First time reloading, need a little help...

[rue]

Hi all,
I finally bought some reloading equipment and tryed to reload my own ammo. I bought dies for .45 since it's probably the most expensive ammo I shoot. I ran into a bunch of little problems while reloading my first 40 rounds. First of all the scale that came in my kit is almost useless. The arm sometimes sticks and won't pivot like it should. I'll trickle powder into it and it won't go up. I'll recheck it by pouring it out then in again and it pegs the scale like it's too much. I have to weigh everything twice at least. Should I just buy an electronic scale when I get more money or am I missing something? I made sure the arm is free and isn't hanging on anything but I think it's just a POS. I actually didn't notice the bigger side was on the first mark "equals 5g" and I was loaded 3.5g on the other side. I loaded 20 rounds like this then I noticed the mistake. I think 5.8 is the highest load shown in the manual so I have to get a bullet puller and take them apart.

While loading the next 20 rounds I bent the deprimer pin so I tried to straighten it and it broke off so I need another one. Do I have to order something like that or do most stores have these?

The primer seating part doesn't seat the primer in very far IMO. In the reloading book and in another commerical round I have the primer is a little below the case. Mine are a little below but not as far. It WILL NOT move it farther in. I can put pics up if you want of my samples.

The last thing I can't figure out is how far to seat the bullets I'm using. I'm using SWC's and they are shouldered. Not sure how far they need to go in. Anyone have a picture of a completed one for reference?



The press is a lyman expert kit. I liked it better than the RCBS because the top has a die turret that can make changing jobs easier once you set the dies.

[Fjold]

OK, about the scale. either the arm is hanging up on something or the pan is dragging on the trickler or something. It's a pretty simple mechanism, take it apart and find out where it's hanging up. I've been using them for 25 years and they can be off (out of calibration) but they should balance easily.

Bent decapper pin: a well equipped gunshop that sells reloading dies will usually have some for RCBS but if you have a different brand of dies you will probably have to order them.

The primers will only seat to the depth of the primer cut in the case head. As long as the primers aren't taller than the hole, they're fine.

Seating SWC's: you should have enough of the shoulder above the case mouth showing to make sure that the case mouth doesn't crimp over it or catch on the feedramp of the gun as it loads. Start seating them too long and adjust them deeper until they fit 100% in the magazine of the gun and feed 100% of the time. If they hang up and fail to feed reliably try seating the bullets a little deeper until they work.

Good choice on the turret press, I have three of them (Redding, Lyman and Lee).

[rue]

Great info thank you!


I found this picture, http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=344610

If you enlarge it you can kinda see how far it's seated.

One last thing, my dies are RCBS btw..
The second die that is suppose to enlarge the case mouth. How far do you usually do this? I did one the whole bullet kinda fit in and it didn't look right so I did about half the size of the bullet's bottom section and when bullet seating I have a little bit of shoulder still. Is this okay? I'm not sure if the taper seat thing is working either.
I'm going to host pics right now so you guys can see...

[Gunsrruss]

And there was Reloading and it was GOOD

Great info thank you!


I found this picture, http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=344610

If you enlarge it you can kinda see how far it's seated.

One last thing, my dies are RCBS btw..
The second die that is suppose to enlarge the case mouth. How far do you usually do this? I did one the whole bullet kinda fit in and it didn't look right so I did about half the size of the bullet's bottom section and when bullet seating I have a little bit of shoulder still. Is this okay? I'm not sure if the taper seat thing is working either.
I'm going to host pics right now so you guys can see...

Just remember RUE all us reloaders were where you are right now. I must have spent my whole first year pulling down rounds for one reason or the other

[rue]

Thanks I'll try and remember that....I'm just a little discouraged as I messed a couple times and broke tools. The instructions could use more pictures IMO. I'm uploading pics to imageshack if you want to look at some of the bullets I did and tell me what you think. I have no feedback so it's hard to tell.

[Gunsrruss]

Electronic Scale...

Thanks I'll try and remember that....I'm just a little discouraged as I messed a couple times and broke tools. The instructions could use more pictures IMO. I'm uploading pics to imageshack if you want to look at some of the bullets I did and tell me what you think. I have no feedback so it's hard to tell.

I am spoiled I have the Pact powder dispenser and matching scale All I do is punch it in and hit dispense and it's there +/- .1 As you get more into it and haven't blown yourself up you will want the things that make lifes work much easier

[GW]

Yep
Goofs are part of the learning curve
Don't sweat it.
My biggest goof was not crimping the rounds in a 44 mag
I literally had rounds fall apart under the recoil of the 1st shot. Powder all over the gun It was a mess. Now I follow 1 simple rule above all others
If I have the slightest doubt about a round or even a batch, it/they get pulled down.
Always--- Better safe than sorry.
Good luck and have fun

[rue]

Here's a picture of a round I completed and I'm okay with. It's kinda hard to see but you can see the shoulder over the end of the case mouth. Not sure if the taper crimp is working though, what do you guys think?

[rue]

Here is the one I made with the bullet seated too far in (I think anyway)...
Let me know what you think,

[olegk]

Here is the one I made with the bullet seated too far in (I think anyway)...
Let me know what you think,

It seems too far in.
The first image about right.
Try to make few blank (no powder, primers) with different seating depth.
Dry run them through your gun. You will get idea.
Till you find your load it is going to be a lot of learning and trying. Keep it simple and stress free.
Be careful with crimp, strong crimp will deform bullet and affect precision.
By the way, primer should be flush with case, might be slightlly below.
If you primer pockets dirty, clean them. I have never done it for .45

[rue]

It seems too far in.
The first image about right.
Try to make few blank (no powder, primers) with different seating depth.
Dry run them through your gun. You will get idea.
Till you find your load it is going to be a lot of learning and trying.
Be careful with crimp, strong crimp will deform bullet and affect precision.

Does the first image show a good taper crimp? I'm not sure what it's suppose to look like...

[1911 in 916]

Sportsmans warehouse in rocklin cares RCBS stuff in stock. They have bullet pullers also.I just got a Dillon 650 too. Still don't have time to set it up. The little parts do add up fast. $$$

[C.G.]

Here is the one I made with the bullet seated too far in (I think anyway)...
Let me know what you think,

Not much I can tell from the pic and even if I did, eyeballing your seating is not close enough for comfort. Rue, you need to get yourself a set of calipers (digital ones are cheap) and a reloading manual, use the powders and bullets in the manual and start miking the OAL, etc. according to manual. Different bullets have different overall dimensions, when seated. Easy way to check the bell on your case expansion and taper is to get a case gauge; if the loaded round fits in the case gauge easily then you have enough crimp. Many case gauges (sometimes spelled gages), will also have maximum and minimum case length slots.

I highly recommend Lyman's Reloading Manual and Wilson Gages.

[Fjold]

Great info thank you!


I found this picture, http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=344610

If you enlarge it you can kinda see how far it's seated.

One last thing, my dies are RCBS btw..
The second die that is suppose to enlarge the case mouth. How far do you usually do this? I did one the whole bullet kinda fit in and it didn't look right so I did about half the size of the bullet's bottom section and when bullet seating I have a little bit of shoulder still. Is this okay? I'm not sure if the taper seat thing is working either.
I'm going to host pics right now so you guys can see...

Belling the case mouth: Do it as little as possible, the more you work the brass, the harder it gets and the sooner it cracks. Bell it just enough to where the base of the bullet will fit inside the case mouth without shaving any lead off the bullet.

Crimp: A good way to check is that you should just feel the edge of the case mouth with your fingernail when you drag it front to back on the loaded cartridge. Remember that straight wall cases headspace on the case mouth so you need to have some of the case mouth outside of the bullet. Try to get it so that half of the brass case mouth is pushed into the lead and half is "standing proud" of the bullet.

[mike100]

You are asking the right questions.

The first pic of your swc bullet looked like a good seating depth. 45 acp will allow a little leeway on how far you drop it into the case. I deep seat some types of bullets 5 or 10 thousands if it helps it to feed better. It's not like there is detailed specs on swc bullet OAL. In general, I make the top of the shoulder to the base of the cartridge at about .920" . The shape of the tip doesn't matter since different swc have different shapes anyhow so I measure to the shouldr as a double check. If you don't have a case gauge, take apart your 45 and use the barrel for a gauge. the whole cartridge should drop in until it headspaces of of the brass rim (if the lead engages the rifling, either you have a match grade bbl or too much over-all-length, or both)

The primers not being low enough is usually a dirty primer pocket. you could clean out the carbon better before pushing in a new primer. Not a big deal on some calibers..it is up to you to decide what is going to be safe though.

the scale..well, I don't use a digital. I have an rcbs rebranded Ohaus scale. A set of standard weights will verify if it is still calibrated, but every now and then the pivot gets stuck and it doesn't swing right. Also make sure there is no wind or draft in the room. Not sure what you have, but I trust my beam scale more than an entry level electronic one.