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Mike_R

Mike_R

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Well, I am now all set up. My Hornady LNL AP should now allow me to produce reliable 9mm rounds. The setup took me a long time, only working at in short durations, and since reloading is completely new to me, there was a lot I did not understand.

Now I know enough to be dangerous! :D I still have not loaded a round without measuring the powder charge on a digital scale after using the automatic powder measure. Although I think it is more accurate than my scale!, but I still have a hard time trusting it. How long did it take you guys to "let go" and trust the measure, at least a little? And what percentage of rounds do you double check the powder charge?

Tomorrow I am heading to the range to fire off my first rounds, and I have 5 of each charge weight ready to test the loads. If all goes well, I will have lots to do this week! If not, I will likely have more to do, but it won't be as fun...

I'll post how tomorrow went when I return from the range.

Mike
 
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I started out the same way measuring every round. After 10 or so, I started measuring every fifth...then it got old really fast, so I bought a RCBS lockout die. I still take a shell every once and awhile and dump a bit of powder out or add some to see if the die locks up the press, and it does every time. So now I just cycle away without worry.

When I first started out, the primer slide kept hanging up. Took it apart and there was a little burr on it. Stoned it a bit, and now it's damn slick. for some reason It always seems to lock up on the very last primer in the tube. Other than that it works great.

Don't forget to get your 1000 free bullets! You have to ship them to an American address though.
 
I don't have a bullet feeder, so as I set a bullet in the case I just look. You will know if it is close and you will see a double charge right away. Will you be able to tell if is .5gn one way or another no, but unless you are loading max charges it won't be enough to FUBAR your gun. The only thing I worry about is squib loads and if you are watching that shouldn't happen. I find 9mm hard to get super consistant on length, crimp ect anyway and even then my loads are more acurate then I am. Load lots and shoot lots. welcome to reloading.
 
jackenape said:
I started out the same way measuring every round. After 10 or so, I started measuring every fifth...then it got old really fast, so I bought a RCBS lockout die. I still take a shell every once and awhile and dump a bit of powder out or add some to see if the die locks up the press, and it does every time. So now I just cycle away without worry.
Click to expand...

I have heard that the lock out dies are great, so I will have to get one. Do they really work that good? By approx how much powder difference does it take to lock up the press?

I had the same problem with my primer feeder. The first time I put a primer in it, it got caught, and popped out! It did not take long to clean it up, and not I have dry lubed it, and it sure runs smooth! I really like that dry lube stuff!

I now need to find an American "friend" to get my bullets. I cannot pass up the 1000 free bullets for the press purchase, and then 100 more per die set purchased. So far I am at 1200 bullets! If I get the most expensive ones they offer, that is well over $300 in bullets!

Mike
 
mojoman said:
I don't have a bullet feeder, so as I set a bullet in the case I just look. You will know if it is close and you will see a double charge right away. Will you be able to tell if is .5gn one way or another no, but unless you are loading max charges it won't be enough to FUBAR your gun. The only thing I worry about is squib loads and if you are watching that shouldn't happen. I find 9mm hard to get super consistant on length, crimp ect anyway and even then my loads are more acurate then I am. Load lots and shoot lots. welcome to reloading.
Click to expand...

I am the same way, no bullet feeder. It costs almost as much as the press! Not worth it to me, I like to fiddle anyway.

Right now I am only reloading 9mm, and the powder I am using fills the case about 2/3, so there is no way a double charge can happen without spilling powder everywhere, and the bullet fitting. Although I am soon going to switch powders, since I cannot load my 147 grain round nose bullets with the HP38 powder.

I am eventually going to reload 223 rem, and that is where I think more powder control will be necessary. There is no way to see into the case when it's on the press... I'm really not looking forward to that.

I'm so looking forward to shooting lots and lots!!! :)

Any advice on loading 223 rem?

Mike
 
Mike_R said:
Do they really work that good? By approx how much powder difference does it take to lock up the press?
Click to expand...

It works great! The amount of powder will vary by the width of the case, since it operates by volume rather than weight. Hard to describe, but the die has a little rod in the middle that you turn until the die doesn't lock up. The die won't lock up with a range of 3 turns of the rod. So you adjust it so that it operates in the middle of this range, 1.5 turns. This means that you have 1.5 turns high or low before the die locks up. The rod has fine threads so I'd say 1.5 turns is less than 1mm of adjustment.
 
jackenape said:
It works great! The amount of powder will vary by the width of the case, since it operates by volume rather than weight. Hard to describe, but the die has a little rod in the middle that you turn until the die doesn't lock up. The die won't lock up with a range of 3 turns of the rod. So you adjust it so that it operates in the middle of this range, 1.5 turns. This means that you have 1.5 turns high or low before the die locks up. The rod has fine threads so I'd say 1.5 turns is less than 1mm of adjustment.
Click to expand...


Wow, that sounds great! I am not sure I would notice 1 mil of powder difference in cases, so I will get one of those for sure.

I imagine it has to go between the powder drop, and the bullet seating die... but that would mean that I would have to seat the bullet in the last position on the press. I will have to check, but I think the ejector rod would interfere with the seating die... Perhaps I will only use the lockout die for my 223 which I only have a 2 die set for.

So many options, so few stations. :)

Mike
 
Ok, so I got to the range today to try out my first reloads.

I had several different loads made up, starting out 10% under max load. Then 5% under, then 2% under, then max load. I really wanted to be sure I was not going to blow up a friends gun, since mine is still waiting on a transfer somewhere in B.C.

I got the range all set up, fresh target on the backstop, and loaded my first round. I actually mean my first round. This is the first round that I completed, ever. I marked it so I would know. :)

I snapped the chamber closed on the Walther P1, took aim, gently squeezed the trigger, and *click*... nothing. @#$%@%^$%^#$^#$@^@#$^@$%^!!!

Waited a min, racked the slide, picked up my precious first loaded round, and oh... weak primer strike. Whooo Hooo!! Not my fault!!! :)

To make a long boring story into a short boring story, it fired fine the second time. Checked the brass, no problems, no signs of over pressure. Continued on that way till I hit the max load rounds, and everything was perfect.

Now I can start mass producing ammo!! Finally!

Thanks for all the advice I have gotten from the great people on this forum, I could not have done it (safely) without you.

Mike
 
I finished ordering my reloading stuff the other day. Started from scratch. the total came to $1600 without brass, bullets or powder :redface:

I went with the Hornady LNL and case feeder. I got dies, plates, and holders for 9mm and .223, got a commercial tumbler, electornic scale and calipers, bullet puller dies, and a whole bunch of little parts and pieces. I also got a RCBS lube die, so I won't have to hand lube/spray my .223 case necks.

I also special ordered the power check die and the primer check thingy from Dillion.
 
nickorette said:
I finished ordering my reloading stuff the other day. Started from scratch. the total came to $1600 without brass, bullets or powder :redface:

I went with the Hornady LNL and case feeder. I got dies, plates, and holders for 9mm and .223, got a commercial tumbler, electronic scale and calipers, bullet puller dies, and a whole bunch of little parts and pieces. I also got a RCBS lube die, so I won't have to hand lube/spray my .223 case necks.

I also special ordered the power check die and the primer check thingy from Dillion.
Click to expand...

Nice, sounds like you got everything. I think I have everything I need now, except for the lube die. Let me know how it works for you, as I wanted to get one, but cannot figure out how it would work. Obviously it has to go in the press before the resizing die, but the resizing die is in position 1 and has to be since it knocks out the old primer and the hole for the spent primer to fall through is under position 1 only. So I decided to order a RCBS lockout die for reloading pistol, and likely will order a powder cop for my rifle rounds. (lockout die only works with straight walled pistol, unfortunately)

Oh, did you get the powder through expander for your 9mm?? It's a $10 part that eliminates the need for the expander die, and leaves more room for other things.

I did not get the automatic case feeder, maybe some day, but for now it's too much money. Let me know how you like it!

If you have any questions about setting up your press, feel free to PM me, as it's all fresh in my mind, and the instruction are not very clear.

I just loaded my first 200 rounds today, after my working up the load, and what fun it is. I only had one case I forgot to prime, but seated a bullet. :redface: So I turned it into a snap-cap. :D Yeah... I meant to do that.

Good luck, and congrats!

Mike
 
Hell Mike you should have called me.

I could have shown you how to get it up and running in no time!

Sounds like you need a kinetic bullet puller............
 
Mike_R said:
[...] the lube die. [...]has to go in the press before the resizing die, but the resizing die is in position 1 and has to be since it knocks out the old primer and the hole for the spent primer to fall through is under position 1 only.
Click to expand...

The lube die includes a decapping pin. So it's 1) lube/decap, 2) size. Then off the press for trimming (unless you use the Dillon 1200B on the press), then back on the press where it's 1.5) prime, 2) powder 3) seat 4) crimp (lee factory crimp), and 5) eject.

If you _know_ the brass is short enough, then you can do it all in one pass.
 
stormbringer said:
Hell Mike you should have called me.

I could have shown you how to get it up and running in no time!

Sounds like you need a kinetic bullet puller............
Click to expand...


Yeah, I should have, it took me two weeks! :)

Next time for sure, like when my AR parts arrive and I have no idea what goes where, I'll be sure to PM ya! :wave:

I think it is all up and good now, I was at the range this evening, and fired off 100 rounds, all were good. So far I'm really enjoying reloading, it expands the "hobby" and actually allows you to eat/sleep/breath it! I have brass tumbling right now! :D

Mike
 
acrashb said:
The lube die includes a decapping pin. So it's 1) lube/decap, 2) size. Then off the press for trimming (unless you use the Dillon 1200B on the press), then back on the press where it's 1.5) prime, 2) powder 3) seat 4) crimp (lee factory crimp), and 5) eject.

If you _know_ the brass is short enough, then you can do it all in one pass.
Click to expand...


Wow... that makes sense. Ok, so that might be worth it, if they work well. Do they? I'm going to reloading 223, and I believe the case does need a little lube inside the case neck, will the lube die do that as well?

Thanks acrashb, it's your fault I got into this in the first place! :) After reading your comparison article, I was hooked on reloading. It's the other half of the equation that I have been missing in my 4 years of shooting.

Well, I'm going to check the EE for a bullet puller!

Mike
 
I can run my .38's with the ejector in place, they seat/crimp fine, no interference. But for wider cases, like my .45's, I have to move the wire out of the way and flick them out by hand. The powder through expanders would solve this, but I don't have them (yet). From what I've read, they don't expand enough for some applications, but I think that was with the early ones. They may have fixed this since I researched it.
 
Mike_R said:
if they work well. Do they?
[...] I'm going to reloading 223, and I believe the case does need a little lube inside the case neck, will the lube die do that as well?
[...]
Thanks acrashb, it's your fault I got into this in the first place! :)
Click to expand...
Some cases have too much lube (likely because i have over-filled the resevoir), but other than that mine works fine. Saves a step, and is especially useful with a casefeeder: no lube on the cases to gum up the mechanism over time.

The lube die doesn't lube the inside of the case neck. I use a carbide expander to eliminate the need for lube here.

And finally... I'll take the blame for that - another win for do-it-yourself!
 
stormbringer said:
Hey Mike.

I just picked up a CED M2 Chrono yesterday.

If you want to try it out and see how consistant your loads are we can set it up.
Click to expand...


That would be great! Let me know when and where, and I'll be there! :)

I loaded 200 more rounds today, and so far have tumbled 800 brass. Another batch heading for the tumbler soon, now I just need more bullets! So much for saving money reloading, you just shoot more! (don't tell my wife) :D

Mike
 
acrashb said:
Some cases have too much lube (likely because i have over-filled the resevoir), but other than that mine works fine. Saves a step, and is especially useful with a casefeeder: no lube on the cases to gum up the mechanism over time.

The lube die doesn't lube the inside of the case neck. I use a carbide expander to eliminate the need for lube here.

And finally... I'll take the blame for that - another win for do-it-yourself!
Click to expand...

That sounds good, I think I'll be looking for one. Although I do not have the automatic case feeder (yet) not having to lube the cases would be nice.

My Hornady dies for .223, I do not believe the expander is carbide, is the die upgradeable, or do I need a different die?

When I go out and buy the automatic case feeder, my wife might come looking for you, I hope you live far away! :p

Mike
 
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