first time reloading, broke my die

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hmr-hound

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Well I got a rock chucker kit last weekend. I have an older set of used RCBS 270 win dies I bought years ago. I adjusted my decapping/full length sizing die to cam over at the top of the stoke then after 3 quite stiff sizings the rim tore off of the 4th. Two taps on the decapping pin with my mallet bent it beyond use, and the shell is still stuck. These dies are a bit different than the lee dies for my 223 and 22-250.
I gave my cases a quick shot of Lyman lube first, let it dry a couple minutes, brushed the necks too.

What did I do wrong? Do I need new dies or can I get a new pin maybe?

I've loaded 10 rounds of 223 and 10 rounds 22-250 trial batches and everything seemed to be fine, did the exact same process. I've fired the .223 and they fed perfect in my mini 14. I test fed my 22-250 and the bolt was really stiff to close, so I pulled the bullets and hit the die a bit harder, they fed perfect after resizing.
 
You need a stuck case remover. Should be under $ 25. That will get the case out of the die. YouTube it.

You should be able to get replacement recapping pins and replacing them is simple.

Check the dimensions of your resized cases against the. Dimensions in your reloading manual.

Where did you get your brass from?


Use more lube.
 
For a Lee decapping die (for my pistol), if it encounters anything hard, it will actually move back which prevents any pin bending. Does the RCBS 270 win die have a bolt at top to loosen in order to reset the decapping pin?
 
In the future NEVER strike the decapping pin.

And clearly you need some case lube. I've found that one should never try to full length size long rifle brass without case lube. I didn't bust a casing but just the lever effort needed to insert and extract said "BCRIDER? You need case lube for this before it goes bad".

You don't want the lever to "cam over". The proper and usual method is to put the lever to the top and then screw the die down until it contacts the shell plate lightly then back it off a half turn so it comes really close but does not cam over.
 
In my rCBS instructions it says:image.jpg this is a few times I've heard different on here. So am I doing it wrong by camming over?
 

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I agree you need to slightly cam over as per instructions, however you need more lube.

Use a paste wax lube - I find they work better than "one shot" and other spray lubes

Pretty sure that's what the issue was with the first 3 stiff ones, finally #4 got stuck.
As per Post 2 you can get new de-capping pin and you need a stuck case remover.
 
You are not alone, when I started reloading, I messed up and ruined some equipment. Found that it was all about the lube, I use one shot and as long as you use enough, but not too much (learned from experience) it's all good.
 
This is why I won't buy RCBS dies anymore. I use One Shot but I learned you have to shake it up really good. 2-3 minutes atleast. Otherwise cases get tougher and tougher to size as you go. Shaking it well gets enough lube on the cases and each one is as smooth as the next.
 
I switched to Imperial sizing wax (owned by Redding) and can't see myself going back. It's slower than the spray types but so much easier to size (the spray lubes also made me nauseous). I got the occasional case stuck with Lee lube (paste) and RCBS lube (thick liquid) but I don't recall the last case I got stuck with Imperial sizing wax.
 
BCRider, perhaps you're thinking about the instructions for carbide pistol dies? For those dies you are instructed to adjust to the shell plate and back off, to avoid damaging the hard but brittle carbide.
 
This happened with my 7mm MAG RCBS die when I forgot to lube the casing. i was able to back the pin out of the top and use a punch to get the casing out of the die. RCBS sells the pins - keep one extra on hand
 
hmr-hound said:
Well I got a rock chucker kit last weekend. I have an older set of used RCBS 270 win dies I bought years ago. I adjusted my decapping/full length sizing die to cam over at the top of the stoke then after 3 quite stiff sizings the rim tore off of the 4th. Two taps on the decapping pin with my mallet bent it beyond use, and the shell is still stuck. These dies are a bit different than the lee dies for my 223 and 22-250.
I gave my cases a quick shot of Lyman lube first, let it dry a couple minutes, brushed the necks too.

What did I do wrong? Do I need new dies or can I get a new pin maybe?

I've loaded 10 rounds of 223 and 10 rounds 22-250 trial batches and everything seemed to be fine, did the exact same process. I've fired the .223 and they fed perfect in my mini 14. I test fed my 22-250 and the bolt was really stiff to close, so I pulled the bullets and hit the die a bit harder, they fed perfect after resizing.
Click to expand...

What lube are you using?
 
It sounds like your cases need to be lubed more. I apply spray lube by spraying into a plastic bag and shaking the brass inside it. The cases need to feel slightly greasy once the lube has dried. If you feel too much resistance sizing the case, stop and back off.

I haven't used the Lyman spray lube, but if it's anything like the Hornady One Shot stuff, it needs to be applied very generously for bottleneck cases and is probably best suited to pistol cases. My preference is the Dillon case lube, which is just lanolin and 99% isopropyl alcohol. You can mix your own at a ratio of about one part lanolin to eight parts alcohol. Castor oil can also be used if you can't find lanolin.
 
tjhaile said:
It sounds like your cases need to be lubed more. I apply spray lube by spraying into a plastic bag and shaking the brass inside it. The cases need to feel slightly greasy once the lube has dried. If you feel too much resistance sizing the case, stop and back off.

I haven't used the Lyman spray lube, but if it's anything like the Hornady One Shot stuff, it needs to be applied very generously for bottleneck cases and is probably best suited to pistol cases. My preference is the Dillon case lube, which is just lanolin and 99% isopropyl alcohol. You can mix your own at a ratio of about one part lanolin to eight parts alcohol. Castor oil can also be used if you can't find lanolin.
Click to expand...

x2

mix my own with 2 rounded tablespoons of liquid lanolin to 500ml of 99% Isoprpyl Alcohol. Sized thousands of .45, 9mm, and .223

No issues yet, and fantastic value and convenience
 
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