I got my reloading kit in today!!!!!!!!

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.41 magnum man

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Wooo, hooo. :) My Lee Classic Turret Press came in. I've got it all set up. I don't have any primers or powder yet, but I did get to resize some cases and knock out the old primers. Probably a word for that, but being new to reloading, I can't remember it. Depriming, maybe? Anyway, I'm tickled with it. The press is made very well. Some of the accessories are plastic, but everything goes together good, and is pretty ingenious the way it all works. I think the directions on setting it up could be a little better, but I figured it out. (When all else fails, look at the pictures. :D )

I made me a reloading bench in the corner of my taxidermy shop. I have plenty of room, and it is out of the way.

Well, I know this isn't nothing truly exciting to anyone else, but it tickles the heck out of me! Hopefully, I'll have some powder and primers by the first of the week and can get to making some new loads for my Ruger.

Catch you all later.
 
resize some cases and knock out the old primers. Probably a word for that,
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You may be looking for "decapping". Although there's nothing wrong with the term "depriming."

Most people assume depriming when you're resizing. But they don't ALWAYS happen together. That's why you can buy dedicated decapping dies.

Congrats on your new press! Let us know when you fire your first rounds. That's always a hoot.
 
.41 magnum man,

Buy your powder/primers locally if you can to avoind HazMat fees if you order that stuff online, or, get a few reloading friends to go in with you and make a bulk purchase to spread-out the HazMat fee.

Enjoy your reloading stuff, even the plastic (nylon) items.

And don't forget: "If it ain't broke, you're not trying."

-- John D.

P.S. You might want to download/view the "help" video clips for your press, dies, powder measure, etc., at the Lee Precision website.
-- JD
 
LEE

Always use full strokes and do not turn it while stroking. There is an extra little black square in the kit, keep it in a safe place. It's a fine press, read the instructions and go to lee precision.com for the videos on how to operate it. See you on the floor of the range picking up extra brass! :D
 
Congrats on the arrival. I am new to this stuff too. Lots of great people and info here. I've only loaded 400 rounds so far, but love it. Just got my tumbler/vibrater from ups today. Tried putting them in old stockings the wife had and running them in the dishwasher, lol. Was ok but not .Good luck and pick up all the manuals you can. there like 2nd opinions. enjoy, Bob
 
get your powder/primers from www.powdervalleyinc.com His prices are so low that it looks like he's running a scam, but the guy who runs it seems nice enough and I've done quite a bit of business with him without any issue whatsoever.
 
I just got the bug a few weeks ago myself. The Lee kit is an excellent value. I've got 300 rounds through mine in the past 2 weeks with no problems. I'll second the powder/primers local suggestion then order your bullets online. If your range is like mine you'll never have to worry about brass.
 
If you haven't read this article and looked at the great pictures, do it now.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/reviews2006/leeturretpress/index.asp

It is the best and most complete description of how to set the Classic Turret Press up and how to operate it.

You have a great press. I have loaded thousands of rounds on mine. Just don't go rotating that turret by hand when the ram is all the way down. You will ding up the square ratchet gear that causes the indexing. In normal use that gear will last a long, long time.
 
I checked the link Kellyj00 provided - those are good prices. However for hazmat items, I can get them locally for e.g. $2.00 per 1000 primers more. But if I could put together a bulk order here in Phoenix...then we'd be talking substantial savings.
 
ditto...

i found the surplus rifle link while reseaching the lee press and i was :D glad i did... lee directions leave a lot to be desired.

there are more than a few classic turret users here, so speak up if we can help... i really enjoy mine and i'm already researching the loadmaster as a second press ;)

and if you ever need to replace the infamous black ratchet, i found an easier way than the norm... slide the ratchet on the index rod FIRST then carefully load it in the in the clamp that surrounds the ram...

enjoy!

ps... when i called the lee folks, they were awesome by the way, the tech advised to make sure that the turret and the press that supports the turret are cleaned and then lightly lubricated before use... i used some Breakfree on a paper towel to clean & lube...

keeping the turret spinning without drag is important he said
 
get your powder/primers from www.powdervalleyinc.com His prices are so low
Click to expand...

Be careful of the hazmat fees.

When you are starting out, checking out different powders - buying small quantities - the hazmat fee makes a bug difference. When you are buying a pound at a time, which is what I do right now, the hazmat fee is more than the cost of the powder. :uhoh:

I can buy a 9 oz Trail Boss for about $15 locally, it's $30 (with hazmat) from Powder Valley.

When you have found a load you like and want to buy in quantity, then maybe you'll save money.

I am not in any way denigrating Powder Valley (or any other mail order suppy). The hazmat fee is what it is.

Mike
 
Thanks for the tips.

I saw that little square thing-a-ma-jigger, and wondered what it was. I'm still wondering what it is. Is that the gear that rotates the turret? I did turn that turret by hand a couple times. :uhoh: I hope it will be okay. I won't do that anymore. I am not in the shop right now, but I am guessing it must go in the part that keeps the shell holder? At least I did put it in a drawer instead of throwing it away!

I have a place locally that I can get powder and primers. I called earlier and was given a price on H110 for $19.00 Sounds pretty reasonable to me. In Cabelas the price is $24.00 And of course the haz-mat fees on top of that.

I am excited to shoot some reloads in my gun. I'll have to let you know if I still have all my fingers afterwards. To you other fellows just starting out, it appears we have a neat, new hobby on our hands. :)
 
;) that tiny little piece goes on the index rod, the one with the twist in it, and it is what makes the whole turret thing happen... the piece is hidden from view in a black plastic clamp closed with a philips head screw that surrounds the base of the ram...

make sure you keep the extra, when i screwed up mine, i didn't have the benefit of experience from guys like benedict for their wisdom which doesn't :fire: appear in the less than comprehensive directions from lee.

however, i called lee and six of the little buggers at my door in three days, at no charge, even tho it was my fault... once i got my act together, i haven't messed one up and i'm well over 2,000 rounds done
 
Here is the story on the square, nylon black ratchet gear--it is the heart of the auto-indexing system--

Lee Classic Turret Press--Index ratchet gear, Turret Indexing and Proper turret alig
There seems to be real confusion about turret alignment and the role the square, nylon ratchet plays in rotation of the index rod on The Lee Classic Turret Press. An experienced reloading friend who has one of these presses, as I and many others do, put together a brief writeup to clear up why the ratchet is made of the material it is; what it does; how to align the turret, if necessary, and NOT strip the nylon ratchet; and how to replace it if needed. In normal use the ratchet should last for years but if abused through wrong attempts to correct turret misalignment it will be damaged.

Remember, the press also carries a two year warranty. If you should have trouble with a ratchet gear call Lee and ask for a couple of replacements under the warranty.

THIS APPLIES TO THE CLASSIC TURRET PRESS or older models of the 4-hole press also. It does NOT apply to a 3-hole turret press; they are adjusted in another manner.
--------------------------***********************-------------------------------------
Open the attachment by clicking the link below. If you open in Notepad be certain that Word Wrap is turned on or you will lose the formatting.
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Many of us have tried to help new press owners with this issue and we hope that this will go a long way toward solving the problem.
Attached Files
File Type: txt http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=58931&d=1181080815
 
Well, I know this isn't nothing truly exciting to anyone else, but it tickles the heck out of me!
Click to expand...

Heck, I get excited when other people gets new stuff.

You go man.;)
 
You're not really going to start with H-110 are you?

I did, but if I had it to do over...
OK, I'd do it again.

We'll see you back here when you notice the conflicts between manuals and notice that you'd better not reduce loads by 10% -- H-110 / W296 do not suffer reduced loads with grace.

I think it was worth it, but I made heavy use of the knowledge here.


Actually, I started metallics with Trail Boss, but that doesn't count for any number of reasons.
 
Well, I bought some powder today, but instead of the H 110, I went with the Alliance 2400, just because the guy there says he uses it and likes it. They won't have any primers until next week.
By the way, I made another post about primers, and would appreciate if you would check that out too, and give me your thoughts.
Thanks for being interested in my new hobby. Well, I guess you would be since it is your hobby too!
 
Cool Beans!

Glad to hear you like the press. Got my classic turret from Kempf Gun Shop about 2 months ago. I been putting together 45 acp and 44 mag. I just love it.

If I might suggest 1 inexpensive addition to your press, check out the post by RustyFN here. I got a pack of 2 lights at my my local harbor freight for about $11.00. I think this is ingenious, lets you see inside the casing while it is in the press.http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=277322&highlight=light

ENJOY the addiction 41 magnum man.
 
.41 magnum man congrats on the new press. If you have any questions or problems let us know. The way I look at ordering powder and primers is the cheap price on the net quickly makes up for the hazmat fee. When you can buy 1,000 primers for $17 compared to $29 local, it doesn't take much. I just placed an order for 55,000 primers ( that's $16 per 1,000 ) and if you can go in with some friends you can really save some money. If you buy from Powdervalley or Graf&Sons they will ship powder and primers together for the one hazmat fee. Again congrats and welcome to this crazy addiction.
Rusty
 
One thing I can share from my own experience and reading the troubles others have had: The Lee Autodisc powder measures work best with non-flake type powders. I started with Win231 in my .45ACP loads and it throws very consistent charges. Ball powders work really well in this setup.
 
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