New to reloading, trying to figure out and source a few small things

Zedbra

Zedbra

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I finally jumped into reloading as I was going through a lot of .357 and also wanted to fine tune rounds for my 7mm MAG hunting rifle. So after a lot of reading, a couple of calls to Henry at Budget, I saved up and bought a LEE turret set, Frankford tumbler, all the powder/primers/ bullets, .357 dies and trays, etc.

Henry didn't have 7mm dies but I read a few places where RCBS dies are a little more accurate for the 7mm anyways. SO, I found a used set of 7mm RCBS dies on the EE, picked up some bullets in a couple weights that I like and then realized I am missing a few little things that are not easy to find in stores here locally. I have found many items available on Amazon, but I would prefer to buy from a CGN sponsor and I would like some opinions on what to buy.

I (think I) need the following:

Something to size my 7mm brass. I have seen the hand sizers and it looks like you can get these from LEE for cheap, but also looks like they screw into some form of handle or knob? Where would I find that knob? Is there another resizer I should consider that isn't crazy expensive? I will maybe reload 100 rounds per year. Maybe. Loading fast is NOT important, I will take my time and do this right.

I need the 7mm LEE shell holder for my press (to use my RCBS dies). Should I just buy the universal set?

The LEE balance scale just plain sucks to read. I've been looking at a few digital scales - I'm not sure what would be best for measuring the powder for my 7mm rounds. I could easily scoop by hand and weigh it, or is there some other way I'm missing? I need help here, please. For the .357 rounds I use the LEE auto disk powder measure and it is accurate enough for my punching paper needs.

Bullet puller. I can't see me needing to pull many bullets, I'm leaning towards the hammer unless it is a really bad idea.

Any advice as to what to buy that is economic for my minimal needs and also where I could buy these products from a sponsor, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Ian
 
Hi Ian,
if you've got a set of dies, you resize the brass using the resizer die, it's the one with the primer punch. I get a bunch of my stuff from Higginson Powder. They carry the full Lee lineup, and would have a shell holder. Just for info, I actually prefer Lee dies to any other, and they come with a shell holder. Also, their factory crimp die is bar none the best crimp die made. Take a look at the Lee Precision web site, and it will give you lots of information on the various styles of dies. And yes, their scale is not great. Wecome to reloading. If you run into any issues, feel free to pm me, and I will try to help.
 
Your die set will come with a full length sizing die. But for bolt action rifles a lot of folks find that their brass life is greatly lengthened by neck sizing only. And that's a different die for each caliber. The Lee neck sizers don't seem too bad. But it takes a fair amount of force to size the brass so you'll want to do it on a press.

Or area you talking about a length trimmer? Shouldered brass does stretch over time and it's common to use a little gizmo for trimming the necks back a little so the brass is the proper length.

After looking over a few myself I ended up buying the RCBS case trimmer with the universal jaws so I didn't need case plates. I've only tried it out instead of using it in a production situation but it works well. And it seemed like a good bang for the buck compared to some of the other options. I liked the fact that it's pretty much a universal tool once I added a cutter or two which was outside the range that was included with the trimmer. A lot of the other case trimmer options need either size specific dies or other tooling to adapt across a variety of calibers.

For a digital scale I've had great luck with this one that I got from Asia through Ebay;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIGITAL-SCA...835?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20e6a5cc13

I like it particularly as the zero does not drift and that it remembers that I last had it on grains and when it comes on the next time it's still in grains. The .01gm sensitivity means that it'll measure down to .1grain difference.
 
Thank you for the lead on the scale, I just ordered a few. I'd like one to tare with a primed shell and then one to verify powder load. I bought Titegroup powder and it doesn't take much to make a load.

I will try to call Higginson Powders to see if they have all the other little things I need.

Thanks, gents.
 
Yeah... You gotta get some of the lingo down. So I'm going to use the lingo and explain as I answer your questions.

Your "sizing" issue. I believe what you're asking about is trimming the case. As mentioned earlier, the sizing is taken care of by the sizer die which it sounds like you bought an RCBS model. It will take care of all the case dimensions except for the length. Trimming isn't NECESSARY for the cheap reloads... but if you're looking to fine tune that 7 mm, and get a consistent crimp... it helps. As long as your case chambers.

Getting powder from the powder container that it comes in and into the case. That's called "throwing a charge". You can actually purchase a charge thrower. It's a device that you pour your powder in bulk into a vertical powder hopper. It will then "drop" a certain charge (hopefully consistent) charge which you can measure. I personally don't use one. I pour my powder into a non-static bowl, and use a non static scoop (made by lee), and weigh the charge on my non-static balance pan. And top up with my non-static trickler made by RCBS.

There's a trend. You want to avoid static, and moisture. And you want to avoid habits that can cause a gross over-charge or powder.

I hope I helped. Study a lot, ask questions a lot. This is not the hobby where you want to learn by experience ;)
 
Zedbra said:
Thank you for the lead on the scale, I just ordered a few. I'd like one to tare with a primed shell and then one to verify powder load. I bought Titegroup powder and it doesn't take much to make a load.

I will try to call Higginson Powders to see if they have all the other little things I need.

Thanks, gents.
Click to expand...

Frankly that's a very poor way to check for the powder drop weight. Instead use a small metal pan (so there's no static buildup) and tare the pan then put from 3 to 5 drops into the pan and weigh the total and take the average. This way any slight errors that would be lost in the .1gn resolution of the scale will multiply and you can get a better idea of the true average drop weight.

The only charges I do one at a time are for rifle loads where the volume and weight of a single charge is higher. I use the same method as FF57 described above. Until recently when I added a Lee powder measure to the collection I would put the powder into a short tin that was well washed out and use dippers made from old brass cases with a handle made from 12Ga solid copper wire soldered to the casing. Different cases being cut to different lengths to get a charge that is on the low side of "close enough". The final adjustment to bring the charge up to perfect weight being done with a powder trickler.

His concern for static is also well founded. Use metal or low static plastic for everything if you can.
 
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Thanks again for the tips, I spoke to Higginson this morning and to be honest, they were not very 'helpful' for a newbie asking questions. I even wrote down the lingo but was more or less told to email them with what I want - I told them I am not sure what I want! The response: you'll have to figure that out. **sigh** Guess I will email for a quote anyways and hope I cover all the bases.
 
Zedbra said:
Thanks again for the tips, I spoke to Higginson this morning and to be honest, they were not very 'helpful' for a newbie asking questions. I even wrote down the lingo but was more or less told to email them with what I want - I told them I am not sure what I want! The response: you'll have to figure that out. **sigh** Guess I will email for a quote anyways and hope I cover all the bases.
Click to expand...

Try not to take offence to that, nor is it a great loss. One, just because they sell the stuff, doesn't make them an expert. And two, there is a conflict of interest in asking someone who is financially involved. It's like asking an X car dealership what their recommended make of car is. Most likely they are going to say X.

So yeah, it would be nice to get their opinions... but it's no great loss.

On a side note, I do find everything firearms sales in Canada to be... lack luster compared to the States. Gun shops in the States are almost vibrant and exciting. I know it's a poor choice of words (guns aren't toys)... but almost like a toy store. In Canada I feel almost like they're checking for PAL's at the door. I can recall at least once when a salesman looked surprised to see a PAL when I went to make a purchase. Like an old boys club....
 
I'm not trying to correct anyone here. All input is valid and good, but because you are a noobee I need to say this. The case trimmer is an important tool. Do not let your cases get any longer than the book maximum length. They need room to grow with the heat and pressure. An over long case is like putting a 3.5" shotgun shell in a 3" chamber... it'll fit, but when you fire it, it has nowhere for the folded over plastic to go. You end up with over pressure.
I have heard that handgun cases don't grow much, but rifle cases do... especially the first few firings, so when it gets close to max, just trim them back to min. Play safe and have fun... C.
 
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