Hornady LNL users, 45acp setup???

CrazyHorse89 · July 29, 2009, 07:07 AM

Can you please tell me how you guys set up your .45 reloading DIES, I'm really confused looking at some Youtube Videos, One Video has his dies set up, in a strage order. Die 1: Deprime/REzise Die 2: Powder Drop Die(with Expander) Die 3: Powder check, Die 4: Bullet seating (NOT Expander) and Die 5 is crimp.

Now he seems to know his stuff (Ultimatereloader.com) My set up is different. Die1 Rezise/Deprime, Die 2 Powder,Die 3 Powder Cop, Die 4 Expander, and Die 5 Bullet seat and Crimp.

What are the pro's and cons to this setup.

I check each and every load in my Lyman Case guage, they all seem to fit, but ever few founds it feeds a little Tight. Are my loads good?

Help, comments?

Thanks,

Paul

VTRich · July 29, 2009, 08:21 AM

He is just using the powder drop as the expander too. Then he is crimping as a final and separate step, rather than trying to seat and crimp at the same time. My set up is the same as the YouTube. I prefer to crimp separately as it's more consistant.

mongoose33 · July 29, 2009, 08:22 AM

Loading a bullet may feel tight simply due to brass differences.

There's nothing necessarily wrong with your setup so long as you are producing good reliable ammo. It's not the order I do it, in part because I want a separate crimp step.

So my order is this:

1. Resize/deprime die.

2. Powder drop and expander (together, using the powderfunnels.com LNL universal expander).

3. RCBS lockout die (stops press from going forward if I have a no-powder drop or a double-drop).

4. Bullet seating die.

5. Crimp die.

It doesn't matter much if you put the powder cop before or after the expander die so long as it's in a place where you can easily see it and pay attention to it.

Many find it a disadvantage to try to seat and crimp in the same operation, and this matters even more if you're trying to do a plated or lead bullet instead of jacketed. I load both plated and lead-coated bullets so I don't want to be crimping at the same time I'm seating the bullet.

And FWIW: I had a couple of no-powder squibs, so instead of the powder cop--which still requires me to pay attention, which seems little different than looking into each shell as I seat the bullet--I looked into and ended up buying the RCBS Lockout die.

If you have no powder, or too much, the lockout die won't allow the press stroke to complete, which tells me I've got a problem. I still look into the shell for powder when I seat, but I like the extra measure of monitoring.

LHB1 · July 31, 2009, 03:05 PM

Quote: " Die1 Rezise/Deprime, Die 2 Powder,Die 3 Powder Cop, Die 4 Expander, and Die 5 Bullet seat and Crimp."

You could run into a potential problem if the powder charge fills the case. The Expander die enters the case for some distance and could compress the powder while expanding the case and/or break the powder granules, thus changing the burning rate of the powder. This might lead to effective overcharges. Would suggest you put the deprime/sizer die in sta 1, expander die in sta 2, powder measure/die in sta 3, powder cop in sta 4, and seater/crimper in sta 5. This is the setup I have used in my progressive presses for the last 20 years and it works great.

Randy 1911 · July 31, 2009, 07:53 PM

The way I do it is: 1. Size/deprime 2. Expand 3 Powder drop 4. Powder cop 5. Seat/Crimp. I never have any problems doing it this way.

July 29, 2009, 07:07 AM	#1
CrazyHorse89 Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 126	Hornady LNL users, 45acp setup??? Can you please tell me how you guys set up your .45 reloading DIES, I'm really confused looking at some Youtube Videos, One Video has his dies set up, in a strage order. Die 1: Deprime/REzise Die 2: Powder Drop Die(with Expander) Die 3: Powder check, Die 4: Bullet seating (NOT Expander) and Die 5 is crimp. Now he seems to know his stuff (Ultimatereloader.com) My set up is different. Die1 Rezise/Deprime, Die 2 Powder,Die 3 Powder Cop, Die 4 Expander, and Die 5 Bullet seat and Crimp. What are the pro's and cons to this setup. I check each and every load in my Lyman Case guage, they all seem to fit, but ever few founds it feeds a little Tight. Are my loads good? Help, comments? Thanks, Paul Last edited by CrazyHorse89; July 29, 2009 at 07:20 AM.

July 31, 2009, 03:05 PM	#4
LHB1 Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,545	Quote: " Die1 Rezise/Deprime, Die 2 Powder,Die 3 Powder Cop, Die 4 Expander, and Die 5 Bullet seat and Crimp." You could run into a potential problem if the powder charge fills the case. The Expander die enters the case for some distance and could compress the powder while expanding the case and/or break the powder granules, thus changing the burning rate of the powder. This might lead to effective overcharges. Would suggest you put the deprime/sizer die in sta 1, expander die in sta 2, powder measure/die in sta 3, powder cop in sta 4, and seater/crimper in sta 5. This is the setup I have used in my progressive presses for the last 20 years and it works great. __________________ Good shooting and be safe. LB Last edited by LHB1; July 31, 2009 at 11:56 PM.

July 31, 2009, 07:53 PM	#5
Randy 1911 Senior Member Join Date: May 7, 2009 Location: Western Arkansas Posts: 273	The way I do it is: 1. Size/deprime 2. Expand 3 Powder drop 4. Powder cop 5. Seat/Crimp. I never have any problems doing it this way. __________________ Been Reloading 27 Years NRA Member Member Old Fort Gun Club www.ofgc.org

July 29, 2009, 08:21 AM	#2
VTRich Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2005 Location: Vermont Posts: 288	He is just using the powder drop as the expander too. Then he is crimping as a final and separate step, rather than trying to seat and crimp at the same time. My set up is the same as the YouTube. I prefer to crimp separately as it's more consistant.

July 29, 2009, 08:22 AM	#3
mongoose33 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 228	Loading a bullet may feel tight simply due to brass differences. There's nothing necessarily wrong with your setup so long as you are producing good reliable ammo. It's not the order I do it, in part because I want a separate crimp step. So my order is this: 1. Resize/deprime die. 2. Powder drop and expander (together, using the powderfunnels.com LNL universal expander). 3. RCBS lockout die (stops press from going forward if I have a no-powder drop or a double-drop). 4. Bullet seating die. 5. Crimp die. It doesn't matter much if you put the powder cop before or after the expander die so long as it's in a place where you can easily see it and pay attention to it. Many find it a disadvantage to try to seat and crimp in the same operation, and this matters even more if you're trying to do a plated or lead bullet instead of jacketed. I load both plated and lead-coated bullets so I don't want to be crimping at the same time I'm seating the bullet. And FWIW: I had a couple of no-powder squibs, so instead of the powder cop--which still requires me to pay attention, which seems little different than looking into each shell as I seat the bullet--I looked into and ended up buying the RCBS Lockout die. If you have no powder, or too much, the lockout die won't allow the press stroke to complete, which tells me I've got a problem. I still look into the shell for powder when I seat, but I like the extra measure of monitoring.