What did you reload today?

[Holepuncher]

Probably pretty dorky but... it's my first full tube of primers... woohoo!

learned (besides reading) what too much lube does inside a die; denting the shoulder of case.

learned the difference in feel in the press between straight wall case and a necked case.... .223...extra pull on the down stroke and easier than 12.7/42.. but more lube needed.

next step: tumble the brass and set up powder dump....

View attachment 833723

Try rubbing a bit of lube on your thumb and index finger, then apply a tinny sheen of lube to each case just before you size them. Doesn't take very much lube.

 

[nammac]

Lookin good! You just saved about $50 bucks.

I think you might be right, with factory ammo going for more than $1/round... Only ingredient that wasn't purchased at yesteryear prices was the brass. That's a new purchase at .18/round. Primer, powder and projectile have me at a grand total of .16/round. Add in the brass and it's .34/round. Bringing a box of 50 to 17.00, a bargain in today's market.

Ammo prices are insane...

 

[NobullSKS]

Try rubbing a bit of lube on your thumb and index finger, then apply a tinny sheen of lube to each case just before you size them. Doesn't take very much lube.

Thank you, will do.
This stuff (LEE) dries pretty quick. I rub it in a cloth because I don't have a lube pad yet, the roll the case in it and wipe it off kinda. The Beowulf stinking resists all the way through because the case is fully tapered to the front so I was heavy on the lube..... that wasn't necessary for the rem.223 just little bit on shoulder and neck is where I assume contact with die is made.

 

[Holepuncher]

Thank you, will do.
This stuff (LEE) dries pretty quick. I rub it in a cloth because I don't have a lube pad yet, the roll the case in it and wipe it off kinda. The Beowulf stinking resists all the way through because the case is fully tapered to the front so I was heavy on the lube..... that wasn't necessary for the rem.223 just little bit on shoulder and neck is where I assume contact with die is made.

Be sure to lube inside the case neck on rifle cases. You can use a Q-tip.

 

[NobullSKS]

Be sure to lube inside the case neck on rifle cases. You can use a Q-tip.

Aaaash.... didn't know that. Geeze thx again. I'm gonna try spraying next time.

 

[GWS]

Working up 9mm 124gr gr loads with Unique.

 

[oremike]

Today: press # 1 - 200gr SWC 45acp, Press #2 - 180gr 40S&W, Press #3 - 124gr 9mm.

 

[Retired Guy]

Thank you, will do.
This stuff (LEE) dries pretty quick. I rub it in a cloth because I don't have a lube pad yet, the roll the case in it and wipe it off kinda. The Beowulf stinking resists all the way through because the case is fully tapered to the front so I was heavy on the lube..... that wasn't necessary for the rem.223 just little bit on shoulder and neck is where I assume contact with die is made.

I keep a tube of the Lee lube around. It's good stuff! Just like Holepuncher mentioned, I found it easier to just apply it with my fingers. A little around the neck, avoid the shoulders, and then around the body down to the base. I then used a Q-tip to lube the inside of the neck.

I also found it easier to remove than the spray lube. The only downside I saw with it was that it's slower to apply than the spray.

Have you read the previous posts about how to remove the spray lube? A lot of different techniques (and headaches) there.

 

[Mikej]

Aaaash.... didn't know that. Geeze thx again. I'm gonna try spraying next time.

There is a possibility for the neck expander ball to stretch the shoulder out a little as it's drawn up through the neck. That is the reason for having a bit of some kind of lube inside the neck. (Paste, lanolin, graphite, mica). Having a "case gauge" or "comparator" to check/spot check after sizing is a good idea. I like the comparator because the set will check an array of different rifle brass.

 

[Capn Jack]

What did you reload today?

Better to ask, What did you shoot today?
As local shooting areas close down and I don't like shooting in a, "Commercial Echo Chamber", my ammo supply is such that I've had to quit reloading and my lead pot has been cold for months.

 

[Lesliet]

As local shooting areas close down and I don't like shooting in a, "Commercial Echo Chamber", my ammo supply is such that I've had to quit reloading and my lead pot has been cold for months.

Well, in the spirit of helping a fellow forum member out, I'd be happy to help you dispose of all those excess primers....

 

[Capn Jack]

 

[jrd541280]

i have come to really like the hornady one shot lube. i can spray an rcbs 80 block in just a couple of seconds and gets the inside of the necks too. get about a dozen or so blocks per can. let it dry and they slip through like butter. a quick wipe with a dry clean rag on the way out of the press and onto priming. i lke it.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Haaaaaaaaa, that's almost every single one...

Those are the ones that were pulled from a 500 case lot.

 

[NobullSKS]

These took a long while to get here... but adding reloading abilities to guns I already have. I know I'm late to the game on .300 blk out..... they've been popular for awhile now but I do want to slow my shooting down. Now how to decide my first bolt rifle? .223, .300 blk ?

 

[Capn Jack]

I ran a Husqvarna Bolt Action 30-06 for years with a Lyman Nut Cracker, "Neck Sizer", a Redding Scale and an RCBS powder funnel. All of my brass was G.I. range pick up and I reamed the primer pockets out with a pocket knife.

 

[Lennie]

There is a possibility for the neck expander ball to stretch the shoulder out a little as it's drawn up through the neck. That is the reason for having a bit of some kind of lube inside the neck. (Paste, lanolin, graphite, mica). Having a "case gauge" or "comparator" to check/spot check after sizing is a good idea. I like the comparator because the set will check an array of different rifle brass.

With inside of necks cleaned and use of a carbide expander ball....it's not necessary to lube the inside of case necks.
If you using a bolt or single shot, use a Redding bushing die and that will not require lubing inside of case necks. However, you will need to keep ammo/brass separated for the respective rifle.

 

[Holepuncher]

Aaaash.... didn't know that. Geeze thx again. I'm gonna try spraying next time.

These took a long while to get here... but adding reloading abilities to guns I already have. I know I'm late to the game on .300 blk out..... they've been popular for awhile now but I do want to slow my shooting down. Now how to decide my first bolt rifle? .223, .300 blk ?

View attachment 834005

What do you plan on doing with the bolt action rifle.... hunting big game, shooting varmints, long range target shooting, short range target shooting, truck gun, etc. What's your budget? What ammo do you have access to. All these factors will determine your first bolt action rifle.

 

[jrd541280]

well, let's think about this for a second, for new reloaders. case whatever size, goes into a shell holder, then into a resizing die. this thing is going to be reshaped in seconds. the dies are going to reshape the case to saami specs. full length resizing. this resizing shrinks the neck to a smaller diameter than a new bullet will accept. the expander ball stretches the inside of the neck to accept and hold the new caliber specific bullet in place. if that expander ball, carbide or other, acquires any gunk, inside neck dimensions will expand. that is why some have said here that neck lubrication is important. and like another member said here, if the press lever comes up hard, might want to check your outside dimensions as well.

 

[brucekr]

Didn't load anything, but decapped a few hundred 5.56 cases, swaged them, cut them, sized them to 300 blackout, and started trimming them to length. PS - case trimming really isn't that fun.