New to reloading....did i get it all??

[IrishPirate]

OK.....so after quite a long wait i think i'm FINALLY ready to start pressing some bullets!!

Here's what I've got so far:

Speer Reloading manual #14
RCBS rangemaster 750 electronic scale
Lee Loadmaster Progressive Press (.45acp)
Lee carbide crimp die .45acp
Harbor Freight adjustable height workstation
6" digital caliper
HSM .45acp 230gr RN plated bullets
CCI large pistol primers
Winchester 231 ball powder
About 1200 pieces of once fired .45acp brass
Safety Glasses

I THINK that's enough to safely start (since i'm a noob and i bought a progressive press.....which will only get one case at a time until i really get the hang of reloading), but did i miss anything to make it safer/easier???

Where can i find a good charge load for this particular powder? The only .45 i have right now is my RIA 1911 Tactical, and i'd rather not blow it up with a hot load.....i want just enough to consistently cycle the rounds and punch paper.


(Bullets, primers and powder are wrapped under the cristmas tree--away from the fire--I'm not supposed to know about them until Christmas )

[Paper Boy]

Could try here as a starting point for load data, dont know if they have anything for plated bullets though.

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

[IrishPirate]

Could try here as a starting point for load data, dont know if they have anything for plated bullets though.

http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

sweet, thank you for that! I'm sure i'll put it to good use

does C.O.L. stand for cartridge overall length???

[Jcs33]

I'm thinking about getting the lee loadmaster.. Let me now how it works for you..I'm going to be a total newbie also...

[Sub95]

yes. but make sure you check your mag to make sure the ammo fits in it.

[IrishPirate]

yes. but make sure you check your mag to make sure the ammo fits in it.

I was planning on measuring some factory loads and getting the length down, then adjusting the bullet seating die so it gives me the correct depth. Would i need to adjust the crimp die too though???

[tujungatoes]

I was planning on measuring some factory loads and getting the length down, then adjusting the bullet seating die so it gives me the correct depth. Would i need to adjust the crimp die too though???

You can ballpark your seating depth from a factory round, but unless you're using the exact same projectile don't just run with it. Make up some dummy rounds and see how they fit the chamber and how they feed. A slight difference in the profile of the bullet will change everything. Your crimp die should remain the same regardless of variations in seating depth. You're crimping the case not the bullet.

[rsrocket1]

Get a kinetic Bullet Puller. Sportsman's Warehouse in Rocklin has them and maybe Discount Shooter's Supply also but I'm not certain. Get the RCBS green one.

No real need to crimp other than straightening the flare out. Case tension ought to be enough to keep the bullet in and prevent setback.

[problemchild]

Make double dang sure you use a powder that fills the case at least 60% of the way with your charge. If you double charge it will spill all over and make a mess and be very noticeable. If you see spilled powder you have a double charge.

Its an extra step of redundancy that you need to take.

[IrishPirate]

Get a kinetic Bullet Puller. Sportsman's Warehouse in Rocklin has them and maybe Discount Shooter's Supply also but I'm not certain. Get the RCBS green one.

No real need to crimp other than straightening the flare out. Case tension ought to be enough to keep the bullet in and prevent setback.

definitely want to get a bullet puller too, and i'm hoping to hear about one from a calgunner soon. if not i'll go to Sportsman's and grab one, thanks for reminding me

from what i've read so far about .45acp, the crimp die makes them safer and more accurate. could be BS, but it was $15 and i figure if it's not hurting it, it's gotta be helping it in some way.

[krzgoat]

Since you are starting with the Lee and doing one at a time for a bit I would remove the case feeder for now. Just one more thing to deal with right now.

As long as all your dies are set to spec with the instructions only thing you will need to fiddle with is maybe primer seat depth, case mouth flare on the powder drop and the bullet seat.

I mark my dies with a sharpie so I know how much I am turning. Start with just sizing and priming a few cases so you can check the powder dump.

I generally also resize a few casings - no primer, no powder drop but flare the mouth for seating bullet seat and checking both COL measurement, mag fit and chamber.

Don't go crazy and load a bunch the first time out. Load a few maybe 10 - 20 or at max 50 then go shoot them. Nothing worse than having to pull a lot of bullets.

Once you have all the dies and everything dialed you can add the case feeder back. It can be a little finicky at first but once set runs like a champ.

[IrishPirate]

Since you are starting with the Lee and doing one at a time for a bit I would remove the case feeder for now. Just one more thing to deal with right now.

As long as all your dies are set to spec with the instructions only thing you will need to fiddle with is maybe primer seat depth, case mouth flare on the powder drop and the bullet seat.

I mark my dies with a sharpie so I know how much I am turning. Start with just sizing and priming a few cases so you can check the powder dump.

I generally also resize a few casings - no primer, no powder drop but flare the mouth for seating bullet seat and checking both COL measurement, mag fit and chamber.

Don't go crazy and load a bunch the first time out. Load a few maybe 10 - 20 or at max 50 then go shoot them. Nothing worse than having to pull a lot of bullets.

Once you have all the dies and everything dialed you can add the case feeder back. It can be a little finicky at first but once set runs like a champ.

yeah, the case feeder was a PITA to get setup, which is why i left it on.....i swear they must have gotten it right the first time when they designed it and just not realized how completely screwy it can actually be!!! i think i'll leave it just because it'll be there once i get the hang of it and i really dont want to try and get it set again!!

All the brass i have still needs to be deprimed, so i might run a few through dry to test case flare, then i'll definitely be sure to check the powder charge before i test the seating. I only bought 1lb of powder, 200 primers, and 250 bullets....so i'll be loading 200rds max this first go around and i'll probably do them all one at a time and check the powder throw for at least the first 50 just to be sure...though i'll probably check all of them since i'm new and want to make sure i develop good habits and recognize when things go wrong. I'll definitely do a small run of 25-50 then take them to the range after making sure they fit in my mags and feed in my gun.

I know i need to get my dies set properly, but i do still have the instructions, and i found some youtube videos with how-to's for the Loadmaster, so hopefully it wont be too long of a process

thanks a bunch!!!!

[rsrocket1]

The puller works well even if you aren't fixing a mistake. You can use it to pull bullets when you are testing your seating die adjustments. You can do all your COL adjustments with a single seated bullet, just gently hammer it back out a tiny bit if you go too deep and want to try again. No need to use another bullet or pull it all the way back out.

[IrishPirate]

@rsrocket1: That's a great idea, i never thought about that. I'll pick one up before i load anything!

again, what does exactly does COL mean???

[XDRoX]

@rsrocket1: That's a great idea, i never thought about that. I'll pick one up before i load anything!

again, what does exactly does COL mean???

You had it right. Cartridge overall length.