New to Reloading - Few Questions

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I've been using the lee scale for 15 years. I'm on the second, the first bot bumped and broke the beam. Its only to 100 grains, but its fine if you don't go over. You won't need that for powder, but may for bullets if you loose track, or want to group them.

I've never cleaned a case in 15 years, and 50,000 rounds loaded, but if you feel you need to, go for it.

My best loads are crimped, but thats just me.

I pulled cartridge box inserts out of the trash at ranges. 45ACP will fit your rounds, and hold 50. Free and works well. I line 20 up and charge them in groups on the Lee perfect powder measure, which I assume your kit came with. That Lee has about 22,000 rounds loaded, and still never throws more than 1/20th of 1 grain off (H335)

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-7832215-E-Zee-Case-Gauge/dp/B000N8N344 Get one of these, I also wore out some good calipers, on those 22,000 rounds mentioned above. I use a homemade no-go gauge now.

If you shoot in quantity, get a "worlds finest trimmer" or "Giraud tri-way"

Lanolin based case spray has worked extremely well.
Motor oil works as well.

Get a spent .22lr case, a pipe cutter and keep it nearby. When you stick a case, with lee dies, you take the nut off the top, and the decapper floats in the die. Put the .22 case on that, put the lock nut over the vice jaws, and you can hammer the stuck case out. This has never failed me, and its come up a lot (rifle case prep on a progressive). You can free the stuck decapper from the case with the pipe cutter. -Get a reeeeaaaallllyyy stuck case free from a Lee die in about 2 minutes. If you do peen the decapper pin, put it pin-in in a drill, and round it back with sand paper.

A vice, and a drill will help a lot.

Get a spare decapper rod. The can break, and they're cheap. i would recommend a universal decapping die rod as well.
You can still size with a broken decapper pin, and decap with the universal -it fits the die fine. It will be a decent backup
 
Mark_Mark said:
get to known the gun guys at the counter, bring them a bag of chips and soda, ask them about the delivery truck arrival day. And, tell them you are new to reloading and ask about primers and powder. good luck bud
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I will try that with the smaller LGS, thanks a lot!

The Academy 2 miles from my house is pretty cool, they put a whiteboard outside every morning saying what they have including primers. Unfortunately though I work Mon-Fri when they have deliveries so by the time I get there during my lunch break they are all gone. They have a good supply of bullets but no powder or primers, I will keep looking!
 
ReedTX said:
Thank you all for posting your advice and making we welcome to the forum. I am pleased about not needing a cleaner right away, you have saved me some money!

I do have a mentor of sorts, he has not reloaded in a long while but I am hoping he will be able to show me the basics. He is getting back into it after seeing my interest.

For those asking the Lee kit I bought came with the following;

- Press
- 1 x breachlock quick fitting
- Perfect powder scale
- Hand cranked trimmer (excluding trimming die - Thanks Poper for posting the link)
- Scale
- Tools for cleaning out primer pockets and chamfering neck
- On press priming
- Powder Funnel
- Lube
- Basic load data pull out

As for primers and powders, at the moment I do not have any. I do live close to an Academy and drop in a few times a week but not seen anything yet. Luckily I have a fair amount of factory loads and I need to make a bench for my press so I have plenty of time. Realistically with hunting and the holidays I will probably start reloading in January all being well.

Thanks all,

Reed.
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Update your profile to reflect your city... lots of steers and queers on this forum :)
 
Welcome to the forum and always ask questions.
OP if you plan on using 7.62X51 brass along with 308 then you will have to remove primer pocket crimps. Your chamfer tool will cut the crimp off the top of a primer pocket just fine. Also the internal volume of some nato brass is less so cut back on starting charges a bit when first developing your loads and watch for troubles with full loads. Some nato brass is berdan primed, no central flash hole and does not reload as standard boxer primed brass does. Wait till you get your first handgun then you will be financially ruined for life with your reloading LOL.
ETA figure out what propellants and bullets (weight/brand) you want, put this info on your phone or piece of paper and keep it in your wallet for easy refrence when you see something that might work.
 
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Forgot to mention, one of the most important tools I have is not something I bought. It's something I made.......a reloading record book. I document every load I make. Similar to the load data labels you find, but a lot more detailed. Am finding it really handy go refer back to.
 
FROGO207 said:
Welcome to the forum and always ask questions.
OP if you plan on using 7.62X51 brass along with 308 then you will have to remove primer pocket crimps. Your chamfer tool will cut the crimp off the top of a primer pocket just fine. Also the internal volume of some nato brass is less so cut back on starting charges a bit when first developing your loads and watch for troubles with full loads. Some nato brass is berdan primed, no central flash hole and does not reload as standard boxer primed brass does. Wait till you get your first handgun then you will be financially ruined for life with your reloading LOL.
ETA figure out what propellants and bullets (weight/brand) you want, put this info on your phone or piece of paper and keep it in your wallet for easy refrence when you see something that might work.
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I do have a couple of hand guns and do not plan on loading for them at the moment but that may change. I have a S&W MP2.0 4inch 9mm and a Keltec P380. I would like a 357 wheel gun when I can afford it, that would push me into reloading for that I am sure!
 
ETA figure out what propellants and bullets (weight/brand) you want, put this info on your phone or piece of paper and keep it in your wallet for easy refrence when you see something that might work.
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That's good advice. Know what you can use so if you see it pop up you can snatch it up quick. Especially for a first time reloader that needs to spend some time getting things dialed in anyways. I like to try new new powders and components but I would rather use what I know works and that I have worked up. As things are right now I hate wasting primers especially to work up new loads.
 
FROGO207 said:
Are you one of those guys that can break an anvil with a rubber hammer? Nice revolver. If they make one in SS then I might be intetested. I am as bad as a crow LOL.

Think my next one is going to be in 460
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Yes! I can break anything! Was trying to be a cowboy and cowboyed it to death, Luckily parts are cheap!

Get a 4” .460…. Loud as everything and the heat, and concussion, but you can easily shot with one hand. Definitely a reloaders carchrige
 
Lots of advice in here already. Since you are using a Lee breech lock press you should figure on buying enough of the breech lock adapters to put one on every die. The adapter gets tightened in place on the die so that you can swap dies without doing setup each time. You DO NOT want to have to setup each die each time you use it.

Howa 9700 said:
Forgot to mention, one of the most important tools I have is not something I bought. It's something I made.......a reloading record book. I document every load I make. Similar to the load data labels you find, but a lot more detailed. Am finding it really handy go refer back to.
Click to expand...

^^ And this right here is critical. Keep notes for everything..... like the best notes you've ever taken on any subject ever in your life. It's too easy to think something like "I'll remember what powder and how much of it I put into these". A reloading or even case prep session is not done until you have noted exactly what was done to those components or cartridges.
 
Phantom 309 said:
Lots of advice in here already. Since you are using a Lee breech lock press you should figure on buying enough of the breech lock adapters to put one on every die. The adapter gets tightened in place on the die so that you can swap dies without doing setup each time. You DO NOT want to have to setup each die each time you use it.
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Your sizing die is the one which will require the most tweaking to get just right for good shoulder bump. That's more of a level 2 skill and requires a way to measure. You may find a piatol case you can use with your caliper to give you a rough idea in the beginning. A 40 cal may just be laying on the ground and ready for use.
 
#1 Before anything else; a good reloading manual. Read the 1st section, don’t thumb right to the data. Preferably one from a propellant manufacturer, because they run actual tests. Some of the others (Lee) just compile data.
I personally consider a reloading block a safety necessity but I can’t bring my cheap self to buy any commercial versions. I reuse or dumpster-dive ammo box inserts from the range. 50AE works well when you find some. I won’t rehash all the other equipment others have mentioned. You’ll find a) everybody does things a little differently. Use what works well and safely for you. And b) You may find youll never have *all* the equipment you need (want). Besides the various cleaning methods, you’ll probably want a chronograph at some point, or you could go all out on a pressure transducer, and maybe start annealing, there are various case neck gadgets, and then you might want to cast bullets and … before you know it you’re deep in the rabbit hole. But it’s a good rabbit hole to be in!
 
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@Phantom 309 mentioned Lee breach lock bushings; if you go this route, buy more than you think you’ll need! When I switched over, I forgot to get one for my Lee Ram Prime. It’s an even bigger pain in the neck to put the adapter back in to use a tool you forgot to get a bushing for and swapping bushings between dies defeats the purpose of the breach lock system.
Now I have *all* my dies and tools switched over it’s a real time saver.
 
twarr1 said:
@Phantom 309 mentioned Lee breach lock bushings; if you go this route, buy more than you think you’ll need! When I switched over, I forgot to get one for my Lee Ram Prime. It’s an even bigger pain in the neck to put the adapter back in to use a tool you forgot to get a bushing for and swapping bushings between dies defeats the purpose of the breach lock system.
Now I have *all* my dies and tools switched over it’s a real time saver.
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Thanks. I did buy a spare pack. Man I'm excited to get started!
 
Bat Rastard said:
Go ahead and get the 357. Learn your reloading fundamentals reloading the 357. The straight walled cartridge will make for a much easier learning curve.
A few hundred 357's later and you will make a seamless transition to bottle necked cartridges.
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One day I will treat myself to a 357. At the moment I'll make do with my ruger wrangler!
 
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