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NEWBIE TO RELOADING

HVFDFIREFIGHTER

Hello. I'm sure this will be the first of many posts. I have just purchased my first two presses (Lee Breech Lock Loader - single stage press and the Lee Classic Cast Turret press -4 hole turret), 4 die kit for .223, tumbler, Lee Ram swage, Quick Trim, and other some other tools and equipment.

All of the video's I have seen show the first step on the turret press as resizing, decapping, and priming. The next step is powder charge. BUT after resizing, shouldn't the cases be trimmed?

What I have done so far (this is my very first time)
1) cleaned cases,
2) sorted by .223 or 5.56 and all are in good condition
3) lubed cases
4) On the single stage press: decapped and resized
5) Swaged
6) Cleaned primer pockets
7) Sorted by case length (<1.450, 1.450 - 1.500 >1.500)
*8) I am at this step now. Now I need to trim, chamfer and deburr
9) Clean brass
10) Double check all brass

Not sure what to do with the 4 hole turret.
I need to install primers somehow (using CCI#41 SRP) most show priming on the down stroke of the decapp/resize die which I have already done. Do I still need that die in the press to install the primer?
I also have a collet die - not sure if I need this for .223 on semi auto
charge with powder
seat bullet
crimp bullet - .223 not sure if it needs crimped

I know, lots of questions! Thank you in advance for the help.
 
HVFDFIREFIGHTER said:
Hello. I'm sure this will be the first of many posts. I have just purchased my first two presses (Lee Breech Lock Loader - single stage press and the Lee Classic Cast Turret press -4 hole turret), 4 die kit for .223, tumbler, Lee Ram swage, Quick Trim, and other some other tools and equipment.

All of the video's I have seen show the first step on the turret press as resizing, decapping, and priming. The next step is powder charge. BUT after resizing, shouldn't the cases be trimmed?

What I have done so far (this is my very first time)
1) cleaned cases,
2) sorted by .223 or 5.56 and all are in good condition
3) lubed cases
4) On the single stage press: decapped and resized
5) Swaged
6) Cleaned primer pockets
7) Sorted by case length (<1.450, 1.450 - 1.500 >1.500)
*8) I am at this step now. Now I need to trim, chamfer and deburr
9) Clean brass
10) Double check all brass

Not sure what to do with the 4 hole turret.
I need to install primers somehow (using CCI#41 SRP) most show priming on the down stroke of the decapp/resize die which I have already done. Do I still need that die in the press to install the primer?
I also have a collet die - not sure if I need this for .223 on semi auto
charge with powder
seat bullet
crimp bullet - .223 not sure if it needs crimped

I know, lots of questions! Thank you in advance for the help.
Click to expand...
Just keep in mind the rabbit hole you have jumped in to is very deep Tommy Mc Welcome.
 
Last edited:
G'day from the Peoples Republic of New Zealand.
Lee gear is quite capable of producing good ammo. Take your time, good lubrication and care.
I don't think that you need to crimp die, unless you are shooting an AR and have feed issues. I don't like the turret press much, except for pistol ammo - I used one for a year, then bought a Dillon. Trim - yes. The Lyman electric thing works OK, as it measures off the shoulder. Annealing - up to you. If you are shooting F-class or High Power - sure. Rabbits, not so much. How are you weighing powder?
 
A few comments.

- Have you a loading manual that described the reloading process step by step? Read and study it. There are also videos on this process. It's important that you understand each step, why it's performed and how to perform it properly.

- Not sure what step 5 is, i.e., "swaged".

-I always chamfer the case necks before sizing since new cases tend to have a lip that can shave off during sizing depositing brass particles inside the die which can scratch the die.

- How did you size the cases, i.e., full size, neck size, body size? Sizing is one of the most important steps. The goal is to size the case just enough so that the case which chamber without significant resistance. For bolt rifles this usually involves pushing the shoulder back .001 to .002" whereas for semi's it usually .003. The die can be set for optimum sizing by either using a trial-and-error method slowly adjusting the die then check the case in the chamber of the rifle or measuring the set back with a bump gauge and caliper.

- I don't shoot a semi-auto but a lot of guys I know do and they crimp. I'll leave this issue to the semi- guys to advise you. For crimping, trimming to uniform case length is important to assure uniform crimps.

- I would stick with a single stage press until you have mastered all the steps of the reloading process.

- I prefer to hand prime my cases. There are a number of good hand primers on the market. If cost is not issue and you plan to stay in this game for a long time, I would invest in a Sinclair hand primer. It does a great job and will last a lifetime.
 
Isn't trim length for 223/5.56 in the 1.740-1.760 range?

Max chamber length is in the neighborhood of 1.773 or so. As long as you're significantly shorter than that after sizing (say, ,005" or more) you'll be fine.

Couple of items (these are my opinions only; you can make up your mind on what you should do):

Crimping: I don't crimp for 223. Not enough recoil to move bullets that are on-deck. You should do a test though, and make sure your bullets aren't moving on feeding (i.e. measure OAL, cycle it through the rifle without firing, and check OAL again - the bullet may move as it hits the feed ramp, and you don't want that.) If you do crimp, don't go overboard, as that may cause other problems (bulged cases in particular.)

Sizing: DO NOT use the manufacturer's setup procedure. Invariably, they'll have you run as short as the die will produce (i.e. raise ram, screw die down to hit shellholder, lower ram, screw die in another 1/4 turn.) That is a very bad practice, as the shoulder to base measurement gets too short. Size to bump the shoulder a very small amount (1.5 to 2 thousandths for a bolt gun, 3-5 thousandths for a semi-auto.) Do a search on how to measure CBTD (case base to datum, aka "base to shoulder".)

The multiple holes in your press are so you can have the entire die set in there, adjusted correctly, and when it's time to switch dies, you rotate the one you want into position. Avoids having to unscrew the old die, screw the new one in, and adjust it. (Rifle, you probably only have 2 dies; pistol usually has 3 or 4 dies, and sometimes more.)

Good luck!
 
HVFDFIREFIGHTER said:
Hello. I'm sure this will be the first of many posts. I have just purchased my first two presses (Lee Breech Lock Loader - single stage press and the Lee Classic Cast Turret press -4 hole turret), 4 die kit for .223, tumbler, Lee Ram swage, Quick Trim, and other some other tools and equipment.

All of the video's I have seen show the first step on the turret press as resizing, decapping, and priming. The next step is powder charge. BUT after resizing, shouldn't the cases be trimmed?

What I have done so far (this is my very first time)
1) cleaned cases,
2) sorted by .223 or 5.56 and all are in good condition
3) lubed cases
4) On the single stage press: decapped and resized
5) Swaged
6) Cleaned primer pockets
7) Sorted by case length (<1.450, 1.450 - 1.500 >1.500)
*8) I am at this step now. Now I need to trim, chamfer and deburr
9) Clean brass
10) Double check all brass

Not sure what to do with the 4 hole turret.
I need to install primers somehow (using CCI#41 SRP) most show priming on the down stroke of the decapp/resize die which I have already done. Do I still need that die in the press to install the primer?
I also have a collet die - not sure if I need this for .223 on semi auto
charge with powder
seat bullet
crimp bullet - .223 not sure if it needs crimped

I know, lots of questions! Thank you in advance for the help.
Click to expand...
You need to chamfer brass before sizing to prevent small pieces of brass from breaking off the end off the neck and getting dragged down the neck. Don't know what you mean by swaging.
 
Personally, I would recommend that you invest in carbide dies to avoid lubing. Also, and this may have been mentioned as there is a ton of good advise that has been given already, find out how to do the annealing process.
Welcome to the club.
 
bline said:
Personally, I would recommend that you invest in carbide dies to avoid lubing. Also, and this may have been mentioned as there is a ton of good advise that has been given already, find out how to do the annealing process.
Welcome to the club.
Click to expand...

Carbide rifle dies are carbide for longevity in commercial applications, not to preclude lubed cases.

Straight-wall pistol is a different critter.
 
@HVFDFIREFIGHTER your handle implies you have seen the results of folks taking risks or not reading the instructions.

Others will give you lots of good advice and details, but I am going to chime in with the ones that say step back and read the loading manual tutorial sections again. Don't try this with just YouTube.

You can get hurt and even hurt someone else in this game. 55 KSI inches from your eyes and fingers is nothing to take lightly enough to skip reading the instructions when someone is trying to learn this on their own.

Even if you do read the manuals, I would recommend you find a mentor local to you who can teach you how to get started safely.

It isn't that you can't get there from here on your own, but the safety and efficiency isn't the same in terms of risk or wasted time. You will get up the learning curve much safer and faster with a mentor.

It is one thing to watch YouTube video tutorials, and another to also have a good loading manual with detailed process instructions on your bench. Re-read those manuals and then see if you still have questions.
 
RegionRat said:
It is one thing to watch YouTube video tutorials, and another to also have a good loading manual with detailed process instructions on your bench. Re-read those manuals and then see if you still have questions.
Click to expand...

To expand on RegionRat's comment:

Books are reviewed. Content is pored over for mistakes by editors and peers before it put in for publication. Once in, it is pored over by legal teams for things that may incur liability issues. Only then does it go to print. Bottom line is that you can be reasonably sure that the info in there is accurate, and there aren't any oddball situations that will be dangerous.

YouTube, on the other hand, is a non-reviewed site (apart from comments.) The info on there has no controls on content, and no guarantees that the info is valid, safe, or anything else, other than available.

I would suggest to the OP that he start loading on the single stage press, since you have it. You'll get a much better idea of what each step is supposed to accomplish and be able to verify/correct things that are working or not. I would suggest the following process:

1) clean cases (prevents dirt and crap from contaminating your dies.) Inspect for damage.
2) Lube cases
3) Size/decap (and possibly reprime if the press has that function.)
4) Measure case overall length (OAL.) Trim if necessary (probably won't be.) Chamfer/debur if you trim.
5) Prime cases if not done already
6) Charge cases
7) Seat bullet (In general I'd suggest crimping only if necessary. Usually this means bullets move under recoil or feeding, requiring more hold.)
8) Go shoot, and return to step 1.

Note that you should NOT follow the die manufacturer's setup direction for the sizing die. Learn to measure the case from base to shoulder, and set the die up for an appropriate amount of shoulder bump (or setback.) Most instructions say to size to the max possible; this will cause you problems down the road. For a semi-auto, size for 3-5 thousandths reduction base-to-shoulder. Your brass will thank you for it (your rifle might, too.)
 
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