8 hours ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I'm following your thread with great interest, @Greenday. I'm in a similar spot, except I really lucked out in that my uncle is giving me an extra reloading press he had laying around, so that not only saved me some bucks but it also saved me from a painful purchasing decision process, lol.  Someone gave it to him years ago, so he's "paying it forward" to ME! Woo-hoo! It's an old, vintage Herter's Model Super 81- seems to be in good shape - no rust, nothing broken - and it has (2) rams instead of one, which is kind of unique. He also gave me the Lyman book - last year's edition, but new in the shrink wrap. So now I have to focus on reading, learning,  buying the other gear I'll need... and getting started.

[BTW, I do NOT want to hijack Greenday's thread(!)… but if anyone reading this happens to have an older Herter's operations manual that covers the Model Super 81, would you kindly PM me directly, pls? I'd love to get a scan or hardcopy if possible.] 

I've been watching YouTube videos about reloading as a starting place, but I'll definitely purchase that ABC's book that @GRIZ recommended. So, I'm on a very similar journey to the one you're on. And I've enjoyed watching your progress, too... I think you're doing just GREAT with your marksmanship! 

  

@Mrs. Peel.that Herter's is a unique press.  The only issue is that Herters used a proprietary shellholder which may be next to impossible to find.  BUT...RCBS made an adapter for it to use standard shellholders.  Don't know if they still do and you'd probably have to order it direct from RCBS.

The Lyman manual you have will do just fine.

Contact me if you want more of my 2 cents.  I might have some other stuff to help get you started.

 

YouTube is a great resource. Being able to see how people do things really helped me out more so than a book. You should really find a mentor that can help get you started.

On 6/17/2019 at 4:18 PM, Mrs. Peel said:

I'm following your thread with great interest, @Greenday. I'm in a similar spot, except I really lucked out in that my uncle is giving me an extra reloading press he had laying around, so that not only saved me some bucks but it also saved me from a painful purchasing decision process, lol.

When it comes to spending money, I rarely spend large amounts on wants, not needs. So I obsess over making sure I get exactly what I want. Trying to come up with an exact list of items I need to get started. So far, I've got written down:

Tumbler

Press

Die Set

Shell Holder

Scale

Calipers

Manual

Trimmer

CHAMFER & DEBURRING TOOL

Lube

Not included: primer, powder, and bullets.

Don't think I posted this anywhere else. Few weeks ago, shooting from the bench. 

Don't forget a case gage for each caliber you reload.  (I like the Wilson brand gages myself)

When you reload YOU ARE THE QUALITY CONTROL GUY.

Every round you make then shoot puts YOUR LIFE AND EYESIGHT AT RISK.

Check every round you make before you box it

Is there anything else I'm missing from my list?

1 hour ago, Greenday said:

Is there anything else I'm missing from my list?

A mentor

and something to remove the crimp from military brass I assume you are reloading rifle rounds based on your list 

 

3 minutes ago, carl_g said:

A mentor

and something to remove the crimp from military brass I assume you are reloading rifle rounds based on your list 

 

Been using some Wolf Gold and American Eagle

9 minutes ago, Greenday said:

Been using some Wolf Gold and American Eagle

Ok so like I said you need something to remove the primer crimp. Wolf gold definitely has a crimp on it.

You need a swager for the primer crimps

if your after accuracy

a hand primer 

Bullet comparator gauge set

OAL gauge

Hornady makes pretty good ones.

On 6/22/2019 at 10:33 PM, carl_g said:

Ok so like I said you need something to remove the primer crimp. Wolf gold definitely has a crimp on it.

He has a chamfer and deburring tool on his list.  That's all I've been using for over 40 years.

+1 on a swager makes things easier esp if reloading alot of military brass 

3 hours ago, cabalrayz said:

+1 on a swager makes things easier esp if reloading alot of military brass 

Well yes...but you can spend a couple of hundred dollars on a case prep station to do the job or $10 on a chamfer tool.

Alright, deprimed 200-300 rounds of my AE .223 so far. I'll get the Wolf later tonight. Probably tumble them tomorrow night.

Ordered some Hornandy 55gr FMJBT to see how that works out. My rifle fires 52gr Wolf decently around 1 MOA at 100 yards. And it loves the 62gr FMJBT American Eagle. I'll be interested to see how the 55gr compares to the 62gr.

31 minutes ago, Greenday said:

Alright, deprimed 200-300 rounds of my AE .223 so far. I'll get the Wolf later tonight. Probably tumble them tomorrow night.

Ordered some Hornandy 55gr FMJBT to see how that works out. My rifle fires 52gr Wolf decently around 1 MOA at 100 yards. And it loves the 62gr FMJBT American Eagle. I'll be interested to see how the 55gr compares to the 62gr.

i would have tumbled before deprime.  you will have pins or corncob stuck in the your flashholes. 

 

On 6/26/2019 at 4:38 PM, GRIZ said:

He has a chamfer and deburring tool on his list.  That's all I've been using for over 40 years.

@GRIZ  These may work but are not a replacement for a swaging tool.

54 minutes ago, cabalrayz said:

i would have tumbled before deprime.  you will have pins or corncob stuck in the your flashholes. 

Wouldn't that leave the primer pocket dirty?

14 minutes ago, Greenday said:

Wouldn't that leave the primer pocket dirty?

the pockets get cleaned when i'm doing case prep.  i use a pocket uniformer, reamer and/or cleaner 

 

1 hour ago, Old School said:

@GRIZ  These may work but are not a replacement for a swaging tool.

Maybe so but if he wants to start reloading a chamfer tool will do the job at lower cost.

I've been reloading for only about 45 years.  I still don't have a swaging tool.

There was a guy a few years ago who won a benchrest competion using an original Lee Loader, where you hammered the brass into the neck sizing die.  He used a pocket knife to remove crimps.

You can cut or swage the primer pockets.  I've seen nothing that convinces me one way is better than the other.

1 hour ago, Greenday said:

Wouldn't that leave the primer pocket dirty?

Clean your primer pockets before or after sizing.  AFAIC its a personal preference.  If you tumble deprimed brass it doesn't always mean the primer pockets get cleaned.  You can clean your primer pockets with a small screwdriver and a small punch to clean out the flash holes.

I chuck a de-threaded (thank you. Dremel) RCBS small primer pocket brush into my Dremel's flexible extension to clean .223 match brass primer pockets.

I use a straightened paper clip to clear leftover corncob media (maybe 1 out of every 15 pieces have it) out of the flash holes.

My Order of Battle for prepping .223 match brass:

1.Tumble in treated (Flitz media additive) corncob for 6-8 hours. Add some (3-6) used dryer sheets to the media to absorb the crud from the brass. Keeps the media a lot cleaner.

2. Size and deprime (all press operations on my single stage RockChucker) using Imperial sizing wax as case lube. A tiny bit on your finger goes a loooong way. Inspect for split necks as you handle each piece.

3. Tumble in same media for about an hour to remove the lube.

4. Every piece goes in the Giraud trimmer to check for overlength and trim/chamfer/deburr if necessary. Takes about 3 seconds each.

5. Clean primer pockets and clear flash holes, as described above. Only once-fired brass has its flash holes deburred.

6. Prime brass using RCBS hand primer, separating out any that seem to have loose primer pockets (less force needed to prime) and save them for one-more-use plinkers.

7. Sort by headstamp and box them (100 round Frankford Arsenal plastic boxes) neck down for future finishing (dropping weighed powder charge and seating match projectile) as needed for a match.

9 hours ago, GRIZ said:

Maybe so but if he wants to start reloading a chamfer tool will do the job at lower cost.

I've been reloading for only about 45 years.  I still don't have a swaging tool.

There was a guy a few years ago who won a benchrest competion using an original Lee Loader, where you hammered the brass into the neck sizing die.  He used a pocket knife to remove crimps.

You can cut or swage the primer pockets.  I've seen nothing that convinces me one way is better than the other.

No pissing contest here.  I was standardizing on LC cases awhile ago and would do 100 cases at a clip.  Quicker and a more uniform primer pocket when swaging.  I use to use a chamfering tool as well.  And some times I'd get a f'd up seated primer.

just saying

3 hours ago, Old School said:

No pissing contest here.  I was standardizing on LC cases awhile ago and would do 100 cases at a clip.  Quicker and a more uniform primer pocket when swaging.  I use to use a chamfering tool as well.  And some times I'd get a f'd up seated primer.

just saying

Okay, to each his own.

So I'm noticing that most of my Federal brass is between 1.7400-1.7450". How big of a deal is it that it's not 1.750-1.760"?

37 minutes ago, Greenday said:

So I'm noticing that most of my Federal brass is between 1.7400-1.7450". How big of a deal is it that it's not 1.750-1.760"?

You're measuring fully sized brass right?  That's the way it's done.  If it's a little short after sizing .010" is no biggy.

You have a guage? Datum line to case head is my concern.

18 minutes ago, Old School said:

You're measuring fully sized brass right?  That's the way it's done.  If it's a little short after sizing .010" is no biggy.

You have a guage? Datum line to case head is my concern.

Yea, I'm measuring the brass after I put it through the full length sizing die. Using a digital caliper.

This is some new vocabulary for me. Datum line?

1 hour ago, Greenday said:

Yea, I'm measuring the brass after I put it through the full length sizing die. Using a digital caliper.

This is some new vocabulary for me. Datum line?

On 7/1/2019 at 7:59 AM, Old School said:

No pissing contest here.  I was standardizing on LC cases awhile ago and would do 100 cases at a clip.  Quicker and a more uniform primer pocket when swaging.  I use to use a chamfering tool as well.  And some times I'd get a f'd up seated primer.

just saying

I’ve used the chamfer tool and have messed up few.  I bought a swager a while back. 

Used a reamer for my pocket primer holes. Basically ready to do a batch but I have all the hand primer shell holders EXCEPT the 223 one. Luckily that's cheap.

I do know what I want for Christmas now, though.

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-6702203-Case-Xpress-7810220/dp/B004TABTWU/ref=sr_1_3?crid=Z8TX0ZXY61UQ&keywords=case+prep+tools+for+reloading&qid=1562287673&s=gateway&sprefix=case+prep%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-3

The fruits of my labor. 

Range day today at R14. Light wind, maybe 5 mph. Beautiful day for it. Shot 20 55gr Hornady FMJBT rounds and zeroed my scope for the lighter weight bullets. Then I shot my 52gr Sierra Matchkings. I think I got a good recipe with Varget for the 52s. One group measured 0.78", a second measured around 0.85", a third measured 0.87" and the last group measured 1.1". Love seeing someone's tumbling round go through sideways. My wooden stake has a perfect indent from a larger .224 bullet.