Well I finaly have everything ironed out now on my setup. I thought I would share. Since this has been such a feet for learning and understanding.
I have the lee classic cast press and lymen dies.
in position 1 I have a blank die that I moved the decaping pin to. I also use this for a powder compression plug.
in position 2 I have a full length sizeing die that is turned almost all the way out for neck sizing/crimping only(explination comes later)
in position 3 in the expantion die set to barely start my lead bullet
in position 4 is the bullet seating die, set to seat the bullet only
I am shooting in a sharps rifle so I do not full length size my brass, I only neck size when the brass gets hard to chamber(has not happened yet).The crimp is the funny thing, I have been told to crimp from some taper crimp by others, and yet still others say no crimp at all if it chambers.
when I taper crimp I use the sizeing die and aply just enough force to hold the bullet snug. Sofar my most accurate load formula has been with new brass neck sized only and no crimp.
So here is my process in loading. Assuming I am going to size.
1. I lube all brass
2. size and prime
3.bell all brass
4. insert powder via 36 inch copper drop tube
5.insert wads compress powder and insert lube plug
6. seat bullet
7.if crimping back to the sizeing die adjust 1.5 turns out from the neck sizeing position
after shooting and washing brass in hot soapy water I deprime in the blank die set up for powder compression. I have a stack of washers I set with the compression plug to keep a consistant setting. Just take the plug and washers out and insert the decaping pin.
Taking my time I can load roughly 40 an hour if I premeasure my powder charges in film canisters.
My setup can work for any of the blackpowder cartridges. Maybe I am making more steps than necessary but sofar it works for me.
I never recall having to do this much when I loaded 45-70 but it was a bp substitute and lee dies which was a lot faster setup.
I have the lee classic cast press and lymen dies.
in position 1 I have a blank die that I moved the decaping pin to. I also use this for a powder compression plug.
in position 2 I have a full length sizeing die that is turned almost all the way out for neck sizing/crimping only(explination comes later)
in position 3 in the expantion die set to barely start my lead bullet
in position 4 is the bullet seating die, set to seat the bullet only
I am shooting in a sharps rifle so I do not full length size my brass, I only neck size when the brass gets hard to chamber(has not happened yet).The crimp is the funny thing, I have been told to crimp from some taper crimp by others, and yet still others say no crimp at all if it chambers.
when I taper crimp I use the sizeing die and aply just enough force to hold the bullet snug. Sofar my most accurate load formula has been with new brass neck sized only and no crimp.
So here is my process in loading. Assuming I am going to size.
1. I lube all brass
2. size and prime
3.bell all brass
4. insert powder via 36 inch copper drop tube
5.insert wads compress powder and insert lube plug
6. seat bullet
7.if crimping back to the sizeing die adjust 1.5 turns out from the neck sizeing position
after shooting and washing brass in hot soapy water I deprime in the blank die set up for powder compression. I have a stack of washers I set with the compression plug to keep a consistant setting. Just take the plug and washers out and insert the decaping pin.
Taking my time I can load roughly 40 an hour if I premeasure my powder charges in film canisters.
My setup can work for any of the blackpowder cartridges. Maybe I am making more steps than necessary but sofar it works for me.
I never recall having to do this much when I loaded 45-70 but it was a bp substitute and lee dies which was a lot faster setup.
