The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Range report...or...beginning of a learning curve.

Willie Sutton · August 12, 2012, 09:58 PM

What they said about primers. They need to be seated FIRMLY to be reliable, in fact they are actually swaged, or crushed, into the pocket slightly when properly seated. If they are not seated correctly they will not work.

Seating on the press is fine, you need to develop a feel for it though. There is a certain "spring" to the feel of the handle when a primer properly seats. Hand seating tools or bench tools are also good, they just slow down the reloading process a bit, but if volume is not important, they are good. The old Lee hand loading tool is a classic, the RCBS bench tool is wonderful, and I am sure that there are newer tools that are just as good. I have not bought any reloading gear in the last 20 years, as all of my old stuff works fine and there is no need to replace it. I have probably primed 10,000 cartridges with my Lee hand priming tool. Nowadays I use the press more as I reload on a Dillon RL-550 progressive press mostly.

I think all of us went thru the primer seating issues when we started. Don't be brutal, but get on the handle hard to get them seated. In

Willie

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August 12, 2012, 09:58 PM	#8
Willie Sutton Junior member Join Date: January 26, 2012 Posts: 1,066	What they said about primers. They need to be seated FIRMLY to be reliable, in fact they are actually swaged, or crushed, into the pocket slightly when properly seated. If they are not seated correctly they will not work. Seating on the press is fine, you need to develop a feel for it though. There is a certain "spring" to the feel of the handle when a primer properly seats. Hand seating tools or bench tools are also good, they just slow down the reloading process a bit, but if volume is not important, they are good. The old Lee hand loading tool is a classic, the RCBS bench tool is wonderful, and I am sure that there are newer tools that are just as good. I have not bought any reloading gear in the last 20 years, as all of my old stuff works fine and there is no need to replace it. I have probably primed 10,000 cartridges with my Lee hand priming tool. Nowadays I use the press more as I reload on a Dillon RL-550 progressive press mostly. I think all of us went thru the primer seating issues when we started. Don't be brutal, but get on the handle hard to get them seated. In Willie .