $20 more than the single stage? HELP Going to pick whichever one up tomorrow Actually, neither. It's not that I have an issue with Lee, a lot of my stuff is Lee, I just don't care for any of the manufactures "kits". I have a Lee single stage (classic) and a Lee turret also. I like both and they serve my needs. I use the turret for pistol cartridges and the single for large rifle. I have a few of the Lee powder throwers and most of my dies are lee. I don't care for their scale and use a Hornaday beam or rcbs 750 digital. I use Lee case length gages to make a few dummies that I keep to set a Lyman universal trimmers length with. I chamfer using a Hornaday trio and use a lot of other case prep tools by Lyman on the trio. My tricklers are rcbs and my decapping die is Lyman. It goes on and on. What I'm saying is get separates after doing a bit of research for each. If your asking about a press only, the Lee classic single (non breechlock) or the classic 4 hole turret are fine for starting out. You can use the turret as a single stage and rotate the die into position by hand. The difference is that the turret has a bit of slop to it when setting your dies. The head they sit in lifts about 1/16 of an inch so instead of a quarter turn, you need about a full turn or better. |
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For the calibers you are going to reload go right to a Dillon 550 and don't look back forget the basic lee kit
Quoted:
Okay, So I have FINALLY decided to just bite the bullet and pull the trigger. I'm looking at reloading the following calibers: .223 300blk 45ACP 9mm Im wanting a single-stage for now to learn on, then possibly upgrade later. Right now Im looking at a lee kit, and just learning on the most basic stuff so I can have a general understanding of how stuff works, and then making things easier. Wife is buying me the press for christmas!!!! lol |
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Quoted: this did not answer my question? Lol my buddy is coming down next weekend to help set her up. Quoted: Quoted: Depends on the die brand you choose. Lee dies do not have lock rings, and is why the turret is popular. Hornady and RCBS dies do have lock rings and cost a little more. Having lock rings mean dies can be screwed into and out without losing their setting. A big thing for new reloaders, as the hardest thing for them is die adjustment. this did not answer my question? Lol my buddy is coming down next weekend to help set her up. Single stage if you buy dies with a lock nut. Let me guess, you don't know what I mean.  Hornady 30-30 dies here. Bottom has a locknut, die on right is a Lee FCD that I have modified the nut into a locknut. FCD=factory crimp die |
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The Lee Classic Turret press is great. The kit isn't bad. The Lee scale works too well for production, it's strictly to check the powder measure set up.
You'll need 3 additional turrets Die sets for the 4 calibers a Double disk kit for the measure, and Auto disk riser Dial calipers Save up and get WFT trimmers for 223's and 300's Lee case length gauge's for 223 and 300 are good to start with since the trimmer and lock stud are included in the kit. |
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Not trying to jack the thread but lock nuts aren't all that much to me by way of time or labor. Maybe if I was dealing with over cam but I don't think the Lee line does or maybe one on a bullet seating die if I used strictly one brand and type of bullet per caliber which I don't. Either way I'd still be compelled to check each one on set-up.
Dryflash, Not sure if I'd go that route on the FCD, there is potential there to wreck the threads. As I said, I don't have a need for the lock nuts but it may be worth switching it out to one of these if I was so inclined: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/402579/lyman-split-lock-die-locking-ring-7-8-14-thread?cm_vc=subv11165236200 |
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Quoted: Not trying to jack the thread but lock nuts aren't all that much to me by way of time or labor. Maybe if I was dealing with over cam but I don't think the Lee line does or maybe one on a bullet seating die if I used strictly one brand and type of bullet per caliber which I don't. Either way I'd still be compelled to check each one on set-up. Dryflash, Not sure if I'd go that route on the FCD, there is potential there to wreck the threads. As I said, I don't have a need for the lock nuts but it may be worth switching it out to one of these if I was so inclined: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/402579/lyman-split-lock-die-locking-ring-7-8-14-thread?cm_vc=subv11165236200 http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/359040_Making_Lee_die_rings_into_lock_rings.html and here is the thread.
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If you're worried about wrecking the threads, use a piece of lead shot under the set screw, thats what RCBS used to use
Once tightened, it locks the ring on the die without touching the threads. If you find you need to adjust, just loosen the set screw and tap the ring with a screwdriver handle and the ring turns easy. |
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Quoted: If you're worried about wrecking the threads, use a piece of lead shot under the set screw, thats what RCBS used to use Once tightened, it locks the ring on the die without touching the threads. If you find you need to adjust, just loosen the set screw and tap the ring with a screwdriver handle and the ring turns easy.  one of the pics in linked thread above. Lead shot, bottom right.
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Well guys, ended up getting the breechlock single stage kit. My buddy wants me to come up and use his spare 550 for 45, and cabelas didn't have the turret and I didn't feel like waiting. I've got everything sey up and have 100 cases deprimed, sized and the primer pockets c cleaned.
I went with a lee pacesetter die kit, as I wanted the factory crimp die. I only picked up 100 bullets as the wife gave mea strict $200 Budget. So I got 100 Winchester 64gr power points. For powder, I got 1 pound of h335, and got 500 cci 400's. Setying up is Strait-forward at this point although all I've done is the sizing die. I don't have the ability to post pics until tomorrow, or Monday, so until then no pics!! Any suggestions on the steps from this point forward are greatly appreciated. |
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Well guys. Ran into a wall. Aparantly the pmc xtac brass is crimped and has small pp. So I can't get a primer in. My hornady that I prepped real quick seated bbeautifully.so, guess I'm back to prepping more brass lol. I've got a bunch of blue box black Hills that I'll work on and put the pmc away for now
Edit: okay, Lubed, sized/deprimed and trimmed the black hills stuff, it to will not take the primer? Wtf am I doing wrong? As of right now out of 400ish cases I'm able to get primers into 20. |
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Quoted: Well guys. Ran into a wall. Aparantly the pmc xtac brass is crimped and has small pp. So I can't get a primer in. My hornady that I prepped real quick seated bbeautifully.so, guess I'm back to prepping more brass lol. I've got a bunch of blue box black Hills that I'll work on and put the pmc away for now Edit: okay, Lubed, sized/deprimed and trimmed the black hills stuff, it to will not take the primer? Wtf am I doing wrong? As of right now out of 400ish cases I'm able to get primers into 20. Priming brass requires feel. Till you get the feel for how it seats and how much pressure you need, you might have problems like you are. set the brass aside that has crimps, until you get the feel with uncrimped brass. get a http://www.midwayusa.com/product/804809/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-package?cm_vc=subv1501588 to remove the crimp and clean up the pocket and the primers will seat just fine. Many times you can get a primer to seat in a pocket that has a crimp, but it requires you to have experience as to what is going to work and whats going to jam up or get smashed in crooked. |
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Quoted: Well guys. Ran into a wall. Aparantly the pmc xtac brass is crimped and has small pp. So I can't get a primer in. My hornady that I prepped real quick seated bbeautifully.so, guess I'm back to prepping more brass lol. I've got a bunch of blue box black Hills that I'll work on and put the pmc away for now Edit: okay, Lubed, sized/deprimed and trimmed the black hills stuff, it to will not take the primer? Wtf am I doing wrong? As of right now out of 400ish cases I'm able to get primers into 20. This is a $9 tool to remove the crimp correctly. A counter sink or case deburrer will remove too much of the case head.  The tool in the link was used on the far right case. Primer pocket swaging tools cost more. |
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You didn't say that you removed the primer crimp, so that's probably the problem. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/253550/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-cutter-head-small This is a $9 tool to remove the crimp correctly. A counter sink or case deburrer will remove too much of the case head. <a href="http://s250.photobucket.com/user/dryflash3/media/Cases/PB120288.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Cases/PB120288.jpg</a> The tool in the link was used on the far right case. Primer pocket swaging tools cost more. Quoted:
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Well guys. Ran into a wall. Aparantly the pmc xtac brass is crimped and has small pp. So I can't get a primer in. My hornady that I prepped real quick seated bbeautifully.so, guess I'm back to prepping more brass lol. I've got a bunch of blue box black Hills that I'll work on and put the pmc away for now Edit: okay, Lubed, sized/deprimed and trimmed the black hills stuff, it to will not take the primer? Wtf am I doing wrong? As of right now out of 400ish cases I'm able to get primers into 20. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/253550/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-cutter-head-small This is a $9 tool to remove the crimp correctly. A counter sink or case deburrer will remove too much of the case head. <a href="http://s250.photobucket.com/user/dryflash3/media/Cases/PB120288.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Cases/PB120288.jpg</a> The tool in the link was used on the far right case. Primer pocket swaging tools cost more. I use them. I have the set with large and small and the metal gripper but hardly use that. They have the 8/32 threads so I can use them in my trio. They work well. |
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Thanks guys, was able to get primers into all but two of my black hills stuff(once fired blue box).
So, I've lubed, sized/de primed, trimmed(with the lee case trimmer and lock stud attached to my drill), and re primed the cases. So, I'm ready to put powder and bullet in now, right? Edit: Is it possible to set the bullet seating die and finish everything withouta caliper? |
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Okay guys, I fucked up. Wife wanted to help, I wasn't paying attention to how the primer felt going in, put it in sideways, was like owell, just stick it through the die again. Primer comes out, shell stays in and rim comes off. WHAT DO DO. How do I get the case out of the die?!
Ok guys, I moved on and from reading I found that the best/safest riute was to go with 23.5-24.5 gr of H335. So i made three 10-round batches of 23.5, 24.0 and 24.2 grains each. While doing this I learned the need to crimp the rounds first hand as I had 2 bullets fall into the case. So after I loaded everything I put in the factory crimp die and crimped all 30 rounds. Hopefully no more falling lead 
For OAL i used my factory 62gr rounds as a reference and slowly worked into what I think is as close as i can get without a caliper. They arnt pretty as I don't have a tumbler but hopefuly they will go bang and kill coyotes. |
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Okay guys, I fucked up. Wife wanted to help, I wasn't paying attention to how the primer felt going in, put it in sideways, was like owell, just stick it through the die again. Primer comes out, shell stays in and rim comes off. WHAT DO DO. How do I get the case out of the die?! ALWAYS LUBE YOUR CASES BEFORE RESIZING. say hello to forster stuck case remover. http://www.forsterproducts.com/catalog.asp?prodid=700334 as long as you can fit the threaded spindle from the forster kit on your decapping rod, you're in business. the forster kit is a LOT faster and easier than the drilling+tapping of the rcbs / hornady kits. |
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Okay guys, I fucked up. Wife wanted to help, I wasn't paying attention to how the primer felt going in, put it in sideways, was like owell, just stick it through the die again. Primer comes out, shell stays in and rim comes off. WHAT DO DO. How do I get the case out of the die?! Ok guys, I moved on and from reading I found that the best/safest riute was to go with 23.5-24.5 gr of H335. So i made three 10-round batches of 23.5, 24.0 and 24.2 grains each. While doing this I learned the need to crimp the rounds first hand as I had 2 bullets fall into the case. So after I loaded everything I put in the factory crimp die and crimped all 30 rounds. Hopefully no more falling lead
For OAL i used my factory 62gr rounds as a reference and slowly worked into what I think is as close as i can get without a caliper. They arnt pretty as I don't have a tumbler but hopefuly they will go bang and kill coyotes. Back up. A caliper or a gage of some sort is mandatory. If you don't want to buy a caliper, then make a gage by drawing a 2.25 inch long cutout in a stiff piece of plastic or thin aluminum, then cutting it out. There are imported dial calipers that cost $20 that are perfect for reloading, and good $30 digital calipers which are more convenient. Look on Page 43. Guessing or an attitude that it's close enough is not good enough for reloading. You cannot eyeball two loaded cartridges side by side to understand whether the lengths are the close. Explain which sizer die you are using. Bullets will not fall into the case when it is sized correctly. But if you are using a body die or a bushing die without a bushing, then you aren't sizing the neck at all. There is one other possibility, the expander ball could be too large, but you'll need a caliper or a micrometer to measure the diameter. The diameter can be adjusted with a drill motor and abrasive paper. Explain your seating process from start to finish, including the adjustment of the seater die. |
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Update on the sizing die: got the case out, bent the decapper in the process, so have another one on-order from lee for $2.40 as well as a few breechlock rings so I dont have to keep re-setting all my dies back up everytime I switch them out.
Okay, so after spending HOURS reading yesterday, there are TONS of people who seat the bullet without a caliper or gauge.... I'm not reloading for match-accuracy here, just minute of coyote. I'm using the Lee Pacesetter dies, so a dead-length bullet seater, factory crimp and full-length sizing die. I set the seating die up exactly per instructions lee gives, which was to take a factory round, and lower turn the knob until i feel it touch the bullet, then back it out 1/4 turn. I did that, and they are DAM close, if not exactly the same length as the round i used to set it up. The lee instructions actually say that using a factory round to set it up is fine... Hell, honestly, my rounds look to be more uniform in length than the PMC XTAC rounds I used to set up the die. I will post pics today, as soon as I get a chance, I'm having to jump from work computer, to phone and back, so its a PITA. Really quick question. I will take my firing pin out tonight and see how they cycle(manually of course), and see if there are any signs of anything bad. |
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The set up you used will yield the same length to the bullet ogive only if both bullets have identical ogive shapes. In my experience the length that results from this method is long and has to be adjusted.
That's no guarantee that the bullets are the same length if they did have identical ogive shapes, so it does not guarantee the COAL is the same as the factory ammunition. Making assumptions during reloading is a bad practice; knowing is everything, guessing is nothing. The seating depth is also a matter of function. First, the cartridges need to be short enough to function through the magazine. Second, the bullets need to be seated deep enough so that enough of the neck is engaged so the neck tension or bullet pull is sufficient. Crimping the bullet is not a fix for poor neck tension. Since your bullets appear to have a cannelure, then you probably can get away with seating those to the cannelure, and it will probably work okay without measuring the COAL. Just be certain the bullets you buy have the cannelure located the same dimension from the base on every bullet and don't be surprised if you buy cheap bullets that vary all over (Winchester bagged bullets are bad for this). None of this has anything to do with pulling all the accuracy out possible, although consistency is the first step. The first priority is safety, the second is function. |
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The set up you used will yield the same length to the bullet ogive only if both bullets have identical ogive shapes. In my experience the length that results from this method is long and has to be adjusted. That's no guarantee that the bullets are the same length if they did have identical ogive shapes, so it does not guarantee the COAL is the same as the factory ammunition. Making assumptions during reloading is a bad practice; knowing is everything, guessing is nothing. The seating depth is also a matter of function. First, the cartridges need to be short enough to function through the magazine. Second, the bullets need to be seated deep enough so that enough of the neck is engaged so the neck tension or bullet pull is sufficient. Crimping the bullet is not a fix for poor neck tension. Since your bullets appear to have a cannelure, then you probably can get away with seating those to the cannelure, and it will probably work okay without measuring the COAL. Just be certain the bullets you buy have the cannelure located the same dimension from the base on every bullet and don't be surprised if you buy cheap bullets that vary all over (Winchester bagged bullets are bad for this). None of this has anything to do with pulling all the accuracy out possible, although consistency is the first step. The first priority is safety, the second is function. Thanks for taking the time to replyAeroE. I am picking up a cheap General tool Caliper here at work today, And will check the rounds when I get home. the rounds with the canelure, are the factory rounds that I set the die up with. So, in your experience, what is the best practice to set up the seating die? |
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Quoted: So I picked up a Caliper from work. All my rounds are between 2.23-2.25 ". The variance is from the lead nose, I believe. Glad you got the caliper, you will be surprised how much you need it. Can't determine cases that are over trim length without it. |
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Quoted: So I picked up a Caliper from work. All my rounds are between 2.23-2.25 ". The variance is from the lead nose, I believe. To set up die, screw into press. Stop just short of where die will crimp a case without a bullet. Do this by running up a trimmed case, then screw in die with a backed off seating stem, you will feel when die touches case mouth, back off 1/2 turn, lock down locknut. Adjust seating stem until bullet is seated mid cannelure. Every different bullet will need a seating stem adjustment, the locknut will not be adjusted. Use caliper to adjust oal of round. If you want to crimp, which is optional, use a separate die to crimp. So much easier.
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Okay went down and measured every round I had finished. Smallest was 2.218" largest is 2.25.. This bothered me considering I had the die set after three rounds. I made 30. Once you have it set, it shouldn't move, right? So I grabbed 10 bullets out of the bad and measured then ti test out my theory that the bullets are off.this is whati found:
..792 being the smallest, .811 being the biggest. So I gota ask. Am I going to see some serious malfunctionswith my given lengths? These three batches are mostly to see what cycles and if there are any signs of pressure, I don't have a chrono so can't test that, and not really worried about minute of angle accuracy at this point.. Should I buy a bullet puller and start over? |
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You are fine with this. Bullets vary. OAL is what is important. So you don't go over mag length. With this bullet you are no where near mag length. To set up die, screw into press. Stop just short of where die will crimp a case without a bullet. Do this by running up a trimmed case, then screw in die with a backed off seating stem, you will feel when die touches case mouth, back off 1/2 turn, lock down locknut. Adjust seating stem until bullet is seated mid cannelure. Every different bullet will need a seating stem adjustment, the locknut will not be adjusted. Use caliper to adjust oal of round. If you want to crimp, which is optional, use a separate die to crimp. So much easier. Quoted:
Quoted:
So I picked up a Caliper from work. All my rounds are between 2.23-2.25 ". The variance is from the lead nose, I believe. To set up die, screw into press. Stop just short of where die will crimp a case without a bullet. Do this by running up a trimmed case, then screw in die with a backed off seating stem, you will feel when die touches case mouth, back off 1/2 turn, lock down locknut. Adjust seating stem until bullet is seated mid cannelure. Every different bullet will need a seating stem adjustment, the locknut will not be adjusted. Use caliper to adjust oal of round. If you want to crimp, which is optional, use a separate die to crimp. So much easier. Awesome, thank you!!! Luckily my pacesetter does came with the factory crimp die, so I used it. You are correct. Much easier:) I'm soooo excited to go shoot these, I can hardly stand it. I would love to be able to figure out a load my rifle likes and kill some 'yotes with then this year. That would be sweet. :) |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - FINALLY stepping into Reloading (Page 1 of 3)
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