Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading
Reloading Presses ?
unfy:
--- Quote from: gunsunited on December 11, 2011, 04:37:16 PM ---I use the Hornady LNL and love it. I had one issue and that just took a phone call. Spare parts in the mail the next day. I am not to excited with Hornady's full length sizing dies in 223 and 308. Got some Reddings instead. Pistol Dies from Hornady are just fine. One of the things i did to increase reliability is polishing the bottom part of the primer feed thingy.
--- End quote ---
Primer feed slides are a bit annoying, and also had to adjust the plastic primer guide thing a bit further out for it to always grab a primer (just a screw driver).
For me, my press was also not indexing correctly, so i had to adjust the paws a bit.
My last issue with my press from time to time is that primers don't seem to seat all the way. Could be how I have the press mounted and use it (sitting down, typically at an angle). I found a thin metal washer under the primer seating nub fixes my problems. Note: doing large pistol primers, i've not had this problem.
bk09:
Bought a Lee Challenger Breech Lock and love it! The breech lock bushings help interchange dies in no time and keep them adjusted to where you set them. One night a friend joined me and we made about 800 .223 in 4 or 5 hours (he would full length size and give to me to chamfer/deburr new LC brass and then prime using a Lee hand held primer and then when that was done I filled with powder and he seated bullet). For the money there is nothing I feel that comes close to it. Every time I buy news dies I buy some Lee Breech Lock Quick Change Bushings with Die Lock Ring built in and allows Lee dies to be locked solidly in place with the ease of changing regular quick change bushings have. And for a dispenser/scale I feel my RCBS Chargemaster 1500 Dispenser/Scale combo is irreplaceable. Not as fast as a regular dispenser but at least I know for sure how much powder I am putting in each case. If you only plan on doing a couple thousand rounds a year then I would pick a single stage press, fewer problems to encounter compared to a turret/progressive. Personally I find reloading as/more fun than shooting, great sense of accomplishment knowing you just made your own high quality ammo, so slower single stage presses give me an excuse to spend more time doing what I love. If you have any more questions PM me and I would be glad to help!
Dan W:
There are a few schools of thought about presses.
I have 3 different systems depending on the type of ammo
12 gauge is loaded on a 7 station progressive Hornady 366 Auto. No cleaning, just a case inspection, fill the shot and powder hoppers, set the lead charge, test for powder weight, load the primer tube and go
I load pistol rounds on a Dillon Square Deal - also a progressive, with 4 stations.
Just clean the brass, set the powder charge weight, fill the primer tube and go
But I reload .223 the old fashioned way. I don't think that accurate rifle ammo lends itself to progressive press operations.
All brass prep operation are done separately in batches.
For one I clean the brass , then deprime in a separate operation because I load a lot of crimped primer military cases. Crimped cases need to have the crimp ring removed the first time they are loaded
I then lube the case, full length resize with Redding dies, trim to length with a Possum Hollow trimmer run by a drill, chamfer the case mouth, then clean it again to remove the sizing lube
Lee hand priming tool assures that primer seating is firm and depth is OK
Powder charges are done in trays of 50 on a Redding powder measure, with a random check on a Balance beam scale
Sizing and bullet insertion are performed on a Lee Classic Cast 4 hole turret press.
I do not seat and crimp in one operation like the dies instructions indicate, but rather, crimping is done in a separate operation with a Lee Factory Crimp Die when desired.
The reasons I don't think a progressive is the best for rifle is the need confirm primer seating depth to avoid slam fires, and the need to clean the brass after full length resizing.
If not cleaned well, the powder sticks to the lube in the case neck.
I am not ever going to recommend Hornady One Shot as a lube. I use Imperial Case Wax. If you want to try a spray lube use Dillon or Frankford Arsenal brands
.
Bigtony:
Lees customer service is questionable ecspeacially when the 1 year warranty is up. Don't expect them to fix your problem without a cost to you. RCBS, Dillon, and I'm sure hornady (I don't actually own anything hornady) have lifetime warranties, no questions asked. And I agree bradkoll reloading is actually as enjoying if not more as shooting your own hand loads.
unfy:
Great post Dan, I can agree with the school of thought on much of that. With rifle reloading, I may pick up a cheap Lee single stage press or something, I dunno. Rock Chuckers are only $120 anyway. And rifle is all about exacting consistency and stuff.
I've got a Mec 600 or 650 jr shotshell reloader that I use for my own 3" 15 pellet shells. No problems with it, but not as fast as the autoloaders.
--- Quote from: Dan W on December 11, 2011, 05:32:58 PM ---I am not ever going to recommend Hornady One Shot as a lube. I use Imperial Case Wax. If you want to try a spray lube use Dillon or Frankford Arsenal brands
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Not suggested as bullet or case lube. More suggested for the press / dies itself :).
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