Rifle case prep. I have searched!

[SARuger]

Okay, sorry for the flood of questions/threads but I want to get it right.

Right now here is what I'm doing, tell me if I need to add/change/delete anything;

1)Tumble brass
2)Lube, De-capp, and size die
3)Trim case length
4)Chamfer case neck
5)Clean and or ream primer pocket(I have some military crimped bass mixed in)
6)Tumble again
7)Size again and prime then load.

I'm using a LEE Turret Press

 

[Laphroaig]

Why do you size a second time? Otherwise looks like a good way to go.

Laphroaig

 

[Gadawg88]

After sizing, I run my rifle brass back through the tumbler for 20 minutes just to get the lube off. Then I chamfer, debur, clean primer pocket, swage if needed etc. This way I catch the occasional piece of corn cob media stuck in a flash hole. No need to size the case a second time.

 

[JimKirk]

Yes ...drop the additional sizing in your step # 7 .... all you are doing is work hardening your brass... all the other steps are good to go...

 

[SARuger]

My LEE turret press has to be fully rammed to insert the primer into the priming arm so I just lube the cases again and run them back into the die. I could just remove the turret to do this to avoid running into the die again.

 

[Metal God]

I use the Lee turret press and I hand prime all cases and just skip the sizer die station after . In fact I've never even set up the press for priming so I don't have a complete understanding of your issue .

 

[Swampman]

I'd recommend tumbling right after you first resize because it makes the cases cleaner and easier to handle.

Resizing again after you trim is unnecessary, and as already pointed out, will tend to overwork and harden the brass prematurely. Pulling the expander ball through again is also likely to stretch the brass, causing inconsistencies in case length after you already went through the hassle of trimming, chamfering and deburring them.

If you want your loads shiny, you can tumble them for 20 or 30 minutes after they're loaded, no problems with media in flash holes that way.

 

[SARuger]

Great advice here! Thanks for being patient with a newb.

I'm really enjoying this hobby so far.

My bank account is going down as fast as my interests are going up!

I got the LEE Auto Drum yesterday, that is a very good measuring device. I dropped 10 powder charges in a row and got the exact same weight on each one. No leakage!

With the Auto Disc, I would get a 2/10-4/10 difference between drops. It leaked everywhere. It drove me nuts.

The charge bar wouldn't work with the handgun loads but I will use it with one of my rifle loads

 

[Swampman]

Great advice here! Thanks for being patient with a newb.

I'm really enjoying this hobby so far.

My bank account is going down as fast as my interests are going up!

You have to really watch yourself once you've caught the handloading "bug".

You can save so much money that you'll end up in the poorhouse if you're not careful...

 

[Rule3]

My LEE turret press has to be fully rammed to insert the primer into the priming arm so I just lube the cases again and run them back into the die. I could just remove the turret to do this to avoid running into the die again.

Skip the second sizing as mentioned.

Just unscrew the sizing die and back it out a bit, Then you can still go to that station raise the case up and prime it, at least that's what I do) If I have brass that is already primed I figured out to do that as I was popping out new primers

 

[grogetr]

Move step 6 up to step3 and drop step 7 and your good to go. I charge my next primer when I'm seating the bullet, then when you lower it to remove that case and insert your next you seat the primer and your ready to go back up for powder. Saves a step.

 

[Rule3]

Move step 6 up to step3 and drop step 7 and your good to go. I charge my next primer when I'm seating the bullet, then when you lower it to remove that case and insert your next you seat the primer and your ready to go back up for powder. Saves a step.

On a LEE Turret, how do you do that? If you are priming when seating the bullet, the powder will fall through the empty powder pocket

The LEE turret is (size/deprime insert new primer), Charge case, seat bullet.

 

[mahansm]

You swap cases before you lower the ram all the way; prime the case at the bottom, swap
again for a charged case and raise to seat a bullet.

 

[Gadawg88]

SARuger- I use the Lee Classic Turret to load .223 and I prime on the press. Deprime and size all your cases, then remove the sizing die from the turret. When you are ready to load them, just run the case up through the empty hole in the turret. Press the primer into the priming cup, lower the ram and seat the primer, then proceed with the rest of the loading process.

 

[SARuger]

SARuger- I use the Lee Classic Turret to load .223 and I prime on the press. Deprime and size all your cases, then remove the sizing die from the turret. When you are ready to load them, just run the case up through the empty hole in the turret. Press the primer into the priming cup, lower the ram and seat the primer, then proceed with the rest of the loading process.

Thats what I'm going to do, I did a test run tonight, no powder drop, to see how it would go.

 

[Reefinmike]

After you size, tumble and prime your cases you can just remove the auto index rod and simply thumb back and forth between your powder die and your seat/"crimp" die. I pre prime my cases- both pistol and rifle and manually toggle between the two other dies. I find it much faster and i dont need to gently cycle the ram to prevent over indexing.

 

[grogetr]

Rule3, I prime a case, charge powder, seat the bullet and place the primer for the next round at that time. When you bring that finished round down remove it and place new case in shell holder and seat primer and start over. Hope that is clearer, I'm not good at writing what I'm trying to say.

 

[choppinlow]

There once was a time when most folks just wiped the dirt off brass and went right to loading.....

You will need to deal with crimped primer pockets.

I would add that you need to inspect your brass. Maybe I read over the caliber, but for rifle you should be checking for any case separation as a habit (in my opinion).