Just starting reloading - What's missing?

[bruss01]

Ok, I am new to reloading. I have a Dillon 650 (gifted to me by a friend) and a Hornady Lock & Load single stage which I purchased last year. My intention is to get firmly grounded in the basics of loading by using the single stage set, the progress to the , uh, progressive. I have been focussed on getting all the equipment set up, materials acquired, etc reading manuals and even watching instructional videos. Now, after months of preparation, I am ready to begin by reloading my first cartridge...

... er, almost - that is.

When I went to put a .44 special case in the Hornady L&L, I found that there was no receptacle for it. So I opened the Hornady die set (bought new a few months back), no adapter for a .44 special case in there. Curiously, when I opened the Lee .40/10mm die set (also bought new a few months back), there WAS an adapter there that slid perfectly into place on the Hornady press. WTF? Is the Hornady set missing something? I checked all the Dillon die sets gifted to me by my friend, they all appear to be missing the shell holding adapter too.

Is this something that has to be purchased separately? That makes no sense to me at all. Lil' help, please?

Thanks

[Ech0Sierra]

shellholders are to be purchased separately. Lee holders in the die set are just because Lee is for more novice reloaders.

[Rule .308]

If you plan on reloading more than just a few calibers it is probably worth your while to just step up and purchase the basic set of shell holders from Lee. I believe it is a 9 or maybe 12 piece set, they are all numbered, and there is a chart on the back of the case that identifies which shell holder does which caliber. The Dillon does not use a conventional shell holder like you are looking for to go into your Hornady press.

[bruss01]

Thanks for the quick response.

Yes, I discovered they are called "shell holders" and only LEE has the courtesy to supply one with the die set. Others make you purchase them separately. Wow. I would not have expected that.

Guess who will be getting a lot of my reloading business in the future? You guessed it, LEE will.

In fact, I just purchased the Lee 11 shell holder set that apparently accomodates over 100 different cartridge cases. It was only $17-$18, about what TWO would have cost me from a competitor.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=786187

[ar15barrels]

Yes, I discovered they are called "shell holders" and only LEE has the courtesy to supply one with the die set. Others make you purchase them separately. Wow. I would not have expected that.

Guess who will be getting a lot of my reloading business in the future? You guessed it, LEE will.

You get what you pay for.
Choosing the cheapest brand which appears to include more is fine until you realize what you are not getting...

[bruss01]

You get what you pay for.
Choosing the cheapest brand which appears to include more is fine until you realize what you are not getting...

Maybe you will do me the favor of explaining in what way the shellholders made (or marketed) by RCBS, Hornady or Dillon are superior to the ones supplied by Lee. I do take time to read customer reviews of products I purchase, the ratings on this product (all I was able to find) were very favorable.

[Fjold]

The only thing that comes to mind is how much they vary from spec. As the height of the shell holder will effect the headspace of the finished round if you adjust your die to one shell holder and then switch it to another one.

I have numerous shell holders for the .473 case head size. (243, 308, 30.06, 284, 22.250, 45 ACP, 7mm-08, 260, 350 Win, 338 Fed, 270, 35 Whelen, etc all use this size.)

When I set my dies up using one shell holder I mark that shell holder to use only with that set of dies until I reset them.

[ar15barrels]

Maybe you will do me the favor of explaining in what way the shellholders made (or marketed) by RCBS, Hornady or Dillon are superior to the ones supplied by Lee. I do take time to read customer reviews of products I purchase, the ratings on this product (all I was able to find) were very favorable.

I was talking about die sets.

[Ceemack]

Is this something that has to be purchased separately? That makes no sense to me at all. Lil' help, please?

It's probably because the same shellholder can be used for more than one caliber. For example, if I've already got a shellholder for .30-06, I don't need to pay for another one when I go to buy a .308 die set.

Guess who will be getting a lot of my reloading business in the future? You guessed it, LEE will.

You may find that your opinion will change with experience.

For example, Lee's customer service is horrible--in an industry that is noted for bend-over-backwards customer service.

Depending on the calibers you're reloading and the degree of precision you're after, you may find that you want dies that are capable of greater consistency. Lee makes an awfully good product for the price and they're a great place to start, but don't be surprised if down the road you start wanting higher-quality dies. I've quite a few Lee die sets, but I'm going to be slowly replacing at least some of them with Redding or RCBS.

My intention is to get firmly grounded in the basics of loading by using the single stage set, the progress to the , uh, progressive.

The biggest reason for starting off with a single stage is not overall simplicity, but the fact that proper load development is a major PITA with any progressive press--which is why beginners who start off with a progressive never bother with it.


Do you have a good reloading manual, like "The ABCs of Reloading" or the Speer Reloading Manual? It kinda sounds like you don't. If that's the case, please buy one and read it through carefully before you load your first cartridge.

[1hotrod]

The dillon press should've came with a caliber conversion kit that has the shell plate holder that goes on the bottom of the press and the toolhead on top will hold the dies. Where as a single stage press usually use the shell holder on top to hold the dies.

I started off with a 650 mainly because it had a powder check and auto indexing feature. I was worried about double charging or too low of a charge.

Don't forget to use a case gauge to check your work, and checkout some Youtube videos of the presses in action.

[Ugly Dwarf]

The biggest reason for starting off with a single stage is not overall simplicity, but the fact that proper load development is a major PITA with any progressive press--which is why beginners who start off with a progressive never bother with it.

I'm always looking for another pespective, so please elaborate.

I primarily load on a progressive press and have spent a fair amount of time working up loads for accuracy out of different rifles. I am by no means a pro, but progresive presses seem to work very well for this in my mind.

My method has been to verify the sizing, seating and crimp dies (if used) are adjusted for the specific cartridge and bullet. I then determine my starting charge weight and adjust the powder measure accordingly. I load my 'test rounds' (typically 10 per charge) and then adjust the powder for the next charge weight (repeating three more times until I reach my desired Max load).

I find this works well and allows me to keep each 'test set' separate, so that I can label them in the ammo case and know what I'm testing at the range.

Once I find my best charge weight, I can then turn my attention to seating depth / overall length, and make adjustments to that stage for each of my five groups of 10.

How does working single stage help this process or make it easier?

FWIW, I can see how working on a single stage is good for learning, in that it forces you to set up each die, each time and you gain plenty of experience. As we all know, (good) experience usually comes at the cost of practice and time.

Dwarf

[bohoki]

this little info has really helped me

http://www.handloads.com/misc/shellholders.asp

[Rule .308]

Maybe you will do me the favor of explaining in what way the shellholders made (or marketed) by RCBS, Hornady or Dillon are superior to the ones supplied by Lee. I do take time to read customer reviews of products I purchase, the ratings on this product (all I was able to find) were very favorable.

While you probably will not find a great deal of difference in the quality of shell holders you will find differences in other reloading equipment. I recommended the Lee shell holder kit because it is a great deal and makes too much sense. As you progress through the various stages of reloading you will find different tools from different companies that work better or worse for you. My collection of reloading equipment consists of a Dillon 550, an RCBS Rockchucker, mostly RCBS dies, and a host of equipment from Redding, Forester, Lee, Hornady and a few others. You use what works best for you.