Reloading adventure has begun... now with pictures and a broken decapper : (

Scottie.....a few tips from an old time reloader, at first use your scale more than anything else, try diff. powders, and don't write off cast bullets as they can save you money, less wear on the barrel, less pressure,and accurate, just because of some excel bullets you bought.
 
scottie_ said:
QUESTION - does OAL have to due with how much powder? IE less powder the bullet base will seat further in the case resulting in a shorter OAL, more powder the bullet is higher because the powder can only compress so much?
Click to expand...
NO.

Bullet seating depth is important. Moving a bullet in or out of the case will raise/lower pressures. Seating deeper reduces the capacity and increases pressure. Seating too far out so that a bullet is jammed into the rifling will raise pressures. With autoloading pistols, too long or too short may also result in not fitting in the magazine and jamming during feeding.

That is why you always work up a load and any change in component or seating depth requires starting over.

Here is a link to some 9mm data COL's and WW Powder.
http://www.wwpowder.com/data/handgun/9mmlug.php

Keep reading and researching and cross referencing. Google is your friend. ;)
 
Great. The ####ing decapper on my resizing die broke off... and with this long weekend what the hell am I supposed to do????/ : (

I am going to use a 1/16 punch and hammer and just knock them out by hand, then put them back in the press, resize and carry on. ####ty, but it does give me a chance to have higginsons send me a factory crimp die.

Oh well...
 
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You've had lots of great advice so far. If I might add some tips.

1. If you're starting out reloading, don't try to watch TV, focus on reloading, less mistakes that way.

2. Buy more than one reloading manual from more than one company and make sure you understand how powder levels and COL can affect pressure. In fact a good book to buy is the ABC's Of Reloading (been a few different authors write that one). It does not have any loads but does explain in detail the whole process of reloading.

3.If a piece of kit breaks usually it is due to it being used wrong, slow down. Using a punch to remove the primers may work but there is a chance you could get over zealous and do some damage inside the case that you can't see until it fails.
 
1. Turn the TV off (as said above) until you are aware which steps you can do with the tube on. I usually size, trim and prime with the TV/radio on.

2. Get the cat off the bench. As well as being distracting, lead and the other compounds involved in reloading probably won't be very good for it.

3. Excel bullets do suck. IMO. Since it looks like you are loading in your kitchen, choose a jacketed bullet (FMJ, CMJ...) to minimize the amount of lead spread throughout the house, and your food.

Enjoy your hobby.
 
You may want to try CMJ Frontier bullets! They work great! I noticed you mentioned the primers going all over the place, I have the same problem with mine! The new Lee Classic turret press has them go into the ram of the press, much better set up. Sorry to hear about your decapper breaking. I am using the .46 disk with HS-6 with 124gr Frontier CMJ's, works like a charm! Good luck with your new toy! Cheers!
 
Thanks for the advice guys.

First off, the cat is gone I don't let her sit on the table anymore. I am loading in my basement and I make sure to wash my hands every time I go up stairs. Second of all, I am listening to music while I am doing this and I feel pretty comfortable.

I returned the excel bullets and I picked up 3 bags of Winchester 115Gr FMJ because I did not like the lead. I think at the least I'll get some plated bullet. I am looking to order some of the Frontier CMJ 124Gr on Monday due to the holiday. I am current using the .49 disk with the 115's for a load of 6.9-7.0 and keeping the length between 1.128 and 1.135

My decapper breaking sucks, but I have found another method which I can get them done alot faster and have to put less pressure on the ram arm. The first few I hit the punch in to far and defiantly saw the flash hole or whatever the term is enlarge. On the ones now I have made sure not hit it deep and they are just punching out.

I wish I got the Classic press but hey what ya gonna do, its not that big of a deal about the primers just because I vacuumed every so often and I can catch half of them.

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll be sure to pick up or head up to the library and take out some more books,
 
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buy at least 2 decappers -i've had some ivi stuff that PULLED THE PIN RIGHT OUT of the decapping stem- either that or order a 223 RIFLE DECAPPER- IT'S ALL ONE PIECE STEEL - i used that out of a spare 223 die set until i got a new decapper- all the pistol decappers are the same pin- in- collar type with the lee -it was ACTUALLY THE FLASH HOLE was too small with the ivi brass- actually "captured" the pin and pulled it from the stem- unusual, but it DOES happen
 
I came up with a very effective way to catch the dead primers out of my RCBS Partner. Don't know how the Lee works, but the channel in my ram kinda spits them out to the side, so I screwed a coffee can to my bench just resting up to the side of the press, now it just drops 'em in the can, think I had 2 or 3 hit the floor since then, out of 500+ rounds decapped. It'll take 20 years at the rate I'm going to fill the can.
Drew
 
the lee has 2 holes in the turret press/lee 1000- out the bottom- and the primers are captured in the ram in the loadmaster- simply put a can underneath in the turret/1000- the rest i don't have/never had, so i don't know- incidentally lee supplies or did supply a template for mounting and you need to drill about a 3/4 to 1 inch hole in the bench for the primers to drop through - one on each side- either that or raise it up with washers on the mounting bolts, so you can clean under it and dispose of the primers that way- about 4 in each bolt will raise it up enough so you can stick a ruler or something under there and flick them out
 
I bought a universal decapper from Lee for my hand press. I'm over 8K rounds decapped in front of the TV. No issues ever.
.40, .38, .223, .308, .300WM, .30-30.... Great little die. One extra step (extra Die, but no wear and tear on the sizer...)
 
I managed to get out to the range today and try the 50 rounds that I whipped up. They were Remington 115 FMJ RN with 7.0 grains of HS-6 seated to around 1.126-1.135. Out of the 50 I only had two problems. First one was the primer did not fire, I looked at it and I definatley hit it but it was probably not seated far enough. I did not try and shoot it again because I was freezing my ass of. Second problem was a FTE and I don't know why that happened, maybe someone can enlighten me.

Order a new small primer arm, new decapper rod, 9MM factory crimp die, tube of carbide die lube (lube every 10th 9MM case will keep it nice and smooth) and 1000 124Gr CMJ Frontiers.

I am hooked....
 
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