Case Prep Questions

[JackEllis]

I use a Lee case trimmer in an RCBS single stage press with a cordless drill to trim cases after they've been sized:

1) How long is the blade good for? Mine has processed perhaps 1,000 cases.

2) There seems to be a lot of side play in the cutter assembly that includes the bit end so that I have to be very careful about keeping the drill centered. Is it normal for the trimmer to have a lot of play? The cordless drill is not particularly light but I'm wondering if leaving the drill attached to the trimmer for hours at a time could be messing up the trimmer somehow.

3) As a result, I have to check each case after trimming to make sure it's at the proper trim length. Could this be a combination of wear in the cutter assembly and a dull blade?

I use range pick-up for my .223 so I now have quite a collection of different headstamps. There's a lot of Federal, a lot of Remington and a lot of Lake City, with smaller amounts of PMC and then much smaller amounts of PPU, Hornady, Winchester, WMA, etc. Are any of these significantly better than others in terms of case uniform

FWIW, I use the .223 (Tikka T3 Lite) in part for marksmanship practice and in part to shoot squirrels in the spring. I'm thinking I should be using the more uniform brass for squirrel loads and the other stuff for practice.

Any advice would be welcome.

[Red9]

Call lee. I got a replacement for free from them. Love the quick trim. Works pretty good. Not the best, but good enough to pass my case gauge.

Sent from my LG-M210 using Tapatalk

[tonyjr]

I figured I wiped out the bearing surfaces with the drill . bought another and the hand crank .[ this was bought off eBay used ] This was doing the 270 30/30 and 30-06 .
Right now probably a couple 1000 308's on new one . Maybe a 100 or so range pick ups , I don't bother checking anymore , just put in each case . Lee single stage .

[reverser]

Are you talking about the Lee quick trim with die? If so, the variation in trim length is probably from the plastic adjustment ring on the cutter. I popped mine off and threw a washer on. I lose the ability to adjust it, but it is VERY consistent now. If you don't want to change to a washer, you just need to have more finesse with it because the plastic ring DOES compress some if you aren't careful.

I'm going on 10,000 with mine and it is still fine.

[17+1]

Don't worry too much about how perfect the trim lengths are if you're not crimping. As long as the neck tension is good and you have a nice chamfer in the mouth, you should be fine.

I would sort by headstamps at a minimum if you are going for accuracy. You'll get pretty good results just doing that, and also tracking number of firings. Try to shoot same headstand and same number of firings if possible. That's how I sort my brass for accuracy loads.

Relaoding is like anything else, the rule of diminishing returns still applies. Try easy options first then spend more money and time if you're not happy with the reuslts.

[JackEllis]

Are you talking about the Lee quick trim with die?

Part of the problem is plat in the drill shaft. Standing so I can put downward pressure on the cutter seems to help.

I would sort by headstamps at a minimum if you are going for accuracy.

Doing that already. These are for a bolt gun so I don't have to worry about crimping. Guess I'll combine the small odd lots and put them up for sale, or turn them into ammunition I can use with first time shooters.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[tonyjr]

What I do is watch eBay for ammo boxes . In different colors that helps .
I have 3 45s [ no counting the ones with the 22lr barrels ] and each one likes or at least I shoot better with loads for each one .
An example would be [ I have a label maker ]
Ithaca -shell maker , bullet weight , powder weight , powder # , primer [ on 45s I only use mag primers ] bullet maker , bullet type [ FNJ FMJHP ] OAL , crimp [ y / n ] .
Browning - same as above
Colt - same as above . that is just the 45s .
I Have 6 nephews and 2 nieces that reload here - 15 calibers -so I need a note book to keep track . I do keep copies of my notes [3 note books ]
you can go cheap and just use masking tape or blow 50 at Costco and buy a label maker - but buy extra rolls of labels . by the time you need them , they have switched to another brand .

[JackEllis]

I have 3 45s [ no counting the ones with the 22lr barrels ] and each one likes or at least I shoot better with loads for each one .

I'm already sorta in that rabbit hole. One .223 but two different bullets, VMAX for varmints and FMJs for practice, plus two different powders, soon to be one. the colored boxes are a good idea.