Noob Reloader First Impression

[carnaby]

They'll be properly catalogued as soon as my containers arrive. You can't see it in the photo, but I marked the load on the board in front of those cartridges so I know what's what. If they fall over and get mixed up, well then I'll have to pull 'em apart and start over.

 

[carnaby]

didn't you receive a crimp die with your die set?

Yeah, the bullet seating die will crimp a case to a canalured bullet. The Lee FCD works with and without the canalure, apparently.

 

[carnaby]

Here's some Hodgdon "youth loads." Uses H4895 and 125 - 135 grain bullets.

 

[YellowLab]

Please reread my post.. I said it could only help. As it in might benifit you, it might not... but it will not be a detriment to accuracy.

I have no idea why people do what they do.. ppl are still loading AR/M16 30 round mags with 28 rounds... even though the problem was solved years ago.

Let me ask you this... how can post sizing and consistant neck tension be a BAD thing????

 

[redneck2]

a simple idea that helps a lot...

get some snack size zip lock baggies. Get "load labels" from Midway or any other source and mark them, then paste them on the outside of the baggies and segregate your loads

I first used the plastic boxes. Each load was carefully placed in the appropriate area. My friend took the box out of my Jeep and dropped it, and all the loads ended up in a pile:banghead:

Once the loads are zip locked, they never get mixed up. Trust me, it works great.

 

[carnaby]

Good idea! Thanks. That sure is simple, I shoulda thought of it

 

[confed sailor]

congats, carn.

i use my crimp dies, granted mainly for pistol ammo.

and its addicting, i took stock and saw i have dies for 13 differing calibers, i need to stop buying old guns in odd calibers.

 

[only1asterisk]

confed sailor,

I may have 13 sets of dies for guns that I don't have anymore.

David

 

[PinoyInFL]

I've been reloading for about a year now but have only gone to rifle reloading lately. One of tips given to me was to get a "drop-in" type case length guage. Excessive case length could be really dangerous.

 

[carnaby]

Do you still have to measure case size if you're using new brand name brass or brass that's only been fired in the rifle that the ammo is going back into?

Does the Lee reloading guide give safe case length ranges and do you measure from the inside bottom to the mouth, or the outside bottom to the mouth?

thanks

 

[The Bushmaster]

carnaby...What load manual do you have and have you read it??? I ask because so far all the questions you have asked here (and that's O K, but) are in the Lyman 48th edition and other load manuals.

The measurment is of the FULL length of the case on both handgun and rifle cases. That means the full outside length. And I always measure most or all of my cases after I have resized them and trim those that do not meet with the manuals or my specifications. That includes new brass that I have resized.

 

[USSR]

carnaby,

Are you talking about cartridge overall length or cartridge headspace?

Don

 

[carnaby]

I suppose both. I'm not really sure. I'll have to pull out my Lee manual tonight and make sure I understand this.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

only1asterisk,

"I may have 13 sets of dies for guns that I don't have anymore."

Hey buddy, why don't you put those suckers up for sale so some of us poor slobs who still own those guns can buy them and make use of them?

 

[trickyasafox]

i use a FCD on firearms with really tight chambers, seems to smooth of the loading process, welcome to reloading its very addicting!

 

[BruceB]

Keeping them identified.....

Double post, sorry. Deleted this one.

 

[BruceB]

Keeping them identified.....

Keeping different loads segregated can be a problem.

Right now, before you have the cartridge boxes, I'd take a fine-point permanent felt marker and write the actual charge weight on each bullet or case. Then, it won't matter if the cat scrambles the whole bunch and mixes them up.

For load development and most other purposes, I use fifty-round boxes. I place the cartridges in the box with bullets down, and use a felt-marker set of four colors to mark the primers, black, blue, red, green, or 'none'. At ten- round samples per color, this identifies all fifty rounds.

If the number of test loads gets bigger, such as in hundred-round boxes, the same colors may be used by making different marks. The red marker, for instance, could be used to draw a single line, or an "x", or to completely cover the primer with color. Anything that's clearly different from any other marking will do.

On the outside of the box, I place a stick-on label (from any stationery department) about 1/2"x 2.5", with either the basic info on each ten-round sample, or an identifier to link that load with my Reloading Diary. Each label gets a felt marker color-mark in a pattern to match the marks on the primers in the two rows of five to which it pertains. The labels are placed vertically "on edge" adjacent to the ten rounds each label describes (5 labels per box of 50).

Even if the whole danged box gets dumped, it's easy to get them back in order using this method, and it only takes mere seconds to mark them. It's saved my bacon (and test loads) on several occasions.

You MUST keep decent records of all your loads, or you're going to be working in the dark!!!! At the very least, get a loose-leaf binder and make up some sort of table for your records. I'd suggest, at a minimum, recording the the date of loading, the bullet type, weight and manufacturer, the powder type and charge weight, the primer type and make, the brass manufacturer, and the overall length of the round. A section for remarks is a good idea, too. You'll appreciate the records in the years ahead, believe me.

Enjoy!

 

[USSR]

carnaby,

You really should have a better idea as to what is involved in reloading rifle cartridges before actually doing it. Setting the headspace of your brass in relation to your chamber is important. Many people do not check this, and simply screw the dies in the press and size away. Then, when they can't close the bolt on a round, they think it's because the cartridge OAL is too long, when it is actually a headspace problem. Suggest a lot more reading on your part.

Don

 

[carnaby]

I hear what you're saying USSR, but these are once fired brass, fired in the rifle that they're going back into. Further, they're only neck-sized and not full length sized, so shouldn't they essentially be taylored to my rifle? That's the gist I got from what I've read.

Thanks for your help.

 

[USSR]

Yeah, necksizing brass fired in your rifle is no problem, atleast for a few times. Eventually you will have to push the shoulder back. BTW, you may get sooty necks on those cartridges you loaded with really light powder charges. That's an indicator of low pressure.

Don