[atblis]

:cuss:
I have this love hate relationship with Lee reloading stuff. I use a lot of their dies, and they are generally pretty good.

Two in a row now, I've gotten lock stud holder thingies that are so crooked they're pretty much unusable. :banghead: When you chuck them in a drill and spin a case, the case walks all over the place.

[rcmodel]

Thats just the way they are I think.

I use my Lee cutter/pilot in a drill press, and hand-hold the case from spinning.

The drill press table becomes the depth stop.

rc

[flashhole]

I bought their 3-Jaw Chuck, it does the same function as the Lock Stud and Shell Holder but it is universal, not cartridge specific. It does not exhibit the wobble you are describing.

[ranger335v]

"When you chuck them in a drill and spin a case, the case walks all over the place. "

In my experience, most of that wobble comes from the case, not the holder.

[Hondo 60]

I use an electric screwdriver & haven't noticed any wobble.

Just make sure the case is firmly seated all the way to the back of the holder
and lock it down tight

[Uniquedot]

Just make sure the case is firmly seated all the way to the back of the holder
and lock it down tight
__________________

Yep, if i get one wobbly, i know the case is not all the way in the holder. Just loosen it, adjust it, tighten it...and continue.

[atblis]

In my experience, most of that wobble comes from the case, not the holder.

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/atblis/MVI_0097.AVI

I've actually had three of these things. The first one worked fine. Lost that one. Bought another. It was crooked. Bought another rather than sending it back to Lee. It just as bad. Will probably send both back at this point.

If I go slow and let the pilot/cutter follow the case around, it works okay. Just kind of annoying.

You can see the wobble with no case or holder on it.

[jamesicus]

I now only reload a few cartridges each session and therefor I just rotate the cutter by hand.

http://jp29.org/reload30.JPG


Lee case trimmers have always performed satisfactorily for me.

James

[TexasShooter59]

My first experience with this was recently. I used a rechargeable screwdriver and there was a little wobble, but I seated the case a little better and it was fine.

My problem with it was the shaft getting stuck in the cutter. When I tried to use pliers to get it out, it roughed up the shaft to the point of not going inside the case mouth! Had to sand it down to use it, and it's still stuck in the cutter!!!

[jamesicus]

:cuss:
I have this love hate relationship with Lee reloading stuff. I use a lot of their dies, and they are generally pretty good.

Two in a row now, I've gotten lock stud holder thingies that are so crooked they're pretty much unusable. :banghead: When you chuck them in a drill and spin a case, the case walks all over the place.
Check the Lee Tech Assistant - Case Preparation: http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/faq/index.cgi

James

[ArchAngelCD]

I use a Lee Zip Trim. Any wobble seems to effect the operation less because the Zip Trim doesn't generate the speeds a drill will.

[paperpuncher49]

Like anything else, you get what you pay for.

[atblis]

I actually prefer this trim system over others, and think it works great. I just wish Lee would tighten up a little.

[Ranger J]

I have one for each caliber and all work fine. I use mine in a 'dedicated' power drill and the only wobble I ever get is when I have not locked the case into the proper position in the holder. Don't know how many thousand of cases I have used them on with no trouble. Mine are all several years old.

RJ

[rbernie]

I think that the Lee trim system is the finest that I've tried; my Lyman and such have been given away.

I bought their 3-Jaw Chuck, it does the same function as the Lock Stud and Shell Holder but it is universal, not cartridge specific. It does not exhibit the wobble you are describing. And this is the key, for me. I had issues with the shell holders not being consistent, but the three jaw chuck works superbly in my cordless drill.

[cfullgraf]

I see some wobble of the case as it is turned. The case gauge inside of the neck of the case will keep the cutter true to the case mount as long as you do not force the cutter to stay in one position. Allow the cutter to float with the case.

Sometimes I find it difficult to lock the case into the shell holder. One can tighten the shell holder tighter than by hand if necessary by choosing a appropriately sized open end wrench that fits over the opening in the shell holder. The shell holder then can be snugged a little tighter and prevent the case from walking out of the shell holder. An adjustable wrench can work but I find a fixed open wrench is more convenient.

I use a battery powered screw driver to spin the case. I find a drill motor spins the case too fast and tends to shorten the life of the cutter.

The screw driver that I have uses AA batteries. Most of the time I use rechargeable AA batteries but I have the option of using disposables if my rechargeable are short of electrons.

I use the Lee trimmer for everything that there is a case gauge for. Otherwise, I use a L E Wilson/Sinclair trimmer.

[flashhole]

One thing I found helps true things up with the Lee Lock Stud - I drag the bottom of the case across a sheet of fine emery paper to remove any high spots from the head stamp. I don't use a lot of downward force and I am careful to hold it perpendicular to the table top.

[jamesicus]

One thing I found helps true things up with the Lee Lock Stud - I drag the bottom of the case across a sheet of fine emery paper to remove any high spots from the head stamp. I don't use a lot of downward force and I am careful to hold it perpendicular to the table top.
Good tip, flashhole, thank you!

James

[Ruger GP100 fan]

One thing I found helps true things up with the Lee Lock Stud - I drag the bottom of the case across a sheet of fine emery paper to remove any high spots from the head stamp. I don't use a lot of downward force and I am careful to hold it perpendicular to the table top.


I've been thinking about doing the same and maybe some of the variations may be due to mixed brass...different manufacturers. A post I read here on THR just after I joined and had just started reloading suggested using one brass maker only and I took that to heart. I think it has worked well for me and intend to (try to) stick with Winchester brass for my 22-250s.
As for TexasShooter59's mention of messing up the shaft up while putting in on and off,my set has a portion of the shaft turned undersized. That's where I grab it with pliers and a piece of cloth or something between shaft and pliers.

[flashhole]

James - what cartridge is that in the picture?

[jamesicus]

James - what cartridge is that in the picture?
.458 Lott.

[flashhole]

Lots of elephants and rhinos in Arizona? :)

I lived in Tucson years ago and don't remember anything more menacing than a peccary. That looks like a serious amount of recoil. Much more than my 45-70. What kind of gun do you have that shoots that beast?

[jamesicus]

.......... That looks like a serious amount of recoil. Much more than my 45-70. What kind of gun do you have that shoots that beast?
I am an old-time competitive high power rifle shooter who loves accurate bolt action rifles that have classic lines and walnut stocks. I have always been particularly captivated by the romance of dangerous game rifles and, when I was a young man, enjoyed shooting them very much. The recoil and muzzle blast of most full power center fire rifle loads are uncomfortable for me now that I am in my eighties but I do enjoy firing range paper target shooting from the bench -- reduced IMR Trail Boss powder loads make high power rifles a joy to shoot during lengthy range sessions for me now (much reduced recoil and muzzle blast) and accuracy is excellent. I mostly use optical sights and rifle rests these days due to diminished eyesight and trigger finger tremor.

I especially like the look, feel and function of my CZ 550 American Safari Magnum rifle in .458 Lott caliber:


http://jp29.org/lott25.JPG


James

[flashhole]

atblis - we're not looking to hijack your thread here but it has taken an interesting twist.

James, that CZ is a sweet rig. I had a 550 Full Stock for awhile but mine was in 243 Win. My 45-70 Guide Gun and 7mm Rem Mag are the biggest guns in my rack. Both very accurate with my handloads. Did you ever try any of the small bore stuff. They come with their own challenges but are a lot more economical to shoot. A few years back I bought a Rem 700 in 221 Fireball. What a hoot and real easy to load. I make my own cases from 223 brass and with some of the newer powders velocity is right on the heels of the 223.

[jamesicus]

atblis - we're not looking to hijack your thread here but it has taken an interesting twist.
But we are hijacking his thread, flashhole, and that is not fair to atblis. Therefor, my contribution below will be my final "wayward" posting on this thread.

.......... Did you ever try any of the small bore stuff. They come with their own challenges but are a lot more economical to shoot ...........
I was an avid varmint shooter in the 1950s and 60s and my favorite caliber was .220 Swift (a real screamer) - I re-loaded and shot many cartridges in that caliber through my Hart barreled Winchester model 70. I now enjoy shooting my Marlin .17 HMR (at paper targets).

James

[x_wrench]

i pretty much hate those things anyway. in my mind, you should be able to screw them in until the threads hit the cutter base, and the length should be set correctly. but that is not how they work at all. you have to mess around setting each one to the correct depth every time, and pray they dont move while you are trimming. i ended up putting loctitie on the threads of every one of the shafts, and now of course, i have to use pliars to adjust them. i actually sent them back to lee, and they said they were fine. i ended up buying a forester lathe type trimmer, and using that for most of my trimming work. if i have 1 or 2 cases to trim, i will occasionally dig out a lee cutter, and use it. i do not bother setting the depth any more. i just twist them a few turns, and check the case length. and repeat until it is where i want it. other than that, they just sit in a box collecting dust. some of lee's stuff, is top notch stuff, that you just can not beat. other things, are simply refugees from the trash can.

[flashhole]

You're right ... sorry

...to get back on track, this is what I do for manual operation when using the Lee Case Length Gage and Lock Stud. The nut driver and ball handle are a lot easier on the hands.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/GuideGun/casepreptools.jpg

... this is the power version.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/GuideGun/Firsttrim.jpg

[jamesicus]

You're right ... sorry

...to get back on track, this is what I do for manual operation when using the Lee Case Length Gage and Lock Stud. The nut driver and ball handle are a lot easier on the hands ....
Nice photographs of your equally nice set-ups, Flashhole. I do all of my case prep manually. I did buy a ball handle but I have not used it so far. The nut driver is a good idea - I will adopt your manual set-up shortly.

James

[flashhole]

The other things in the photo are the Lyman 50 BMG deburring tool (also easier on the hands) and the Baby Crock-O-Gator for cleaning primer pockets.

I purchased some wooden balls on evilBay, drilled them out and glued them to the trimmers ... again ... easier on the hands.