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!).

[Rifletom]

ESquared, PM coming in the morning regarding .45 auto.

[clovishound]

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...

I use a powder cop die with my Lee classic turret. What you do is throw a powder charge in a case and weigh it to make sure it is accurate. You then use this to adjust the powder cop die so that the little white O-ring on the plunger comes up level with the top of the die. You just screw the die in until the O-ring is where you want it, and lock the die in place. Very simple. If the O-ring doesn't come up, not enough powder. If it comes up too far above the top of the die, too much powder. It's much easier IME to spot an over/under throw than by just eyeballing the powder level. I highly recommend them.

When I firs got my tumbler, I decapped then tumbled, then loaded. I now just tumble prior to loading. Dry tumbling won't clean the primer pockets, and they shoot just fine without cleaning anyway.

I prefer seating primers on press. Less handling of the cases, and I prefer the feel I get over handheld. Everyone's different on their preferences on this.

Most any organic solvent will work fine for cleaning dies out of the box. I usually have a can of gun scrubber handy, so I usually use that.

[Cofisher]

Esquared, tried to abbreviate that, couldn't figure it out. I am joining you in the reloading adventures this weekend. My Lee breech lock hand press arrives Saturday. And the rotary drum case cleaner. I chose the Lee universal decapper die to start with. Have the carbide dies on the way.

I also chose the Lee priming system for the hand press. This will bring me to the point of 'loading'.

I have not decided on the powder/load yet. I will be using the Hornady XTP 158 grain bullet.
First choice on powders will be the 110 or 2400. I would like to hear any ideas or experiences about this.

Thanks ya'll, I know you love it too.

[CT_Shooter]

My Lee breech lock hand press arrives Saturday. And the rotary drum case cleaner. I chose the Lee universal decapper die to start with. Have the carbide dies on the way.

I also chose the Lee priming system for the hand press. This will bring me to the point of 'loading'.

I have not decided on the powder/load yet. I will be using the Hornady XTP 158 grain bullet.
First choice on powders will be the 110 or 2400. I would like to hear any ideas or experiences about this.

Thanks ya'll, I know you love it too.

Cofisher,
Lee is a great company with excellent Customer Service. I use their four die carbide set (including the FCD) for .38/.357 calibers. I also use the Lee Single Stage press that came as part of a kit that included much of what is necessary for reloading.

I like the Lee hand primer and use it exclusively. It's easy to use and I get a tactile feel for the seating of the primer that I've learned to trust.

Their Perfect Powder measure, however, doesn't play well with H110 because it is such a fine powder, almost like water; it delivers an accurate load, but it also leaks too much for me. Instead, I use a home made dipper that started out as a 9mm case to which I soldered a paper clip handle. It delivers a consistent 13.9 grain load of H110, which is a conservative charge for .357 158 grain jacketed bullets and is accurate in both my revolver and my Henry Big Boy.

I do use and like the powder measure with HP38, Unique, and Universal powders that I use for .125 grain jacketed bullets (H110 requires a a larger, compacted load for that bullet, which I didn't want to experiment with).

Welcome to the hobby of reloading. You're gonna like it... a lot.

Good luck!!

[Ojaileveraction]

First choice on powders will be the 110 or 2400. I would like to hear any ideas or experiences about this.

Thanks ya'll, I know you love it too.

With 2400 for low end loads and H110 for the high end you golden.
2400 works for many different calibers. PC and rifle.

[BigAl52]

2400 is one of my favorites for 357. Never been a fan of H110 because with H110 its wide open or not at all. In other words it works well at near max but if you try to download with it, it isnt as user friendly. Not saying at all that it isnt a good powder because it has its place. I just like 2400 better.

[Ojaileveraction]

Just going through my load books. One thought leads to another and pretty soon I have most of them out.
Made me remember to say that keeping notes is important.

I write mine in my books.

20181107_220020~2.jpg (121.93 KiB) Viewed 2453 times

[Cofisher]

I just received 500 starline 357 cases. I have a memory, questionable , about cleaning new brass. Is this necessary?

[Mistered]

about cleaning new brass. Is this necessary?

Not for the first loading - but it does need all other basic prep - sizing, flaring etc.

[Cofisher]

Thanks. On JEBar's advice, I picked up some Zero soft points and will be focusing on a good practice load. This process is very educational.