First reloads and question

[V-fib]

yay! Loaded my first 5 rounds of .38 using my Lee classic Loader. The only thing I did different was to use a Lee hand primer instead of pounding them in. (too many youtube vids said that once in ahwile a primer may go off pounding them in and that was all I needed to hear. Safety first!) Anyway I loaded some DEWC MBC bullets with 2.0 gr 700X. Shot them off and they did great! The Lee Dipper gives me a consistent 2.2 gr. Could I use this amount (2.2 vs 2.0) and weigh say every 5th charge instead of weighing each charge?

thanks.

V-fib

 

[StandingTall]

"pounding them in" ???

 

[TfflHndn]

Presuming that you're using a 148 grain bullet since that's the only one that has a 2 grain start load or anything in the twos, you have answered your own question. Your dipper gives you a CONSISTENT 2.2 grains, which is well within the 2.0 to 2.5 listed range (for a 148 LHBWC) then you should be fine. Weighing periodically to make sure you're not changing something in your dipping technique is a good idea, but if you are truling getting consistent dips I don't know that I would weigh every fifth round. Maybe every 10 or 15. The dipper is not going to change, and if you are consistent and getting consistent results, then often enough to make sure you're not deviating from your pattern should be often enough.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

"pounding them in" ???

I'm think he was referring to a Lee Classic Loader.

 

[V-fib]

Yep Standing Tall, that's the only part of the Lee Classic loader I don't like is the pounding of the primers.

Thanks TfflHndn, Thought it would be ok but wanted a 2nd opinion.

V-fib

 

[*NOVA*]

Lord help me I've only been reloading about 5 months now, but IMO using the phrase "Pounding In" primers conjures up a vision of an extremely UNSAFE practice!
Never heard it expressed that way; I should think PRESSING them in is a much more accurate description?

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Lord help me I've only been reloading about 5 months now, but IMO using the phrase "Pounding In" primers conjures up a vision of an extremely UNSAFE practice!
Never heard it expressed that way; I should think PRESSING them in is a much more accurate description?

Not with a Lee Classic Loader, you actually use a hammer to seat the primers in the cases. That loader is a dedicated one cartridge handloader.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/459280/lee-classic-loader-38-special

 

[KansasSasquatch]

Lord help me I've only been reloading about 5 months now, but IMO using the phrase "Pounding In" primers conjures up a vision of an extremely UNSAFE practice!
Never heard it expressed that way; I should think PRESSING them in is a much more accurate description?

Not with a Lee loader. It really is more like pounding.

25 seconds into the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjRzeZJaHpI

 

[StandingTall]

I'm think he was referring to a Lee Classic Loader.

Ah....understood.

 

[V-fib]

Lord help me I've only been reloading about 5 months now, but IMO using the phrase "Pounding In" primers conjures up a vision of an extremely UNSAFE practice! Never heard it expressed that way; I should think PRESSING them in is a much more accurate description?

Yes, I suppose you could say "tap them in" but in more than one you tube video the guy says something like "once in awile a primer will go off It's a little unnerving but it won't hurt you." that's why I went with the Lee hand primer which presses the primer in. pounding them in conjured up visions of explosions much like when I used to pound roll caps with a hammer when i was a kid.

 

[il.bill]

The Lee Hand Primer was a good decision. I was literally 'popping' 8-15% of the primers I tried to tap into my .38 spl. cases with the Lee Classic Loader. With the hand primer my 'goof up' rate is now consistently 0-2%.

 

[V-fib]

originally posted by il.bill
The Lee Hand Primer was a good decision. I was literally 'popping' 8-15% of the primers I tried to tap into my .38 spl. cases with the Lee Classic Loader. With the hand primer my 'goof up' rate is now consistently 0-2%.

you still have primers go off (2%) with the hand primer?

V-fib

 

[Potatohead]

Speaking of the hand primers (RCBS in my case), how would you be able to seat any differently? I mean people say, seat them this deep or seat them that deep, but their aint but one way to do it with one of those right? Squeeze the handle...?

 

[V-fib]

I always make sure I clean the primer pocket, squeeze them in and ......done.

V-fib

 

[Haxby]

That's a very light load, meant for a hollow base wadcutter. You're loading a solid base wadcutter. I don't think you can find any source that recommends that light of a load with that bullet.

 

[rcmodel]

That's a very good point Haxby.

Lyman #49 shows a starting load with a solid base LWC & 700-X being 2.9 grains.

You might should bump it up to at least 2.5 - 2.6, somewhere in there.

rc

 

[V-fib]

per my book: For speer 148 gr. HBWC start 2.6 max 2.9

Lyman148 gr. (linotype)? #35863 looks like a DEWC start 2.0 gr. Max 3.5gr

Lyman 148 gr. (linotype)? #35891 looks like a DEWC with a slight tip Start 2.0 gr and a max 3.6 gr.

What do they mean by Linotype?

so my range could be 2.0- 3.0 to be safe?

thanks for the help

V-fib

 

[Haxby]

Speer lists different data for their hbwc and their bbwc. Your bullet is more like their bbwc. Speer uses different seating depths for the 2 bullets.
My Lyman book shows a starting load of 2.7 gr 700X with a 148 gr solid base wc.
Linotype is a lead alloy.
If Lyman shows a 2.0 gr load, I got to figure it's safe. The lightest max load I see for a sbwc is 3.3 gr. That's a standard pressure 38 special load, so it's still a pretty light, completely safe load.

 

[V-fib]

Thank you Haxby.

v-fib

 

[Dave Bulla]

Hey V-fib, have you looked into buying the Lee dipper set? There are I think 12 or 14 different size dippers in a set and also a charge table/slide chart that lists what dippers throw what charges for all different powders. They are always on ebay but honestly, you can usually walk into a sporting goods store like Cabela's and buy them cheaper. Around $14 to $15 for the set last time I saw them.

Also, with the dipper set and a scale, you can custom tailor your load. Say you want a charge of 2.5 grains of a given powder and the chart lists one dipper at 2.0 grains for that powder and the next size dipper at 3.0 grains. Neither is exactly right and would require you to weigh each charge and trickle the powder to get the charge you want. The solution is to use the dipper that gives a 3.0 grain charge and cut a thin cardboard shim that just fits inside the dipper, press it flush to the bottom and then try weighing a few dippers. If you are now getting say 2.8 grains (.2 grains less than the dipper with no shim) another shim wil put you down another .2 grains to 2.6 grains. Putting in another shim or maybe a couple, of just plain paper can get you to exactly 2.5 grains.

Be aware, I'm just pulling #'s out of the air for the sake of making a point. Your results will vary based on size of the dipper, thickness of the cardboard etc. The biggest hurdle is cutting nice clean circles that are a snug fit in the dipper. I've used various caliber case mouths "sharpened" with a case mouth champher tool and it works if you don't get heavy handed.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

What do they mean by Linotype?

Linotype is a type of printing machine used a lot in the newspaper industry. The typeset was done with a hard lead alloy that we now call Linotype. It's a lead alloy of 84/12/4 which is 84% lead, 12% antimony and 4% tin. Like I said, Linotype lead alloy is very hard, rated @ 22 BHN. In contrast pure lead is ~5 BHN and Lyman #2 Alloy is ~15 BHN.

 

[V-fib]

Dave,
yes I do have the dipper set and you reminded me about the use of shims to get a specific charge. It would be easier than making a dipper out of a spent shell too. I have also read about others drilling a hole in the bottom of a dipper, inserting a threaded screw and then turning it in and out to increase/decrease the capacity/volume of the dipper.

ArchAngelCD, thanks for the explanation.

V-fib

 

[Lost Sheep]

Lord help me I've only been reloading about 5 months now, but IMO using the phrase "Pounding In" primers conjures up a vision of an extremely UNSAFE practice!
Never heard it expressed that way; I should think PRESSING them in is a much more accurate description?

"Tapping" them in might be more descriptive.

Wear eye protection when handling primers, whether using a mallet, a press, hand primer or even just transferring them from original packaging to a primer flipper.

Primer are very difficult to ignite accidentally, but they are a classic example of the "Low probability, High consequence" event we truly hate to have happen.

Good luck. Thanks for asking our advice.

Lost Sheep

 

[Dave Bulla]

One other tip on the Lee Loader...

For those of you having issues with popping primers this may help. See if you can scrounge up a piece of steel about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick and about 6X6 inches. Round off the corners then glue a piece of foam rubber to the bottom side with contact cement. Something like a beer can cozy cut down the middle and unrolled or a piece of a foam sleeping pad like used for camping would work. I got lucky and found some black closed cell foam rubber that is about like a wrestling mat but only about 3/8 thick. Trim neatly around the edges with a razor blade or sharp knife after it's glued on.

You now have a working platform that acts as an anvil but doesn't make a ton of noise when you hit it and doesn't seem to harm the die either.

You also have an advantage in how it sounds when you are seating the primer. Lots of folks use a wooden board to work on but with the steel plate you can hear when the primer is seated. Sort of goes tink, tink, tink, CLUNK and you stop. If you've ever seated a bearing or bushing in a steel part you may have noticed the same difference in sound when the part finally hits bottom.

I've made several of these and they work great. I used to use a wooden cutting board and worked at the kitchen table but it made a heck of a racket and was hard on the cutting board.

Also, I've gotten to where I just hold the die body in my left fist when doing the sizing step since this was probably the noisiest part of the whole process. Pinky finger is curled under the bottom of the die and I've got a good grip with the rest of my fingers and whack, whack, whack, it's done. I even hold it when I knock the primers out. Hmmm, maybe my noise reduction is due more to how I hold it than what my work surface is made of...

One of these days I want to make a video but I don't know how to upload it.

 

[V-fib]

Dave, you could probably Google "how to upload a video to Youtube" and get some help. Some of the youtubes on using the Lee Classic Loader are very informative others downright unsafe.

So you use the Lee Classic loader? Ever consider the Hand Primer instead of "tapping in" the primers? I just changed the steps to facilitate the use of the hand primer then wrote them down went through my "new" steps loading a shell (kind of a dry run) and went from there. Never have pounded/tapped in a primer yet, just seems too unsafe.

anyway, good luck and thanks for your comments

v-fib