Help for someone using a lee hand loading kit...

[aspenkarius]

I've loaded both .303 and 30-06 with my hammer kits. The hammer you want is called a dead blow. Canadian tire sells em. Its a rubber hammer wrapped around a steel core that is full of lead shot. It has the weight of a steel hammer with the soft of rubber. Worked so well I could actually hold the depriming set up in my hand and knock out primers.

 

[Suther]

I've loaded both .303 and 30-06 with my hammer kits. The hammer you want is called a dead blow. Canadian tire sells em. Its a rubber hammer wrapped around a steel core that is full of lead shot. It has the weight of a steel hammer with the soft of rubber. Worked so well I could actually hold the depriming set up in my hand and knock out primers.

In my experience deadblow hammers are typically a hard plastic, not rubber. You can get a small one for under $5 at Princess Auto most weeks. While one would certainly work for the job at hand, I think a better option is getting a plastic-faced mallet.

I paid $3 for mine, its rubber on one end and plastic on the other, its a Princess Auto special.

 

[Willybuch]

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys, but I figured out that I was using a rubber hammer on apparently not a very sturdy surface (it had a little bit of give), after I tried a different surface and switched to the plastic hammer everything started working fine.

 

[cr5]

Why wouldn't you just buy a cheap press and a Lee die set? Get a RCBS hand primer, a powder dispenser and a trickler. The only thing that is remotely expensive is a good scale. Grab a cheap caliper from Princess Auto or Canadian Tire to measure your overall length and you're pretty much ready to go.
You will get far better results if you use better equipment.
Those kits are so slow. I might consider using one for 9mm or 45auto if I was somewhere without power but why do things the hard way if you don't need to.
Just think, the money you save reloading and making good ammo will eventually pay off the reloading equipment.

Good luck and be careful seating the primers with that kit if you do continue to use it. I would definitely buy an RCBS hand primer and an RCBS 505 scale at the very least.