New to reloading

[Doc]

If you have good control on what bullets are going into what gun, neck sizing can actually help control head-space. The case will be fire-formed to that individual gun which is about as good a control on headspace as you can get. Neck sizing will not disturb that "perfect-fit" condition.

What I do is full-length size the cases for the first loading. Once they have been shot, I neck-size only.

However, the statement was made that you intended to intermix the cases from both guns. In that case, I would suggest that you full-length size every time.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Joe,

Not to sound like I am busting you chops but I would really hate to see something go wrong for you. Take a step back and stop. re read ALL the information again and get a better understanding of it. I know for a fact that many of the questions you are asking as detailed in the Lee manual and in the die instructions. Take your time and please be careful.

I don't know it you are using already fired brass for the 30-06 but make sure it is reloadable brass if it is. The lee dies are set up to pop the sizing/depriming rod up through the top of the die if you apply too much pressure. This should keep what happened from happening. Becasuse of that it may have been a defective part and I bet (just like Eddie said) they will send you a new one if you call customer service.

Do you know anyone that reloads or are you near a gun club? It might be worth sitting in and watching someone run through the process too.

[josephmrtn]

Yeah well the way it looks I'm gonna have PLENTY of time to think over things... w all the powder and primers bein out of stock... I think you missunderstood how I broke it (I don't think I CLEARLY said how it happend) , I was just screwing it into the turret setting it up and as I was tightening it the turret turned and the ram was still up cause I forgot to lower it and as it turned the deprime pin caught on the shell holder and bent, then I tried to straiten it a little and it broke... It was sorta my fault and I think it happened cause I was in a hurry.... I'm learning being in a hurry is bad... and I'm learning it the hard way too!

Doc, no I can keep the two 270 sets of shells separate if I want...

Lawdawz, I do know one guy that reloads I can try to contact him...

culver you have a lee setup right... is it easy to learn? I'm under the impression it Is but I'm getting scared im goin in head first and should maby try feet first, kinda like swimming ya know...

I'm sorry if I'm to eager, I will try to control myself in the future...

-Joe

Also: my dad prob could help me make a new deprime pin and drill out the old one, would that be safe?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I have the exact same press you do as well as the same dies. I wish you lived closer I would be willing to show you. A lot of the online retailers are out of stock on stuff. I imagine this run on supplies should ease and stock will replenish. (I hope anyway). THis is not the norm but you need to find a local supplier and Dicks and Gander don't carry squat in what is needed.

I ran a seasrch. I don't know anything about these places so i would call first.

VANTASSEL'S GUNSMITHING

30412 NY ST. RT. 37

EVANS MILLS, NY 13637

ST. LAWRENCE SPORTS

608 FORD STREET

OGDENSBURG, NY 13669

Phone: 315-393-1032

DAN'S GUNS & AMMO

26226 RIDGE ROAD

WATERTOWN, NY 13601

Phone: 315-788-2586

JIM'S GUNS & AMMO

17612 NY ST. RT. 3

WATERTOWN, NY 13601

Phone: 315-786-8045

Edited January 4, 2013 by Culvercreek hunt club

[Doc]

Joe,

Do you know anyone that reloads or are you near a gun club? It might be worth sitting in and watching someone run through the process too.

I will second this thought. The safety aspects of re-loading are such that in-person demonstration would definitely take any risk out of the process. I had my Brother-in-law to show me step by step, and explain what each step was intended for. Yes, the books are very good at instruction, but the penalty for mis-reading or misunderstanding one step can have some nasty consequences. If you have any ability to get a demo, I would urge you to do it.... and I would recommend that regardless of whether you are 15 years old or 75 years old.

[josephmrtn]

I know where the van trussel guy is he is about 10 min from my place, my friend w the 30-06 had some work done there and liked him... I might check these out... you think they prob would carry powder ect?

sorry its kinda hard to type on my phone....

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Call and ask. Only one way to know for sure. If not they would know who does.

[josephmrtn]

ok thanks for the info!

[fasteddie]

When you work on reloads ..... no radio , no TV , no phone and no distractions . When I go to the basement to reload I tell my wife don't bother me until I come back upstairs .

[josephmrtn]

lol my setup is in the basement too! yeah i know what ya mean it is VERY highly concentrational (that a word?) work.... today we went w a friend (the one w the 30-06) to watertown for breakfast, he rode with us, when he climbed in the van he handed me a walmart bag and said here is a little gift for you... inside was a ziplock bag with 53 empty 30-06 shells along w another baggie with 4, loaded 303 SAV W-W SUPER that he found on the floor of his truck a few years ago and also a OLD green box of 71 (originaly 100 in box) Sierra 30 Cal 150 gr Spitster Boat Tail Bullets that he got years ago when he had a friend if his do some reloading for him... needless to say that got me exited!!!! i cant wait to get started reloading... here are some pics of my setup so far... im hoping to add shelves along the back and some other improvements but this is all ive got done...

[josephmrtn]

any uses for the 303 ammo?

[Lawdwaz]

Any luck finding any components?

You know, if you can't find exactly what you want, check out what powder is available and see if it will work (suggested loads in the bullet manuals) with you specific grain weight bullet.

Same with primers.....

[josephmrtn]

No I didn't call any of those places yet... was in town yesterday and on the way home drove right by van tassel but didnt stop..... should've tho

I like that idea, it might not be my first choice but at least I could get started... I got a question, I did NOT get a lee safety prime and I saw some where it says not to touch the primers w your hand... how else can u do it? Or should I just buy a lee safety prime?

[fasteddie]

I use a Lee hand held primer . I open the primer box far enough to expose 50 primers ( if that's the number of cases I plan to prime ) . I take the cover off the hand primer and hold it upside down over the primers . Then turn everything over so the hand primer is upright . The primer disk is rippled and you lightly tap the side of the primer tool and the upside down primers upright themselves . Place the cover on the tool and start priming your brass . You never touch the primers with your fingers .

Note : Make sure you have the proper shell holder in the hand primer .

[Lawdwaz]

I use a Lee hand held primer . I open the primer box far enough to expose 50 primers ( if that's the number of cases I plan to prime ) . I take the cover off the hand primer and hold it upside down over the primers . Then turn everything over so the hand primer is upright . The primer disk is rippled and you lightly tap the side of the primer tool and the upside down primers upright themselves . Place the cover on the tool and start priming your brass . You never touch the primers with your fingers .

Note : Make sure you have the proper shell holder in the hand primer .

Yup.

One thing I'll add that flies in the face of EVERY reloader going....I don't "sweat" the handling of primers too much. If I need to, I just flip them, put them back in the holder etc. I've never had a misfire that I didn't know exactly what happened.

Granted, you can't be dumb about it. Don't be eating fries, wings etc. I don't do it very often but if I need to, I do.

WEAR YOUR SAFETY GLASSES!

[Pygmy]

Hmmmm.. No harm in doing it the way that Eddie does it..

However, I have primed perhaps a couple thousand rifle casings with my Rockchucker press, not MANHANDLING the primers, but taking no extreme measures to NOT touch them with my fingers, and have never had a misfire..

I try not to over handle them, but don't worry about handling them enough to prime the cases with the press..

I bought a Lee hand priming tool years ago because it was recomended by SOMEONE, and, while it worked fine, I could see no advantage in using it rather than just priming the cases in the press..Does anybody WANT one ? I'll probably never use mine again.

[Lawdwaz]

Hmmmm.. No harm in doing it the way that Eddie does it..

However, I have primed perhaps a couple thousand rifle casings with my Rockchucker press, not MANHANDLING the primers, but taking no extreme measures to NOT touch them with my fingers, and have never had a misfire..

I try not to over handle them, but don't worry about handling them enough to prime the cases with the press..

I bought a Lee hand priming tool years ago because it was recomended by SOMEONE, and, while it worked fine, I could see no advantage in using it rather than just priming the cases in the press..Does anybody WANT one ? I'll probably never use mine again.

I didn't mean to imply eddie's way was wrong, just how I don't sweat it TOO much!

[Pygmy]

I didn't mean to imply eddie's way was wrong, just how I don't sweat it TOO much!

I did not want to imply that Eddie was wrong either...Perhaps not being quite so careful with primers will someday come back and bite me in my scrawny little butt...

I certainly make sure my hands are oil and grease free ...I'm just saying that in the process of dropping the primers from the box on the bench, picking them up with my gnarled little (clean) dwarf fingers and placing them in the priming arm on my press, and then pressing them in (always with safety glasses) I HAVE NEVER HAD A PRIMER FAIL TO FIRE. Perhaps I have just been lucky.<<grin>>...

[josephmrtn]

Hmmmm.. No harm in doing it the way that Eddie does it..

However, I have primed perhaps a couple thousand rifle casings with my Rockchucker press, not MANHANDLING the primers, but taking no extreme measures to NOT touch them with my fingers, and have never had a misfire..

I try not to over handle them, but don't worry about handling them enough to prime the cases with the press..

I bought a Lee hand priming tool years ago because it was recomended by SOMEONE, and, while it worked fine, I could see no advantage in using it rather than just priming the cases in the press..Does anybody WANT one ? I'll probably never use mine again.

how much you want for it? i might take it if its cheap....

[Pygmy]

how much you want for it? i might take it if its cheap....

Oh it's cheap, alright, Joseph..

I'll swap it for those 4 .303 Savage cartridges.. I have a modest collection of old shotgun shells and rifle and pistol cartridges...I don't happen to have any .303 Savage.

PM me and I'll send you the priming tool ( depending on if I can FIND it since I have not used it for years) or I can stop by your place the next time I drive up Rte 11 to visit my daughter and grandson and drop it off in person.

[josephmrtn]

sounds like a deal pm on the way......

[Doc]

I use a Lee hand held primer . I open the primer box far enough to expose 50 primers ( if that's the number of cases I plan to prime ) . I take the cover off the hand primer and hold it upside down over the primers . Then turn everything over so the hand primer is upright . The primer disk is rippled and you lightly tap the side of the primer tool and the upside down primers upright themselves . Place the cover on the tool and start priming your brass . You never touch the primers with your fingers .

Note : Make sure you have the proper shell holder in the hand primer .

I have the RCBS version of the Lee priming tool. It works real slick. And it's fast. I used to use the priming tube on my press, but this thing seems to be so much easier.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Joseph...what kit did you actually buy? I was sure the lee turret kits came with a priming tool

[josephmrtn]

i bought the Lee Deluxe Reloading Kit cause they were out of stock on the other kit that you reccomended... it includes: Lee Turret Press w auto index, Lee saftey Powder Scale (i bought an electronic scale from frankfort arsenal cause im a little scared of the mechanical one ) Lee auto disk powder measure(i dont know how to use so im not gonna), lee primer pocket cleaner, lee chamfer tool, lee case trimmer... as far as i can see the only thing this kit dont include that the other one does is the saftey prime tool thingy and the 2nd edition of modern reloading which i bought seperate.... lee presses dont have primer tubes since in a test at the factory when the bottom one in the tube was intentenaly detonated it said the 1x6 above looked like a close range hit from a shotgun... thats why they dont use them...

[Culvercreek hunt club]

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/548630/lee-safety-prime-small-and-large-primer-feeder-for-2006-later-reloading-press?cm_vc=OBv1622290

this si the priming tool that works with your press is you ever want it.