using my sizing die right??????

I am relatively new to reloading....I'd say I've made 500 rounds and fired 200 of them. I have a single-stage Lee press and use lee dies.

My question first...is it possible to "screw-up" the sizing step?

Now my explanation....

I was loading 44-mag for the first time tonight and 50% of my attempts ended in the bulled "smashing" the case. When I pulled it out of the die, the bullet had cut the brass instead of seating into it and getting crimped.

After a few :cuss: session, I started to be able to recognize a bad seat before I ruined the brass. I would back it out of the die, adjust the bullet to make sure it wasn't misaligned. If the bullet didn't seat right the first time, I couldn't get it to seat in subsequent attempts.

I put the decapper/sizing die in and ran a few of the problematic casing through it. Of these, half of them worked the second time around.

Am I screwing up my sizing step? Is there something with the Lee die that is quirky?

Tell us about how you set up your flaring die?

Yes, sounds like the typical "insufficient" belling of the case mouth.

Yep, belling problem.

I put the decapper/sizing die It is not the sizing die you need to adjsut or worry about.
One trip through it is all it takes.

The powder through expander die is the step you seem to be missing.

You flare or bell the case mouth with it just enough the bullet doesn't catch on the case mouth when you seat it.

Then the seating and crimp die straightens out the bell and crimps the case to the bullet.

rc

Flare some more.....Just enough to where you can actually set the bullet on top of the case and it sits on the case without falling over. That should be enough. Then try seating.

A little bit of chamfering in the case mouth will help too. Just enough to break the sharp edge on the ID.

My Lee dies will only allow so much bell & iron anything over that back on the way out. My .380 is just enough to get a .357 bullet in there. Over belling just makes it worse.

I've actually completely eliminated the belling step from reloading. I still crimp those cases that require it, and 44 mag. is deffinitely among those needing a crimp. I do a light ream and chamfer, and this allows the bullet to set straight on the case mouth, and then it just glides in without any shaving or mis-alignment issues. But for a new reloader, I strongly suggest you lightly bell the mouths with the powder/belling die. It's no added step and will quickly solve your problem.

This, as a lot of the guys pointed out is a definite belling problem. I bell all of my .44 mags just enough to start the hardned lead bullet. I have measured it and it usually measures .002" or less. On nickle cases, I use .003. It seems the nickle plating is hair stronger than brass. After belling, bullet is seated with NO issues. Crimp is full with Unique powder. I like to bell at the smallest amount possible. This really does help the brass live longer. Good luck and happy reloading.

Buy a two step expander by Lyman or Redding. Good stuff.

A great reference I use all the time is the Lee website and their terrific self-help videos. Just starting out it is easy to mis-adjust dies and the videos are superior to the often confusing or just generally poor printed instructions.

http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Single-Station-Adj.html

Happy Viewing.