just started and have questions

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remmag

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hey all
i just purchased my reloading equipment and supplies yesterday, i gat alee turret press with dies scale etc
i have started loading for 45 apc and have a few questions
i got 45 cal led 200 grain bullets and unique powder
according to the lyman book i purchased , and the chart that comes with my dies the powder charge should begin at 6.0 grains, my reloading kit has the lee auto disc powder measure, thier conversion of 6.0 grains to cc is .66 but when i use the .66 disc and load a shell if i put that powder on my bench scale i show less than 6.0 grains, if i go up to the 7.1 cc disc i show 6.1 grains on my bench scale, i have loaded 1 bullet that way i am not sure what i need to do , i have zerod the bench scale and have run several charges and they consistantly show the above results
also with the lee dies do i need to run a factory crimp die or does my lee bullet seating die properly crimp the shell, in the instructions it saysif a crimp is desired screw in the die slightly and test until the proper crimp is formed ,how do i know when the proper crimp is formed and if i screw the die in will i not seat my bullet further, i dont think i want my bullet in further
thank you in advance for any help
 
Stop doing anything for a little while and get yourself a good manual on reloading. Seriously. I did not mean that to sound like a mean remark. Once you have the manual, read it. Then read it again. If you can find someone that has experience (Years) of reloading, ask if you can look over his shoulder. Pick someone that is VERY careful with everything they do. You will pick up some great knowledge and will have safe, inexpensive reloads. Enjoy. It is the best therapy in the world. Shooting your own ammunition is an incredible feeling. Good luck.
 
Is your press a 3 or 4 hole? I have the Classic Cast Turret and use a FCD just because I like to crimp in separate stages. If it's the 3 hole you can adjust the seating die to crimp in the same step it just takes a little adjusting to get it right. Here's how I adjust seat and crimp in the same step. Seat a bullet to desired OAL. Back out the center seating stem and screw the die in to get the desired crimp. Leave the cartridge in the die and turn the seating stem down to touch the bullet. You may have to play with the seating stem a little to get the correct OAL. The disc system is a little light on weight in my experiance too. I bought the adjustable charge bar and use it 99% of the time.
 
thanks for the responces , i am re-reading the manual and looking for someone to watch and learn from. no luck on that so far
mine is a 4 hole, i guess if i understand your responce correctly i do need to go ahead and get a fcd and crimp the 45 rounds, i am not sure what an adjustable charge bar is or who makes it,will it mount in the lee expander die
thanks fo the help and if anyone is around the knoxville tn area i would love to watch you load
 
I agree with Bigeye. Get the ABC's of reloading (a good place to start) and read it. Make sure you read instructions to your equipment and follow your load charts. Main thing is to read and understand the whole process. Then ask questions.
 
Unique is a somewhat difficult powder to measure by volume.

I doubt that 6.0 vs. 6.1 gr will make a difference if that's the starting load.

However, when you are just starting out, and especially with something like Unique, it may be wise to weigh each charge. That's the way I started out reloading but with a single stage press.

Ken

Ken
 
i show 6.1 grains on my bench scale
Click to expand...
6.1 Grs of Unique is fine. Cudos to you for checking what the scoop throws.

with the lee dies do i need to run a factory crimp die or does my lee bullet seating die properly crimp the shell,
Click to expand...
Yes, the seater can crimp. No, you don't need the FCD.

in the instructions it saysif a crimp is desired screw in the die slightly and test until the proper crimp is formed ,how do i know when the proper crimp is formed and if i screw the die in will i not seat my bullet further, i dont think i want my bullet in further
Click to expand...
After you have seated your bullet to the desired O.A.L., then you need to screw the seater stem back out a few turns, adjust the die doen to get the proper light taper crimp you need, and then screw the seater stem back down hard on top of the already seated bullet. Seat and crimp another round and make tiny adjustments if needed. If you adjust the crimp any, you will have to adjust the seater stem with it.

Link to a sample pic of a light taper crimp. You need to remove the bell, and perhaps a hair more. That is all. That thread has many pics of crimps in it.

The FCD has it's good and bad points. For a beginner I think it's a good thing.
Click to expand...
I don't. It hides problems. Learn without it first.


Don't take this wrong, but punctuation, capitals, and paragraphs are all good things when it comes to clarity.


Welcome to THR - AC
 
I'll throw in a welcome, too. Don't be afraid to post your questions. I have found that the people here mean well, but sometimes the responses could use a little polish. Don't let them scare you off, they are a great bunch with a lot of good advice and knowledge. Good luck with your new hobby.
 
thanks everyone
all the responces have been a great help, and i definatly understand how to set the die to have a crimp
i am going to read some more and re-read all the info given on here
thank you very much
 
Brings back memories as I first learned reloading from books and had not a soul to turn to for questions or advice other than the Hornady, Lyman and Sierra manuals purchased before deciding to take the plunge. Even after I sat down with all the required equipment, tools and components, those first baby steps were looong, careful steps. Seemed like it took all day to load my first box of 50 at the recommended starting loads. After shooting the first clyinder without a mishap, a sigh of relief. It's been a joy and a pleasurable hobby ever since.

Welcome to THR! beerchug.gif
 
remmag,
I also started reloading about 6 months ago. I too am in the unfortunate situation that NO ONE I know well enough reloads at all. I have a bunch of friends who I go to the range with, and am lucky enough (I guess) that they don't reload YET to get all the once fired brass from the CASES of .223 and .556 they bring :)
However, that seems to be coming to an end as more and more have asked ME to help them reload.

I started as you did by buying a kit, reading the manual and asking questions here and other reloading forums for ANYTHING I was unsure of. The THR bunch is for the most part extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I have since loaded thousands of rounds with only one set of problems- I forgot to put primers in a group of twenty cartridges before throwing powder in them. After seeing the powder coming out of the bottom of the 3rd or 4th round I figured this one out lol

Overall, the mechanics of reloading are very straightforward and simple, and you really don't NEED anyone to help you with it, but it sure is nice to have a place to ask questions. The only thing I constantly remind myself of is that this is one hobby that can be life and limb threatening if you don't PAY ATTENTION (more so after not priming those cartridges)

As for the crimping, yes if you do not adjust out the bullet seater, then screwing the die in for more crimp will seat the bullet deeper. The best way I have found is to get your bullet seated at the depth you want, seat a bullet in a dummy case, then UNSCREW the seater plug alot (4-5 turns) then screw the die in a 1/4 turn at a time until you get the crimp you want on the brass, THEN screw the seater plug down on the dummy round until you feel it hit the bullet. Lock all the lck rings, and you are now set to seat and crimp.

Some tips I can offer from the standpoint of a newbie myself are:
1) Don't try to do anything else while reloading. Some people say they watch TV or something, the most I do is have a radio on in the reloading room.
2) Check the manual, check the powder manufacturers website (all seem to have web based load data available) print out the website AND KEEP NOTES. I bought a cheap notebook and record ALL my loading data by date - how many cartridges of what caliber, what brass, how many times fired, charge and OAL etc. Then I take it to the range and record chrony data with the loads.
3) Invest in or make a good reloading bench and keep it organized! Only one type of powder/primer on the bench at a time so there are no mix ups.
4)Remember that the loads listed are only guidelines EXCEPT the max load which I consider an absolute (some don't). My point with this is to make sure to inspect your fired cases for pressure signs even if you are under max load. I have one rifle that was flatening primers with and under max load by about 5%, so I backed off even though I wasn't at book max.
5) No question is a dumb question. Most everyone here will answer even simple questions without making you feel like a dumb%$#@.

Hope this helps some, by the way, you are most likely now addicted :)
madd0c
 
~

Hey remmag,

I think you're doing a great job so far.

Your Lyman Manual is a good one and it is a benefit to have several trustworthy sources to compare data with.

Your Lee Auto Disc powder measure, I have 2, is normally gonna throw a little light if you use the cavity recommended in the chart. I figure it's a safety precaution.

The adjustable charge bar is the bees knees, especially for smaller pistol loads.
Here is one at Midway.

Don't hesitate if you have a question. Everyone here is willing to help if we can so don't be shy. :eek:

Take er slow and easy, it won't be long til all this stuff is old hat.

ST

:)
 
To the OP- I started reloading about a year ago and had lots of questions too. It was suggested that I get reloading books and the "ABC's of reloading" BUT if I were to do it all over again I would forget about the manuals (they are useless in the internet age) and find a reloading video online line and watch it. I found some really good ones on any one of your bit torrent sites and or youtube. I learned more by watching videos on reloading online than I EVER did reading a manual and looking at B&W still photographs. Reloading data is readily available free on line from the powder manufactures.

Take it from me, a picture is worth a thousand words but a a video is worth even more.
 
Your Lyman manual is one of the very best for both newbs and ol' pros. Good start-up instructions, good illustrations and great loading data too.

All of the YouTube videos I've seen range from fair to poor but those by Lee are quite good. Combine the good videos with your book and you should have no serious problems.

Unique is a flexable powder and I doubt the .1 gr. "over-charge" will hurt your .45ACP pistol. That said, neither will you lose anything if you drop back to the next lower charge. Do that.

Crimping for any rimless handgun case is ONLY needed to remove the mouth flare, it should look like a normal factory round when done correctly. Crimping can be done when seating or as a seperate step. As a new guy, I suggest you keep it simple and crimp with your present seater as you seat the bullets. It's nice to crimp into a bullet crimping groove (cannalure) if you can but not all bullets have one.

Don't sweat book OAL, if you seat and crimp in the bullet's groove you will likely be fine. A lot of guys simply use a factory cartridge as a "transfer gage" to adjust their seater for OAL and that's a good way to work. If that OAL won't feed and chamber you will have to experiment to find what does work and use that. It's no big deal, especially if you drop back on that book max charge a little.
 
thanks again everyone, you guys are great help

seedtick , does the lee adjustable charge bar work with the auto disc powder measure

thanks again
 
seedtick , does the lee adjustable charge bar work with the auto disc powder measure
Click to expand...

remmag, yes it works with Lee's Auto Disk & Pro Auto Disk powder measures. You'll like it. I have the double disk kit and the micro disk but the adjustable charge bar is all I've used for pistol loads - 380 acp, 9mm and 40 S&W and soon .357 mag.

ST

:)
 
Remmag, ever make it to nashville??? Let me know if you get close and I'll give you some hands on and show you the basics. Other than that, just keeping asking for the help you need. Don't forget the search function, it can get you an answer quicker. Lots of folks have been right where you are and asked the same questions that you will. Don't worry, we all started out at the bottom. ;)
 
thanks again seedtick and every one
bulls eye , i do mak it to nashville ocassionally but ususaly in deer season to hunt fort campbell, if i am up any time soon i will look you up
thanx for the offer
 
The lee auto disc will always throw less powder than the chart specifies. I have not found any powder that is more, or equal to the chart yet. The closest I have found is 2400 in a heavier charge.

You have a lyman reloading manual, get another one. And find as many internet sources as you can. 90% of my loads come from online sources, then verified through paper manuals.

Reloading is a great hobby, and soon you find yourself enjoying the reloading more than the shooting. I have actually caught myself saying "I need to shoot this batch up so that I can try something different." Instead of reloading to shoot, I find myself shooting so I can reload.
 
remmag, do youself a favor and get the lee reloadig book.there is a bunch of info you cant find anywhere else on Lee equipment.
 
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