Taking the Plunge!

[ESquared]

After a 2+ week wait for the auction to end, I scored a great deal on a (LNIB- no plastic over-wrap) Hornady Classic Lock-n-Load kit on GB (from a well known sponsor of the 1911 forum I frequent) and we made a deal on a new set of nitride Hornady Custom Grade 45ACP dies as well.
I'm going to start with 357, though, for the BBS. Have a Lee Deluxe 4-die set on the way, and have accumulated some miscellaneous doo-dads along the way over the past couple of weeks (a Lyman manual, extra decapper pins, shell racks, primer tray, some new and once-fired brass, and some Hornady 158 gr JHPs).
Will clean my own cases for now (Dawn, hot water, lemon juice and BBs), take it slow and ask questions. Will move on to 30-30 and 308 once I get my feet under me. I may keep the Hornady for the straight walled ammo and pick up a Lee Turret for the rifle work; I'm thinking I can dial in those dies, lock them down on the turrets and not have to worry so much about constant re-adjustment (but what do I know?).
Will head out to Scheels for some powder and primers tomorrow (they seem to be pretty competitive here in KC), as well as some "One Shot" to clean up the new dies.
My son and I are finishing up a new bench for all this over the weekend, so by this time next week, I'll be dipping my toes in the water! Looking forward to the science of it all, as well as the experimenting with different recipes, from plinking to hunting.
I'm all ears for tips and tricks, so feel free to chime in!

[JEBar]

we use our Lock-n-load for straight wall cases and it does an excellent job .... the Hornady power measure has proven to be very consistent .... do recommend you consider getting a die that shows powder level ..... for our bottleneck cases we can use the Lock-n-load but are more comfortable using our RCBS single stage press .... questions will arise, don't be hesitant to ask questions .... enjoy the process

[BigAl52]

Phone lines are open Evan if you run into a question feel free to call. You know the number. Al

[Ojaileveraction]

Congratulations! Welcome to the guild.
I have Hornady Loack-n-load.
Got it for 30-30 a now. 243, 45-70, 35 Rem, .223 and .357 mag.
Get a LnL die bushing for every die you use and you can set them once and not worry about it again.

Hornady and RCBS shell holders work in the LnL press but one may set taller than the other in the same calber.
I'm not sure Lee shell holders fit.

I really like the Hornady Custom Grade Dies for rifle. There is a telescoping sleeve in the bullet setting die that helps center the bullet. And you can get extra do dad's as you progress.

I like RCBS dies for straight wall and 45-70. Not sure why.

[ESquared]

Okay, just a couple of questions come up from your replies so far (thanks for the support):

JEB: First of I've heard of a Powder Checker Die and it's a mystery to me, even after looking them up. As the saying goes: "How do it know?"

Do any of you decap prior to cleaning/tumbling. Just seems to me it would get the primer pockets cleaner and move things along, even though it's an extra step in the press (but really only takes one die). Thoughts?

I can add the kit to install primers in the press or use the hand-held one that comes with; seems like the more you can do in the press and reduce handling the case, the better. Or does it matter?

Do you have a preferred method for cleaning dies "out of the box" prior to first use and along the way as they get dirty? Product/process?

Thanks as always...

[Ojaileveraction]

Ex2,
Many people use a universal decapper and clean to keep their dies clean and save wear and tear.

[ESquared]

Ex2,
Many people use a universal decapper and clean to keep their dies clean and save wear and tear.

Good to know, thanks. I picked up a Lee universal decapper at Scheel's this morning. I'd never been in one of their stores, but it was mighty impressive, with a very large reloading department; lots of powders and primers to choose from, dies, accessories, etc. And very competitively priced, as far as I can tell.

I think I'll get comfortable with this new rig just by decapping some cases from some once-fired brass I picked up over the past couple of weeks. Will likely start on 357 with some new Hornady brass.

One step at a time!

[Rifletom]

Dang! Thought I answered here. Anyway, a load or two I've tried and like is the Hornady 158 XTP-HP, 12.0-13.0gr Alliant 2400. 12.0-13.0, so no typo. Standard small pistol primers and an OAL of 1.585". These have worked well for me. Also load for .45 auto and 30-30. Any questions, ask away.

[ESquared]

Dang! Thought I answered here. Anyway, a load or two I've tried and like is the Hornady 158 XTP-HP, 12.0-13.0gr Alliant 2400. 12.0-13.0, so no typo. Standard small pistol primers and an OAL of 1.585". These have worked well for me. Also load for .45 auto and 30-30. Any questions, ask away.

The beauty of this part of the hobby is that there are so many choices and, if you follow the recipes, none of them are really bad. I ended up with a pound of H110 and some Win Small Pistol Mag primers to go along with the Hornady 158gr XTPs. Will take it slow and see how it develops with the new Hornady brass.

Would love some ideas on 45ACP, Tom, so please PM me some recommendations! Thanks in advance!

[ESquared]

Congratulations! Welcome to the guild.
I have Hornady Loack-n-load.
Got it for 30-30 a now. 243, 45-70, 35 Rem, .223 and .357 mag.
Get a LnL die bushing for every die you use and you can set them once and not worry about it again.

Hornady and RCBS shell holders work in the LnL press but one may set taller than the other in the same calber.
I'm not sure Lee shell holders fit.

I really like the Hornady Custom Grade Dies for rifle. There is a telescoping sleeve in the bullet setting die that helps center the bullet. And you can get extra do dad's as you progress.

I like RCBS dies for straight wall and 45-70. Not sure why.

Thanks for the tips. I picked up a three pack of the LnL die bushings today and will give them a whirl.

The Lee die sets come with their own shell holders, so the 357 set up should be pretty straightforward; got the Lee set because it comes with the Factory Crimp die and seemed to be getting good reviews. The Hornady set I got for the 45ACP will give me a good basis for comparison before I wade deeper on dies for the 30-30 and .308WIn.

Might end up with Hornady Custom grade for the latter two calibers and add the Lee FCD for the 30-30. Was told today by a reloader (dept manager) at Scheels that I don't need to do the factory crimp on the 308 since it's not mag-tube loaded.

He strongly endorsed the Hornady Custom Grade set for bottle-necked rifles, especially the bullet seating die and the centering sleeve you described. He did also say that FCD is pretty much mandatory for the 30-30 Lever action because of the mag tube (which also makes sense, in my newbie brain!).