Die question and shell holder storage

[Peter M. Eick]

I was reading in Handloader that RCBS has a shell holder storage box and I had to laugh. I buy shell holders for ever die and buy new dies for every caliber so I never reuse a shell holder. Thus I have I guess the same dies for 38 special, 357 magnum and 357 maximum, but I do save the time of resetting them. In each of the boxes I have a shell holder and die plate along with a redding profile crimper or FCD die as the caliber warrants.

So, I was curious who else does not reuse shell holders between calibers?

 

[ReloaderFred]

I also dedicate a shellholder to a particular sizing die. Shellholders vary in thickness, so switching shellholders, especially with bottleneck rounds, will cause variances in headspace. I spend too much time setting up my dies to the proper headspace to have it changed by using another shellholder.

With straight walled pistol rounds, I usually take the shellholder with the thinnest measurement between the bottom of the slot and the top of the shellholder and dedicate it to sizing, since the die will be allowed to size further down the case with that shellholder.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[brickeyee]

I started purchasing a shell holder for every die set many years ago.
Just store it in the box.

 

[Hawk]

Each of the die boxes I have for my sorta-new single stage has a shell holder and profile crimp die in the box.

All 3 of 'em.

But this thread has me thinking it's a good habit to get into so I'll stick to it as the selection expands.