I set up my bench this past winter since the weather sucked and I read up on it, gathered components and loaded a few rounds. I've been so busy through the spring that I haven't reloaded much and I am yet to shoot one of my reloads.

I keep ruining rounds in the loading process. At first, when seating bullets, I was overestimating how much force you needed against the ram to seat bullets and was smashing cases. Now I'm doing the same damn thing when crimping. It's frustrating to have these pretty reloads then ruin them whem crimping.

I will stick with it and I will be safe and pay attention. Any of you guys have these issues when you first started?

I only had issues with the .357 SIG cartridge due to its size and tapered case neck. Once you chew up a few cases and get everything dialed in, you'll be fine.cheers

Are your cases the proper length?  Are the dies set up properly?  I had problems with then when I first started at it.  My biggest one was dies not being set up correctly but too long of brass did create problems at one point.

If you can try to get together with another reloader and work with them.  I didn't see what reloader your using but a single stage will be "better" starting out since your only doing one process at a time and can really get the process down.  

Keep at it and don't throw the messed up rounds away.  Get a bullet puller and you can reclaim some the components, bullets and powder.  Good luck.

Quoted: I set up my bench this past winter since the weather sucked and I read up on it, gathered components and loaded a few rounds. I've been so busy through the spring that I haven't reloaded much and I am yet to shoot one of my reloads. I keep ruining rounds in the loading process. At first, when seating bullets, I was overestimating how much force you needed against the ram to seat bullets and was smashing cases. Smashing cases while seating bullets or crimping? Die was not adjusted properly (too far down). Also cases probably were not trimmed to the same length. I use the seating/crimping die for seating bullets only. (adjust die up so it will not crimp). Adjust seater stem to seat bullets to the length you want. Get a third die, Lee FCD (factory crimp die). Crimp with this die. Hard to adjust one die to seat/crimp in one step. All cases must be trimmed to the exact same length for this to work. Use two dies for this process, and problem solved. Now I'm doing the same damn thing when crimping. It's frustrating to have these pretty reloads then ruin them when crimping. Lee FCD. I will stick with it and I will be safe and pay attention. Any of you guys have these issues when you first started?

Top of the page, read the tutorials on how to load 223.

Nobody started out perfect, just learn by your mistakes.

Get yourself a case gauge for setting your resizing die.

Should have one for every semi-auto round you load. (it's in the tutorials)

Good luck

make sure all your brass is trimmed to the same length when using the "roll crimp"
feature of the dies. also, when setting up your seating die using the roll crimp feature,
use a magnifying glass to look closely at the crimp compared to an unloaded case and make adjustments small until you can just see the case mouth get a slight taper.
I have found that a proper crimp can be had without feeling any additional resistance on the press handle. the roll crimp taper in the die will just barely touch the case mouth, and you can't feel it in the press. if you arent into trimming alot, you can use a Lee collet type crimper that
"squeezes" the case mouth instead of "butting" into it like the roll crimp/seating die.

Wow, that was fast.

Brass is to the proper length. You guys were correct, the factory crimp die (Lee) wasn't set just right. Before I started reloading I thought that there was some muscle required to seat bullets. I think when setting my die I lowering it a bit further than I should have causing some case damage.

Posting this thread inspired me to finish a batch of loads I had started. Everything went flawlessly and I hope to make some noise tomorrow.

BTW, I'm using a Rock Chucker single stage press. I like it. It's not a Dillon, but it's great for getting started IMO.

$9 will by you a Lee Factory Crimp Die, aka Lee FCD.  It's worth it, no more smashed cases and the length is not as critical.  Still make sure they're not too long, but at least they don't all have to be the same length.

BTW IMHO, don't really need to crimp for an AR unless it's full auto.

FYI........Re-loading Die Adjustments

www.chuckhawks.com/adjust_reloading_dies.htm

Aloha, Mark

PS.........A single station is GREAT for re-loading rifle cartridges. I have a Dillon but, find the Rock Chucker better for the way I'm doing things.  YMWV.

Another step that hasnt been specifically discussed is expanding the mouth of the case to receive the bullet. If the mouth of the case is not expanded sufficiently to get the bullet started it will result in a small crease in the case that will worsen as you step through the bullet-seating and taper-crimp process. What you end up with is a cartridge that takes on the appearance of what you have described. I know (as many, many others know) because we have made the same mistake---matter of fact, there are few mistakes that I havent made while getting a little experience under my belt. And, I suspect that I will continue to make a few mistakes as I get better in the 'art' of reloading.

Some of these videos from Lee Precision have really helped me out.