Looking into Loading my own - Page 2

Edward429451 · March 5, 2012, 11:13 PM

That's cool

I use my barrel as a case gauge for my 45. I understand why factory ammo is post sized, for non loaders. I sized one 44 Mag through the FCD and that was all. Perhaps that is why it is so easy to hand load better than factory?

papadude · March 6, 2012, 12:00 AM

Jake1191 what part of the country are you from? I would be willing to bet there is someone on here near you that could help you get started.

jake1191 · March 6, 2012, 08:03 AM

Well I ordered the lee deluxe turret kit and all the stuff to start doing 45 ammo. Friday I will order my tumbler n the rest of my dies n supplies as well as an e scale

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

howlnmad · March 6, 2012, 12:51 PM

I see pay-day had come and gone but I'm gonna throw my .02 in anyway. I was going to agree with the list peetza posted except for items #10 and #12. I prefer the RCBS chamfering tool, it's larger and easier to handle. And it doesn't leave a ring around the body of my magnum cases like the Lee. And if you're loading for an AR platform, I would go with full length resizing dies. If it's for a bolt rifle, by all means go with #12. JMO

CrustyFN · March 6, 2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

I use my barrel as a case gauge for my 45.

I do the same thing but only the first few and mainly to check OAL. After that I trust that since none are getting post sized then they are in spec and will chamber fine. Maybe I'm just lucky but I have never had an ammo problem at any matches that I have shot. Now if I was just a better shot.

jake1191 · March 11, 2012, 07:58 PM

My FSReloading has let me down. Their site claimed they had a classic turret press kit in stock and they did not so now i am waiting on that which is a major inconvenience because had i known this i would have ordered it elsewhere.

I did order a Hornady vibratory tumbler and picked up some powders locally as well as some bullets to get started off. Hoping to get setup to keep about 1000 rounds of .45 ACP and .308 and about 100 rounds of 500 S&W before i go to the range.

Lost Sheep · March 12, 2012, 08:55 PM

Check Kempf's gun shop. They will tell you when you place the order if all of it is in stock or not. No backorders.

Sue Kempf is good to deal with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake1191

My FSReloading has let me down. Their site claimed they had a classic turret press kit in stock and they did not so now i am waiting on that which is a major inconvenience because had i known this i would have ordered it elsewhere.

I did order a Hornady vibratory tumbler and picked up some powders locally as well as some bullets to get started off. Hoping to get setup to keep about 1000 rounds of .45 ACP and .308 and about 100 rounds of 500 S&W before i go to the range.

Good luck.

Lost Sheep

jake1191 · March 14, 2012, 04:29 PM

Got all my stuff from Midway and still waiting on my press. If FSReloading will refund my money i am going through Kempfs

jake1191 · March 16, 2012, 05:14 AM

Getting a Kempf's Classic Turret Kit today and 200 45 ACP brass.

Hoping to get it all next week and get loading.

CrustyFN · March 16, 2012, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Getting a Kempf's Classic Turret Kit today and 200 45 ACP brass.

Hoping to get it all next week and get loading.

Great kit, you should be very happy.

jake1191 · March 18, 2012, 07:31 PM

Just cant wait for it to get here. Already scavenging brass for the 45. Snagged 200+ rounds of it at the range and picked up 500 bullets for the 45, 100 for the 500, and 500 for the .308. Got all my powders and primers and even my dies i ordered from midway along with my tumbler and media. Hell i have even tumbled all the brass i scavenged and already had and just waiting on the press.

jake1191 · March 26, 2012, 06:47 PM

Got my press last week and put out 200 rounds of 45 ACP. Ended up messing a few rounds up but nothing serious. First round was a test casing without powder and seated the bullet way too deep, another was i forgot the powder(Auto-Disk was turned off), and one i forgot the primer on. Other than those i took about 100 rounds to the range and fired them and they make my XD-45 much more accurate not to mention the feeling of them being made by me.

I also started sizing my 500 S&W brass but it seems that my carbide sizing die broke so that has to go back and get replaced.

I did assemble and shoot 5 .308 rounds as well as 40 store bought rounds to get the brass from them. The reloaded ammo grouped at 1/2 inch at 300 yards with a garbage scope. The store bought ammo was too inconsistent to even call it a group.

jake1191 · April 9, 2012, 06:05 PM

Well to bring this back from the dead. I have run into some problems....

1) 500 S&W Lee Sizing Die began marking up cases after 15 cases.
2) .308 Full Length Sizing Die got a well lubed case stuck in it and is now thrashed.

Is this just me having a run of bad luck or should I maybe looking into some better dies? I was thinking about stepping up to all Redding competition dies and just use the Lee powder thru expanding dies but not 100% sure i can justify the cost

howlnmad · April 9, 2012, 06:47 PM

What kind of marks are being left on the 500 brass? A picture would help. Have you cleaned the dies?

A stuck case does not mean a trashed die. They make extractors for that. What type of lube are you using? If its Lee, you have to let that stuff dry. I prefer Imperial Sizing Wax.

jake1191 · April 9, 2012, 07:02 PM

The carbide ring in the 500 die broke. My 308 die is trashed from removal attempts

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

howlnmad · April 9, 2012, 08:43 PM

Sorry about the 308 die but Lee may replace the 500 die. I'd give them a call. An easy way to crack the carbide is by setting the die to deep. It doesn't want to touch the shell holder.

CrustyFN · April 9, 2012, 09:08 PM

Quote:

My 308 die is trashed from removal attempts

How did you try to remove the stuck case? All you have to do is loosen the nut that holds the decaping pin and drive the case out with a punch on the end of the pin. I have stuck a couple and that has worked very good for me.

jake1191 · April 9, 2012, 09:51 PM

500 die is already on its way in for replacement. I had it a good ways off from the shell holder.

I did try that with the .308 die but to no avail....

hunter73 · April 9, 2012, 09:57 PM

I picked up the lee 50th aniversary kit has evrything you need to get started and is cheap only other thing you need is your dies

Lost Sheep · April 9, 2012, 10:51 PM

Did you use any lubricant on the 500 S&W cases?

Normally, with T-C dies for straight-walled cases, you don't lube them, but the 500, being so large, does benefit some.

But don't use too much. Too much lube (on either cartridge) can be bad. If lube gets under the T-C ring, it can come out, dragged out by the cartridge case. When that happens, it is almost certain to break, as T-C is very brittle.

If you use no lube, likewise, the case can drag the T-C ring out of the die through just the friction.

Neither of these is likely, but possible.

Also, make sure the Turret head is in good alignment with the press' ram. Mine was perfect right out of the box, but I have heard that some are not (shifted during shipping? - I don't know if that is possible, but this is what I hear.) It is no big deal to realign the turret ring on the uprights, but check the rotational position of the turret first.

Put a shell holder on the ram. Make sure it is fully engaged and can rotate freely. Put a cartridge case in the shell holder and make sure it is fully inserted. Make sure the fit is close. It is possible to have gotten the wrong size shell holder-mistake in packaging happen.

With everything in place and sitting square, run the ram up to the sizing die and see if it enters the die perfectly (as closely as you can tell by eye) centered. Then rotate the shell holder 90 degrees and do it again, all four points of the compass.

If it passes that test, I would figure your press is in alignment.

(The foregoing is just my seat-of-the-pants advice. Lee Precision might have a more sophisticated method.)

Lee Precision's Customer Service has always answered my emails within one working day. But if I as them multiple, complex questions, the answers are usually partial and often confused. Single straightforward questions get the best answers.

If you got the press and dies from Kempf's, Sue Kempf will be helpful if you can get her on the phone.

Good Luck,

Lost Sheep

jake1191 · May 14, 2012, 04:19 PM

Well i got all my problems sorted out and loaded a good 100 rounds of the 500SW, 1000 of the 45ACP, and 500 .308s. Reloads not only save me money but make my guns tons more accurate.

Since the last post though i have sold my Lee Turret Setup with the .308 dies and my .308 and picked up a .357 Magnum. All the extra money i had left went into a Dillon XL650 with the BrianEnos As it Should Be Upgrade.and all the necessary parts to get me setup for my calibers. Everything should be here Thursday and i am ecstatic.

Next paycheck I plan on picking up a few of the Deluxe Quick Change kits, and a few other odds and ends. Then it will be time to build a 300WSM with my saved reloading money. Also going to be getting the CV2001 tumbler as my hornady went with my Turret press.

CrustyFN · May 14, 2012, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Well i got all my problems sorted out and loaded a good 100 rounds of the 500SW, 1000 of the 45ACP, and 500 .308s. Reloads not only save me money but make my guns tons more accurate.

Congrats Jake. Sounds like we have another happy LCT user.

March 18, 2012, 07:31 PM	#36
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	Just cant wait for it to get here. Already scavenging brass for the 45. Snagged 200+ rounds of it at the range and picked up 500 bullets for the 45, 100 for the 500, and 500 for the .308. Got all my powders and primers and even my dies i ordered from midway along with my tumbler and media. Hell i have even tumbled all the brass i scavenged and already had and just waiting on the press. Last edited by jake1191; March 18, 2012 at 07:38 PM.

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March 5, 2012, 11:13 PM	#26
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	That's cool I use my barrel as a case gauge for my 45. I understand why factory ammo is post sized, for non loaders. I sized one 44 Mag through the FCD and that was all. Perhaps that is why it is so easy to hand load better than factory?

March 6, 2012, 12:00 AM	#27
papadude Junior Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Location: southcentral Iowa Posts: 9	Jake1191 what part of the country are you from? I would be willing to bet there is someone on here near you that could help you get started.

March 6, 2012, 08:03 AM	#28
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	Well I ordered the lee deluxe turret kit and all the stuff to start doing 45 ammo. Friday I will order my tumbler n the rest of my dies n supplies as well as an e scale Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

March 6, 2012, 12:51 PM	#29
howlnmad Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: Harriman Tn Posts: 424	I see pay-day had come and gone but I'm gonna throw my .02 in anyway. I was going to agree with the list peetza posted except for items #10 and #12. I prefer the RCBS chamfering tool, it's larger and easier to handle. And it doesn't leave a ring around the body of my magnum cases like the Lee. And if you're loading for an AR platform, I would go with full length resizing dies. If it's for a bolt rifle, by all means go with #12. JMO

March 11, 2012, 07:58 PM	#31
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	My FSReloading has let me down. Their site claimed they had a classic turret press kit in stock and they did not so now i am waiting on that which is a major inconvenience because had i known this i would have ordered it elsewhere. I did order a Hornady vibratory tumbler and picked up some powders locally as well as some bullets to get started off. Hoping to get setup to keep about 1000 rounds of .45 ACP and .308 and about 100 rounds of 500 S&W before i go to the range.

March 14, 2012, 04:29 PM	#33
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	Got all my stuff from Midway and still waiting on my press. If FSReloading will refund my money i am going through Kempfs

March 16, 2012, 05:14 AM	#34
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	Getting a Kempf's Classic Turret Kit today and 200 45 ACP brass. Hoping to get it all next week and get loading.

March 26, 2012, 06:47 PM	#37
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	Got my press last week and put out 200 rounds of 45 ACP. Ended up messing a few rounds up but nothing serious. First round was a test casing without powder and seated the bullet way too deep, another was i forgot the powder(Auto-Disk was turned off), and one i forgot the primer on. Other than those i took about 100 rounds to the range and fired them and they make my XD-45 much more accurate not to mention the feeling of them being made by me. I also started sizing my 500 S&W brass but it seems that my carbide sizing die broke so that has to go back and get replaced. I did assemble and shoot 5 .308 rounds as well as 40 store bought rounds to get the brass from them. The reloaded ammo grouped at 1/2 inch at 300 yards with a garbage scope. The store bought ammo was too inconsistent to even call it a group.

April 9, 2012, 06:05 PM	#38
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	Well to bring this back from the dead. I have run into some problems.... 1) 500 S&W Lee Sizing Die began marking up cases after 15 cases. 2) .308 Full Length Sizing Die got a well lubed case stuck in it and is now thrashed. Is this just me having a run of bad luck or should I maybe looking into some better dies? I was thinking about stepping up to all Redding competition dies and just use the Lee powder thru expanding dies but not 100% sure i can justify the cost

April 9, 2012, 06:47 PM	#39
howlnmad Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: Harriman Tn Posts: 424	What kind of marks are being left on the 500 brass? A picture would help. Have you cleaned the dies? A stuck case does not mean a trashed die. They make extractors for that. What type of lube are you using? If its Lee, you have to let that stuff dry. I prefer Imperial Sizing Wax.

April 9, 2012, 07:02 PM	#40
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	The carbide ring in the 500 die broke. My 308 die is trashed from removal attempts Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

April 9, 2012, 08:43 PM	#41
howlnmad Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: Harriman Tn Posts: 424	Sorry about the 308 die but Lee may replace the 500 die. I'd give them a call. An easy way to crack the carbide is by setting the die to deep. It doesn't want to touch the shell holder.

April 9, 2012, 09:51 PM	#43
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	500 die is already on its way in for replacement. I had it a good ways off from the shell holder. I did try that with the .308 die but to no avail....

April 9, 2012, 09:57 PM	#44
hunter73 Junior Member Join Date: April 9, 2012 Posts: 1	I picked up the lee 50th aniversary kit has evrything you need to get started and is cheap only other thing you need is your dies

April 9, 2012, 10:51 PM	#45
Lost Sheep Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2009 Location: Anchorage Alaska Posts: 3,341	Did you use any lubricant on the 500 S&W cases? Normally, with T-C dies for straight-walled cases, you don't lube them, but the 500, being so large, does benefit some. But don't use too much. Too much lube (on either cartridge) can be bad. If lube gets under the T-C ring, it can come out, dragged out by the cartridge case. When that happens, it is almost certain to break, as T-C is very brittle. If you use no lube, likewise, the case can drag the T-C ring out of the die through just the friction. Neither of these is likely, but possible. Also, make sure the Turret head is in good alignment with the press' ram. Mine was perfect right out of the box, but I have heard that some are not (shifted during shipping? - I don't know if that is possible, but this is what I hear.) It is no big deal to realign the turret ring on the uprights, but check the rotational position of the turret first. Put a shell holder on the ram. Make sure it is fully engaged and can rotate freely. Put a cartridge case in the shell holder and make sure it is fully inserted. Make sure the fit is close. It is possible to have gotten the wrong size shell holder-mistake in packaging happen. With everything in place and sitting square, run the ram up to the sizing die and see if it enters the die perfectly (as closely as you can tell by eye) centered. Then rotate the shell holder 90 degrees and do it again, all four points of the compass. If it passes that test, I would figure your press is in alignment. (The foregoing is just my seat-of-the-pants advice. Lee Precision might have a more sophisticated method.) Lee Precision's Customer Service has always answered my emails within one working day. But if I as them multiple, complex questions, the answers are usually partial and often confused. Single straightforward questions get the best answers. If you got the press and dies from Kempf's, Sue Kempf will be helpful if you can get her on the phone. Good Luck, Lost Sheep

May 14, 2012, 04:19 PM	#46
jake1191 Member Join Date: February 29, 2012 Posts: 19	Well i got all my problems sorted out and loaded a good 100 rounds of the 500SW, 1000 of the 45ACP, and 500 .308s. Reloads not only save me money but make my guns tons more accurate. Since the last post though i have sold my Lee Turret Setup with the .308 dies and my .308 and picked up a .357 Magnum. All the extra money i had left went into a Dillon XL650 with the BrianEnos As it Should Be Upgrade.and all the necessary parts to get me setup for my calibers. Everything should be here Thursday and i am ecstatic. Next paycheck I plan on picking up a few of the Deluxe Quick Change kits, and a few other odds and ends. Then it will be time to build a 300WSM with my saved reloading money. Also going to be getting the CV2001 tumbler as my hornady went with my Turret press.