Besides the local stores that stock stuff, I also look at garage sales and auctions. I can get boxes of stuff for minimal cost. Some of it I need and some of it I just stockpile. For instance, I have 44, 6mm and 6.5 mm bullets and don't have any guns in those calibers. I got the bullets in some boxes of stuff and always keep bullets around. I just like reloading stuff. I consolidated my reloading stuff a while back since I retired. I had reloading setups in AK and WI, plus I got some stuff from my dad. I had 4 sets of 30-06 dies and 2 sets of 243 (which I don't own a gun for) and 45-70, in addition to 6.5x55, 38-55, 32-20 and .222. I took this excess to an online auction and got over $250 for stuff I would never use.
I’m using a tumbler that my father used and I just received my treated walnut. It seems to be a doing the job.
I’ve decided to use the old powders that my father had. They were in steel cans. I’ll load 10 or so to determine if the powder and primers are any good. I’ve read that powder can last for years.
I just located the decapper die and started depriming some shells. Is there an attachment that funnels the discarded primers into the trash? It’s not easy following the LP site for items.
I have a couple of Dillon 650's, one set up for 38 Super Comp , or 9mm and the other set up for 40.cal, 1) I get my Powder Vihtavorri, from who ever has the best price on a couple of cases usually powder valley 2) I get my 9mm brass from a local range and sort it.. Last time I did it I locked down about 20 gallons or so of brass. 3) 38 Supercomp brass from Starline -- the best way to do that is 5-8k per order 4) 40 cal brass I find online and buy 5 gallons at a clip usually around 3.5 cents per round 5) I use precision delta bullets they can deliver them to you and buying in bulk there helps too usually around 15k at a clip 6) Primers, the price is the price on those things my local hardware store sells them and i have not found a bulk deal yet... I clean my brass, using one of these they are awesome, clean and efficient, use a little brass polish and you are good to go https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Ar...brass+polishing+tumbler&qid=1587250134&sr=8-4 Get the magnet, and some extra SS pellets I separate the brass using one of these https://www.dillonprecision.com/cm-2000-case-media-separator_8_8_23662.html --- Don't skimp on the separator you will regret it. I struggled for too long with cheap shit and it was a pain in the ass. I dry my brass on an old towel on top of my wire mesh utility trailer in the Sun takes a couple of hours. I clean and roll size brass all summer when it is hot outside and usually have about 5 gallons done at the end of summer to tide me over the winter months when drying brass outside sucks I then roll size my brass with one of these rollsizer.com Just in case the roll sizer does not get it I use Lee full length Sizing Dies, on the decapper, I have the case feeders and bullet feeders on my presses and can do upwards of 700 plus rounds per hour....
I tumble my brass in water using the stainless steel pellets with polish instead on using the loud as fuck shaker and the mess of dust and dry media. I find it gives me cleaner brass on the inside, and outside. I shoot uspsa and having one malfunction will cost you several places in a match... Also I have a major power factor to meet, so I need very consistent loads, 20 feet per minute with a 124 grain bullet either way and it jacks with my stuff.
Oh the when, I tumble my brass, after I get it from the ranges, the only new brass I buy is from Starline for my 38 super comp. I reload that 38 brass 6 or 7 times before it is dead... So when I buy brass new I use it a bunch of times so I only buy brass for the 38 every couple of years..
I haven’t discussed bullet speeds since my father did all our reloading. Just for clarification, is that suppose to be feet per second? Thanks for the info!
oh yeah sorry, duh... I have to make a 165 power factor, 1340 feet per second times a 124 Gr bullet is a 166 ish power factor so if that feet per second jump 20 FPS either way too many times it can bounce me out of a competition if they Chrono me.....
I’m trying to deprime some .223/.556 brass. In doing so I encountered the brass getting stuck in the die. Any ideas what I’m doing wrong?
as stated above, definitely use case lube. i have a dish sponge that i put lube on, then each case gets rubbed onto the sponge before it goes in the press for de-priming. keeps your fingertips relatively lube free. edit- this is what i use. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012758025?pid=758495
Are you using a decapping die, or a sizing die with a decapping pin? I assume a sizing die, so yeah, you need to lube the cases while resizing. I recommend buying a decapping die and doing that before cleaning. Then resize, trim/chamfer, etc. I also recommend buying a cheap Lee press to decap in, because then you don't get your good press full of crud.
I use one shot spray case lube on my pistol brass while I understand the difference the spray may help get alll the way in there
OK so here is my system step by step 1) Aquire Brass 2) Wash with brass polilsh 3) Dry Brass outside 4) Re Roll Size 5) Spray with case lube 6) Put into case feeder 7) Run the press... If you spray it with case lube before you decap it will work better ,specifically if you have a lee resizing die, it touches the inside and outside of the case so metal on metal needs a little lube... After all nobody likes it dry..
Nope, there is no need to lube to deprime. If so, buy a different decapping die. Lube is for sizing. https://leeprecision.com/decapping-die.html
That’s what I was wondering. I just started depriming my brass this weekend and was successfully with all of the calibers except 223&556. The decapper that I have has two other pins, I’ll look to see if they work.
If you were decapping rifle cartridges, try swapping to the small decapping pin. Most rifle brass has large rifle primers(and thusly larger flash holes), whereas 223/5.56 uses small rifle primers and the flash hole may be too small for the decapping pin you're using. That may be what you're feeling with as stuck cartridge. If you get a piece of brass stuck in a sizing die because of a lack of lube, its a bitch to get out. The small decapping pin is fine for pretty much all rifle cartridges.
