Reloading help and advice needed!

[JonathanKent 16]

Hi all,

 

I have been shooting for years, but I have never reloaded.

 

I am about to take that step onto the dark side and need some advice!! I have alway believed in you get what you pay for so before I lash out a load of cash I want some experienced heads advice.

 

I am looking at a Lee 4 hole turret press with auto indexing. I have had a long chat with a couple of guys I know who reload and Lee stuff seems to split oppinion. They either say its great and good value or don't touch it its cut price rubbish!

 

I don't want to buy it and in 6 month time want to off load it and replace it all with RCBS, if I need to spend more I will, but having never reloaded I am also a bit wary of spending five or six hundred quid for a set up and regretting it.

 

Advice and oppinion please!

 

ATB

Jonno

[SportingShooter 0]

I've reloaded for a few years now.

 

I had the same thoughts going around my head when I started. After considered opinion, I avoided Lee and went for a set up that someone I know as a trusted reloader also has.

 

I went for a Redding press with accompanying dies and I haven't had cause to complain about them yet. Only thing I'd say is buy a decent scales as weighing out every shell can be tedious when the scales aren't accurate and responsive.

[swamp thang 16]

I have never had the balls to try reloading, but I did speak to an old timer on the gun range some years back, and he said ABSOLUTE concentration is required for that job, and that NO music or other distractions should be going on in the same area.

 

The danger, evidently, is that a distracted reloader could pour in a double charge of explosive, if his mind wanders for so much as an instant during the process, and any cartridge so created would be very likely to blow apart the gun barrel when fired. Being naturally a bit absent minded, I decided long ago NEVER to dabble in reloading, and always to purchase ONLY factory loads for my guns.

 

Obviously a more methodically minded person could probably reload for a lifetime without ever making an error, but I simply don't trust myself that much.

[HUnter_zero 58]

The danger, evidently, is that a distracted reloader could pour in a double charge of explosive,

 

Bit of a myth, not saying it's the same for every cartridge in the world, but for the best part you couldn't get a double charge to fit in the cartridge casing. Most likely cause for a barrel burst is that the re-loader actually forgot to charge the case with power. The primer will get the bullet down the barrel and likely stuck, the next round will burst the barrel.

 

(Just FYI)

 

John

[swamp thang 16]

Ah, I did wonder how there would be space to fit a double charge in any shell casing, but having never seen the reloading process done, I just assumed that it might well be possible to make such an error when fatigued or inattentive.

 

On the other hand, forgetting to add any explosive at all never crossed my mind as a possible peril of reloading till you mentioned it now, John, and I can see how a round that doesn't emerge from the muzzle could be mistaken by the shooter for a simple missed shot, as a new round is chambered. On second thoughts though, I would expect that the reduced recoil of a primer-only reload round should be a palpable tipoff to the shooter that something is amiss, hopefully preventing them from racking a follow-up shot till they have unloaded and inspected the bore. All told, reloads make me nervous.

 

With that reloading myth about double charges now replaced with an idea of the real danger of adding no charge by mistake, I suppose it still is a good thing a forgetful fella like me never tried his hand at pressing out home-made cartridges.

Edited February 13, 2012 by swamp thang

[baconbuttie 0]

I don't have much experience reloading but had the same issues when I started. Lee kit does polarise opinion. But I've ended up with a mixture of Lee and Lyman and haven't had any problems with the Lee kit.

 

There's no way I could ever get a double charge in a 22-250 case as it would be all over the bench, I'd be much more concerned about missing a powder charge altogether and running the risk of a primer-only round, or throwing a light charge. I make sure by looking through the tray before seating with a torch making sure all the powder charges look the same.

[dicehorn 38]

I believe the problem of not putting powder in the case can usually by caused by reloaders trying to reload too many cases in one go - with a tray (s) full of cases, it is easy to miss filling a case (it happened to me when I first started)

 

Solution....... fill no more than 20 at a time, that way, in your tray of say 40 spaces it is just a simple matter of moving the filled cases to the other end of the tray. Also, just making say 20 concentrates the mind to doing a perfect job in producing 20 clones of your recipe.

 

PS as a matter of interest, it is more dangerous to under fill a case than over fill it.

[jamie g 17]

I believe the problem of not putting powder in the case can usually by caused by reloaders trying to reload too many cases in one go - with a tray (s) full of cases, it is easy to miss filling a case (it happened to me when I first started)

 

Solution....... fill no more than 20 at a time, that way, in your tray of say 40 spaces it is just a simple matter of moving the filled cases to the other end of the tray. Also, just making say 20 concentrates the mind to doing a perfect job in producing 20 clones of your recipe.

 

PS as a matter of interest, it is more dangerous to under fill a case than over fill it.

 

thats what i do. 20 cases at a time and move them to the other end of he tray when i have dropped the powder charge in them.

[richmcgin 32]

I have been reloading for years and i use lee gear no problems i have the four hole turret and find it is ok, but do make sure you get a lube pad i didnt and if you dont get enough lube on the case it will get stuck in the re-size die too much and you will get a dent in the shoulder, the lube pad works a treat and stops those probs.

I brought the lee gear because i didnt want to spend too much just incase it didnt work out but as it happens it easy as long as you dont let yourself become too much of an ammo geek!!!!!.

[dedger 16]

I use Lee reloading gear and have had no issues with it whatsoever, like a previous post said a good set of scales wouldn't go amiss, at least this way if you have any doubts when you have finished reloading you can weigh the rounds and they should all be the same, providing you are using all the same cases and bullets.

I load both .357 magnum and .308, you most certainly could get a double powder measure in the magnum case but the shouldered rounds are usually quite full with one measure.

Good luck.

[matt_hooks 188]

dedger, have you ever weighed empty cases? I've found that there can be quite a range of weights between them, even from the same manufacturer.

 

I use two trays. Empty cases to one side, charged cases to the other. I always work left to right.

 

I also always have the radio on, or some music. It doesn't distract me at all, in fact it helps me to concentrate.

[dedger 16]

dedger, have you ever weighed empty cases? I've found that there can be quite a range of weights between them, even from the same manufacturer.

 

I use two trays. Empty cases to one side, charged cases to the other. I always work left to right.

 

I also always have the radio on, or some music. It doesn't distract me at all, in fact it helps me to concentrate.

Yehh there can be a variation in case weight but not enough to account for a missed or indeed an extra powder measure, I work more or less the same way as you, from left to right and I also have the radio on as this does not distract me but I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is loading for the first time.

[Toni from N.Z. 2]

Nothing wrong with a Lee Turret Pres.Got mine in '84.Done .303,6.5x55,223,222,7mm Mauser,and heaps of others.I sized a .270 down to 6.5x55 to test sizing lube and the shoulder was pushed down about 10mm and formed fine.This was extreme pressure and the Lyman lube worked fine with no dents.A Cobber had dents in thin wall pistol cases hence my experiment.You can double charge a pistol case but not a rifle case.

When loading a batch perform each step on all 20 cases.Don't complete the process one case at a time as a step can be omitted on a round.You can then monitor your Q.Control stage by stage.A govt dept. here bought cheap ammo some years ago and a round wasn't filled and the culler got the proj. in barrel and fired another behind it.The gasses set the other 3 in magazine off and the rifle is now a tropy in smoko room.The guy was ok after a few days Was a 243.Thats the Govt for you,Buy flash limo's for themselves abd cheap tools for the folks who do the real work.

Get a cobber you trust to show you the stage by stage process and you will be fine. Best Wishes Toni.

[Toni from N.Z. 2]

Nothing wrong with a Lee Turret Pres.Got mine in '84.Done .303,6.5x55,223,222,7mm Mauser,and heaps of others.I sized a .270 down to 6.5x55 to test sizing lube and the shoulder was pushed down about 10mm and formed fine.This was extreme pressure and the Lyman lube worked fine with no dents.A Cobber had dents in thin wall pistol cases hence my experiment.You can double charge a pistol case but not a rifle case.

When loading a batch perform each step on all 20 cases.Don't complete the process one case at a time as a step can be omitted on a round.You can then monitor your Q.Control stage by stage.A govt dept. here bought cheap ammo some years ago and a round wasn't filled and the culler got the proj. in barrel and fired another behind it.The gasses set the other 3 in magazine off and the rifle is now a tropy in smoko room.The guy was ok after a few days Was a 243.Thats the Govt for you,Buy flash limo's for themselves abd cheap tools for the folks who do the real work.

Get a cobber you trust to show you the stage by stage process and you will be fine. Best Wishes Toni.

Get your self a powder thrower,I have a Lee , looks a bit tinny but works fine.I weigh every 5 charges to monitor consistancy and all is fine.Sure speds things up.The Speer no 10 manual has a easy to follow pic and written guide to follow.When I started to read reloading I thought I couldn't cram it in but the Speer manual was A1 re. practical/ visual interpretation.Its simply written and just like learning to count. Take a little time get a simple well laid out manual and you will be fine.Toni.

[JonathanKent 16]

Thanks for all your advice. Optics warehouse curently have a deal on a Lyman turret press kit including pretty much everything I need bar the dies, so I think Im going to git the bullet and get that. Its £399 all in but includes the scales, powder thrower, manual, press, case trimmer kit, lubing kit etc having had a good look around I think its a good deal and from the reviews good quality kit too.

 

Thanks all

 

Jonno