Intro and Questions (long)

Flapjack23 · January 13, 2009, 09:35 AM

Please allow myself to introduce...myself.

I'm fairly new to reloading. Only last year or so, I've reloaded so far 10mm. .357, and 45/70. I intend to reload .300 WM, .375 H&H (no real use for this one, but got a very good deal on the gun), .480 Ruger, .270 Win, .40 S&W. I got a Lee turret press kit, misc odds and ends. I believe I am competent and pay enough attention to reload safely. I've been using the press as a single station press, but will probably use the auto-index function to mass produce .40, 10mm, maybe .223 for plinking.

My procedure so far (for .300 and .375) is take factory new brass, resize, trim, deburr case mouth, tumble to remove lube (and I like shiny brass), prime, powder, seat bullet, crimp.

I tend to be somewhat anal and weigh every powder charge. Probably wont do that on bulk .40, 10mm, just every 10th or so. I only have the Lee balance beam measure that came with the kit. Does it provide enough accuracy or would I be better off with a good (expensive) balance beam scale or electronic one?

How about my procedure so far. Any problems with tumbling brass as last step to case prep?

Seat bullet and crimp should be 2 steps, right?

I'm aiming for consistency and accuracy as opposed to velocity in my reloading.

Thanks for any input, I hope to learn a lot and hopefully pass along something also.

Andy

OK its not as long as I thought it would be.

DBotkin · January 13, 2009, 09:58 AM

The only potential issue I see with tumbling after case prep is I tend to see a lot of flash holes plugged with media. You'll want to put them in a loading block head-up and check or poke each one to make sure they're clear. I use carbide dies for pistol calibers so I don't have to lube them after cleaning. I have also tumbled loaded rounds in corn cob media for half an hour or so to remove the lube, if I have a lot -- otherwise I'll just wipe them down with a rag. I usually don't have enough lube on the cases to really worry about it.

You can seat & crimp in one step, but I prefer to do it as 2 for my .40 ammo (taper crimps with a Lee Factory Crimp die). I seat & roll crimp in one operation for .357 & .44.

As for the rest... I only wish I had a progressive for my pistol calibers!! I suspect I'll be wishing I had it for the .223 as well, but for the foreseeable future it will be used more for varminting than plinking so I weigh them all.

Sounds like you're on the right track to me.

kyle663 · January 13, 2009, 12:43 PM

i would invest in a digital sale too. i have the lee scale from my kit and got a rcbs digital scale at a gun show.

hban373 · January 13, 2009, 01:24 PM

I'm not an avid reloader My father in law was. Going through his ammo inventory after he passed I noticed 30-06,6mm and 7mm basically having the same case. Several of the 30-06 marked cases had differet diameter bullet heads. Can the 30-06 fire different diameter bullets if the case is the same diameter and length? Same question for the 6mm and 7mm. I know you can fire 38s in 357 but not 357 in 38s. I look in his Hornsby reloading manuel volume one and for 30-06 it show different diameter bullets

please advise,

Bruce

The Lovemaster · January 13, 2009, 03:48 PM

Bruce, I don't completely understand your questions, but be aware there are five or six cartridges that descended from the 30-06, so it's possible he resized the 30-06 cases into 25-06 or 270, for example.

There is a vast difference between a 6mm and 7mm case, and a noticable difference between 6mm and 30-06 as well as 30-06 and 7mm.

A 30-06 WILL ONLY fire a .308" diameter bullet. Sounds like you need to get a caliper, measure your cases and compare them to the dimensioned drawings in your loading manuals.

One needs to be absolutely sure the proper cartridge is used in the proper caliber, otherwise bad things happen, like guns blowing up.

January 13, 2009, 09:35 AM	#1
Flapjack23 Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2009 Location: Yale MI Posts: 163	Intro and Questions (long) Please allow myself to introduce...myself. I'm fairly new to reloading. Only last year or so, I've reloaded so far 10mm. .357, and 45/70. I intend to reload .300 WM, .375 H&H (no real use for this one, but got a very good deal on the gun), .480 Ruger, .270 Win, .40 S&W. I got a Lee turret press kit, misc odds and ends. I believe I am competent and pay enough attention to reload safely. I've been using the press as a single station press, but will probably use the auto-index function to mass produce .40, 10mm, maybe .223 for plinking. My procedure so far (for .300 and .375) is take factory new brass, resize, trim, deburr case mouth, tumble to remove lube (and I like shiny brass), prime, powder, seat bullet, crimp. I tend to be somewhat anal and weigh every powder charge. Probably wont do that on bulk .40, 10mm, just every 10th or so. I only have the Lee balance beam measure that came with the kit. Does it provide enough accuracy or would I be better off with a good (expensive) balance beam scale or electronic one? How about my procedure so far. Any problems with tumbling brass as last step to case prep? Seat bullet and crimp should be 2 steps, right? I'm aiming for consistency and accuracy as opposed to velocity in my reloading. Thanks for any input, I hope to learn a lot and hopefully pass along something also. Andy OK its not as long as I thought it would be.

January 13, 2009, 12:43 PM	#3
kyle663 Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: IL Posts: 311	get a scale i would invest in a digital sale too. i have the lee scale from my kit and got a rcbs digital scale at a gun show. __________________ NRA member 22LR,17hmr, 9mm, 9mm makarov, 38 S&W, 38/357, 41mag, 44mag, 45ACP, 7.62x39, 7.62x54, 222rem

January 13, 2009, 01:24 PM	#4
hban373 Junior Member Join Date: January 12, 2009 Location: texas Posts: 1	30-06, 6mm and 7mm rounds I'm not an avid reloader My father in law was. Going through his ammo inventory after he passed I noticed 30-06,6mm and 7mm basically having the same case. Several of the 30-06 marked cases had differet diameter bullet heads. Can the 30-06 fire different diameter bullets if the case is the same diameter and length? Same question for the 6mm and 7mm. I know you can fire 38s in 357 but not 357 in 38s. I look in his Hornsby reloading manuel volume one and for 30-06 it show different diameter bullets please advise, Bruce

January 13, 2009, 09:58 AM	#2
DBotkin Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2006 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 302	The only potential issue I see with tumbling after case prep is I tend to see a lot of flash holes plugged with media. You'll want to put them in a loading block head-up and check or poke each one to make sure they're clear. I use carbide dies for pistol calibers so I don't have to lube them after cleaning. I have also tumbled loaded rounds in corn cob media for half an hour or so to remove the lube, if I have a lot -- otherwise I'll just wipe them down with a rag. I usually don't have enough lube on the cases to really worry about it. You can seat & crimp in one step, but I prefer to do it as 2 for my .40 ammo (taper crimps with a Lee Factory Crimp die). I seat & roll crimp in one operation for .357 & .44. As for the rest... I only wish I had a progressive for my pistol calibers!! I suspect I'll be wishing I had it for the .223 as well, but for the foreseeable future it will be used more for varminting than plinking so I weigh them all. Sounds like you're on the right track to me.

January 13, 2009, 03:48 PM	#5
The Lovemaster Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 416	Bruce, I don't completely understand your questions, but be aware there are five or six cartridges that descended from the 30-06, so it's possible he resized the 30-06 cases into 25-06 or 270, for example. There is a vast difference between a 6mm and 7mm case, and a noticable difference between 6mm and 30-06 as well as 30-06 and 7mm. A 30-06 WILL ONLY fire a .308" diameter bullet. Sounds like you need to get a caliper, measure your cases and compare them to the dimensioned drawings in your loading manuals. One needs to be absolutely sure the proper cartridge is used in the proper caliber, otherwise bad things happen, like guns blowing up.