New reloader

Congratulations and welcome to the addiction! That's a really nice setup for a beginner and the Lee turret is a great press to start with. What loads did you use? I like CFE in the 223, I'd stick with it if I could find more.

For being tossed together your bench looks very good. I also like the lighting you have.

Now you can start the never ending quest for the perfect load for every single shootin iron you own.

Congratulations.

By the way, I like your sig line.

Start loads can be hit or miss in some firearms. If I'm doing a completely new load, I like to have 10 rounds of several different mid range loads (mid range based on comparing a couple manuals and ideally what has worked for others in the same range). For example, my first time out with 2400 in 44mag (240gr plated), I had loads of 17.0 gr, 17.5 gr, 18.0 gr, and 18.5gr. I found 17.5gr worked great. On the other hand, I did 3 loads with H110 - 23.0 gr, 23.5 gr, and 24.0 gr. 24.0 gr is stout, but 23.0 gr seemed stouter and showed more pressure signs and slightly flattened primers than 23.5 gr. So the max load was the best. Go figure. In my pistol, there was only 100fps difference between the H110 and the 2400 at 17.5 gr.

BTW, H110 is not a powder that tolerates reduced loads well. It works very well in the applications it is best suited for.

Looks great. Nice and neat and well organized.

Make sure you are correctly resizing your brass and your successfully made reloads should increase to 100%. On pistol brass, make sure your sizing die just kisses the base of your press. On rifle brass, make sure you push the shoulder back -.004 from where it was after being fired from the rifle. Use of a case guage and shoulder gauge are very helpful. Crimp is another important step. Under crimped pistol brass will not chamber. Too much crimp and accuracy will adversely be affected. Rifle brass can go either way on crimping. I do like to taper crimp .223 used in an AR. I do like to very lightly crimp non-cannelured bullets. Bullet heads with a cannelure can be crimped a little more. You will get varying opinions on the crimping of rifle rounds. I only crimp rifle rounds used in a semi auto in order to avoid bullet set back.

CB

Congrats and welcome YOU WILL become addicted.
So I hav been selling off some excess on gunbroker and never did I think bids would
Go so hi. So I cant send you primers but I can send you some
Primed 308 brass have 40 to 50 let me know what other stuff you are loading and ill fill a flat rate
Box I have a few to a lot of most odd ball stuff.
Pm me with ur info and ill ship today. Yes for free.

Welcome. Even though you've successfully assembled a few rounds, I'd suggest you get a copy of "The ABCs of Reloading" and "Lyman's 49th Edition Reloading Handbook". http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ld-keywords=the abcs of reloading&sprefix=the abcs of reloading,stripbooks,228&rh=n:283155%2Ck%3Athe%20abcs%20of%20reloading. Still a bunch of stuff to learn and you should get some other reloading manuals too (one from the manufacturer of the bullet you're using and one from the manufacturer of the powder you're using, minimum).

Go slow, double check everything, and enjoy!

Great looking setup there, my bench is also an old aquarium stand that I used for 3 50 gallon breeders, but I tossed that hobby aside for a new one! I sport the ipad and lee turret press on the bench as well.

I didnt know lee made clear hoppers, my red ones are getting so foggy from use that I can barely see the powder level.

I always say reloading is almost better than sucking air. Welcome!!!!