New to reloading with a question

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igotta40

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Hello all, I’m just getting started into this, and as a beginner I have a (first) question- I bought a new Hornady Lock n Load single stage press. Will Lee shell holders work in that press? I found a set for a good price on eBay.
 
Any shell holders will work in any press. That stuff was standardized years ago. Using one brand of shell holders with a different brand of dies may not work out. When loading bottleneck cartridges you could run into headspace issues . I simply buy a shell holder, of the same brand, when I buy a set of dies.
 
I use several die mfg, as well as different shell holders. Remember to set the dies up each time, just a good habit. They will work together in either combination.

If you want to set them and forget them, then the same mfg for would likely be in order. I check mine everytime, that is just my process.

Good Luck
Dg
 
Also, some shell holders won't work in all trimmers. My Hornady (Pacific, not LNL) trimmer will not work with Lyman holders without first reaming the ram hole.
 
I use Lee shellholders in my Hornady single stage press with no issues. You need not be concerned.
 
Also, Lee dies come with the appropriate shell holders.

After several years of using only Lee dies, the first time I bought another brand I was pretty sore to discover that I also had to separately buy a shellholder!
 
If your going to be using the LNL- Bushings some of Lee's dies are too short for there locking nut. Which I dislike and since they do not hold position when changing dies and you have to adj them every time. Replace them with the Split Locking nut by Hornady and that problem goes away and makes future adjustments easier, just loose the allen head screw.
 
Nise strong single stage press , will last forever . You can use other brand Shellholders and dies . On your first go round , clean even new dies first , lube the case and if you feel more resistance on a case lower the ram and add alittle more lube to the case body , you don't want a stuck case . Clean your cases before sizing . If your looking into equipment for cleaning your cases , I cleaned my brass for 25+ years using dry media , corn or walnut . I switched to wet tumbling with Stainless Steel Pins , check it out , I will never go back to dry , only a suggestion . Read and ask questions before ordering things , will save you money and time . Hope I Helped in some way .

Chris
 
Welcome Aboard !

As everyone else has said, "Yes !" But there's a catch. Lee, Hornady, RCBS, Lyman, Redding, and many others are physically interchangeable, but they do not use the same numbering system. So if your Hornady manual says go get a #10 shellholder, and you go to the store and buy a RCBS #10, then it's not going to work. It will be for a completely different cartridge.

If you'll look in your reloading manual, all good manuals have a conversion chart to help you. Or you can go HERE and print this out. Put that in your 3-ring reloading notes binder. You do have a binder for reloading notes, right ????

You do now !! :p
 
Wow thanks, very helpful tips! Folks on this forum are kind and generous.

I’m pretty sure I will make a pest of myself with more questions, I’m on
a learning curve here.

My first reloaded cartridge will probably be a 300 Win Mag, since I have the dies already.
 
Calf of Man is a wonderment, as well.

And Ireland is a jewel this time of year. The road from Kilkeel to Gyles Quay rivals even the gorgeous US31 toward Manistee. I wish to see it on a Vespa someday, rather than a bus...
Or one of the Kawasaki KLRs.

It will have to be done sans-gunne, though.:(



Always buy a shell holder for every die set, even when they take the same number as others. Saves time and aggravation.
 
Using one brand of shell holders with a different brand of dies may not work out.

This is the tolerance stacking of the "Deck Height" of the shell holder. The distance from the top of the shell holder to the base of the cartridge.
Too great a distance results in a die that won't size a case enough. A infrequent occurrence, but it does happen.
(You know this, just stating it for newcomers.;))

A different shell holder or taking a little off the bottom of the sizing die is the cure, usually


I’m just getting started into this,

Welcome handloading! I hope you find it as enjoyable as we do.:)
 
A great measuring tool for headspace ( base of the case to the shoulder ) and ogive measurement ( base of the case to where the bullet contacts the rifling ) The RCBS Precision Mic it's caliber specific .
 
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I have a Hornady Lock n Load single stage press and an older Pacific (pre-hornady) press that I had retrofitted to except the Lock n Load RCBS adaptor that comes in the six pack of bushings.
I use all Lees press shell holders, I have four of Lee hand primeing tools that take the special Lee shell holders. I have three sets each of the Press and Primeing shell holders.
I have one primeing tool set up for small pistol, one set up for large pistol, one set up for small rifle and the other set up for large rifle.
When I prime I don't have to change the primer tray out or dump unused pistol primers if I want to reload rifle.
 
That symbol appears on the flag of the "Isle of Mann", a self governing island between Great Britain and Ireland.

The Isle of Man is the source of the avatar, and triskelion is the word used to describe the symbol. It is true the Sicilians and other cultures use something very similar, but to my knowledge, only the Manx usage is armored. The island is home to many oddities: the Manx cat, a democracy over 1000 years old, and public roads with no speed limits. This last one has made it northern Europe's version of Daytona beach... on steroids. Top speeds in the motorcycle race this year exceeded 205 mph... on public roads.
 
Wow thanks, very helpful tips! Folks on this forum are kind and generous. I’m pretty sure I will make a pest of myself with more questions....
We all asked the same questions when we were starting out. Others, gone before, were kind enough to give us a 'hand up'. Keep reading and asking questions, then in years ahead, some youngster will ask you the same questions. That's how we do it.
 
I did some reloading back in the late seventies. I went shooting woodchucks with a friend, the Sheriff's son. I had and still have a Remington 700 in 223 and he had a rifle in 220 Swift. I shot the chucks under a hundred yards and he shot them over a hundred yards.
When I got married my woodchuck days were done and I got rid of my RCBS Rockchucker and everyting for reloading.
Forty years later I have a grandson who lives with us and loves to shoot. I started him out at four years old. He is eight now and has been shooting centerfire for close to two years so I needed to get back into reloading. Not reloading for forty years or so i couldn't remember schit.
These forums really helped me out a whole lot..i connected with a local guy who loads progressive that came over one afternoon and helped a little.

But asking questions on the forums was my biggest help.
Since then I keep looking on E Bay for cheap RCBS dies and buy any caliber if they are under $25 with shipping to have on hand set up for local people who wants to reload but don't want to invest in the equipment.

Reloading can be dangerous so ask questions if you are not sure.
We all were new to reloading some time or another. Twice for me.
The only stupid question is the one that is not asked.
In metelic cartridge redloading you are dealing with sometimes very high preasures that can and do cause injuries and occasionally death to the shooter or a bystander.
Play it safe and ask.
 
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