[halvey]

I *tried* to load up my first batch of .308 tonight.

I am using: once fired Lake City brass (most likely came from a machine gun) and Federal large rifle primers on a Dillon 550B.

I lube, deprime, then trim the brass. When I try to seat the primer, it only goes half way in. Yes I tried cleaning out the pocket and yes I tried *real hard* to seat the primer. I'm a newbie for rifle reloading, but have loaded thousands of pistol rounds.

Is it the brass? The primers? Any suggestions?

[ocabj]

The primer crimp on the brass probably wasn't removed.

[Northwest Cajun]

Yep , the primer crimp needs to be removed. Dillion sells a real nice one if you have a couple hundred to do OR you could use the little tool that you de burr the case mouth with after you trim them. Just twist the pointed end in the primer pucket a few times and thats it!
It looks like the attechment.

Cajun

[halvey]

:) Thanks guys.:)

I have the Lee case trimmer like the one here:
http://www.cabelas.com/products/Cpod0003098.jsp

That should get rid of the primer crimp for me? Sorry to sound so helpless here, but I'm at work, don't have acces to my case trimmer, and will swing by Gander to pick up different brass (or a new tool) if what I have won't work for me.

Thanks again.

[molonlabe]

This is what I use
http://www.rcbs.com/default.asp?men...;s2=3&s3=16 Works for small and large primer pockets. All military brass have a crimp in the primer area. If used in a military type rifle (with a floating firing pin) I use CCI 5primers as they ar considered harder and less prone to slam Fires.

[Dave R]

I'm pretty sure your Lee Case Trimmer will NOT de-crimp primer pockets.

But I have successfully used the chamfer tool on .308 brass. Works like a charm. They are about $8, IIRC.

You'll need one for chamfering and de-burring your brass after you trim it anyway, so might as well get it.

[Dave P]

halvey, try a 1/2" wood counterbore in your drill press. Has worked pretty well for me, and is really cheap.

[halvey]

Since I am loading on the Dillon 550B, would it make sense to get that decapper and base combo to punch out the primers?

The problem I see is on station one, it resizes and deprimes the case. But then I have to remove it to trim the length. So I either need to be able to trim without depriming - which I can't do with the case length gage and cutter tool from what I can tell, or deprime first then run through the sizer.

Now, I have to lube to deprime, pull the case, trim it, then put back push the primer in.

This rifle reloading is more complicated than pistol. :-)

[Tim51]

Halvey,
I too am new to reloading but just the other night I loaded my first .223 rounds (lake city cases) on my 550. I only loaded 20 rounds because I am trying to work up a load, but I just used station one to size and deprime the cases. I wouldn't get the decapper and base to punch out the primers. Just use the 550 to do that.

I also have the lee case trimmer, which will not get rid of the primer crimp in military brass. For this you need the chamfer tool, which you should aready have since you are trimming your brass. This $2.98 part chamfers and deburrs the case necks after trimming. A few turns in the primer pocket will get rid of the crimp.

Very true, rifle reloading is a lot more involved than pistol reloading. A lot more case prep is required!

Just go slow, check and re-check.

Stay safe,

Tim

[Sven]

Speaking from what I've heard... think about getting two tool heads for your 550, and deprime/resize/trim/prep brass as a separate step.

If you are shooting machine gun brass be VERY CAREFUL if you are planning on shooting your reloads in an M1A or anything else with a floating firing pin. If you aren't careful, the brass may be shaped wierdly, the round may only partially chamber, and the firing pin may strike the primer on your round with the bolt open! Full-length resizing is a must for the M1A.

Although these PDFs are over the top, they are required reading if you are loading for the M1A - they are out of date in some regards (eg, Varget is actually NOT too slow for an M1A) but have a lot of good advice... my only complaint is the 'downhome' vernacular...

http://www.zediker.com/downloads/m14.html

[ClarkEMyers]

Assuming machine gun brass - I decap with a punch and base set. Swage the primer pocket - I think it is more uniform and no more trouble - less trouble for me in quantity but my hands are getting old and sometimes my joints ache. yours may not - tumble the brass clean and size in a small base die with Imperial wax clean again then prime with a hand tool to be sure the pockets feel right for the first trip around circuit. After that spray lube and machine all the way is fine by me -