New to Reloading QUESTION

[Mullins81]

I am a newbie reloader. Been reading up and studying everything reeeal close. I ordered a bunch of stuff to get started reloading 45-70 brass. I was just wondering if the shellholders for the presses are all interchangable? I have already ordered RCBS dies and shellholders, but the press I like the best is the LEE classic cast single stage press. Will it still work?? Also are the numbers for the shellholders #14=45-70 the same for all the manufacturers?

 

[rcmodel]

All presses & shell holders should be interchangable except for a few "special" brands or very old ones. Lee makes two different shell holders. One for presses, and one for it's own hand priming tool.
Don't confuse the two.

I like to use the same brand shell holder as the dies, but it is not critical like it was when I started reloading nearly 50 years ago.
Back then, there was no real standard and headspace could be off one way or the other if you mixed & matched brands.

No, numbers are not the same between brands.
About every reloading manual has a shell holder chart.

Or there is this for the Reloading Manual Challenged.

http://www.handloads.com/misc/shellholders.asp

rc

 

[Mullins81]

ok i have ordered RCBS dies and shellholders so I should be good then...I just wanted to make sure they would work in the Lee press, thanks

 

[hydraulicman]

the shell holders should fit the ram. my lee shell holders work great in my rockchucker.

the lee shell holder will not fit in my rcbs hand prime

 

[rcmodel]

It should.
That's all I use in my RCBS hand primer.
I keep the Lee box assortment in the box with the RCBS tool so I always have the right shell holder.

rc

 

[mongoose33]

I've used RCBS shellholders in my Lee Classic Cast; they work fine. Most things (with the exception, as noted, of the Lee Hand Primer) are interchangeable.

 

[Mullins81]

ok thanks guys

 

[flashhole]

You might find this helpful if you are loading 45-70.


http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/49