Complete newb on reloading and looking for help

[rmcelwee]

WOW, I have to stress this again just in case any other newbs find themselves in my position. The used ball cutter was crap. I just did 10 pieces of brass faster than I would have done 25 and all of them are 1.745 (guessing I'm taking .005" off during the debur). MUCH easier than what I spent all day doing yesterday. I think I am going to set aside the 50 I prepped for primers/powder/bullets yesterday and set them aside. Not sure I will ever use them but for now the wide range of length discrepancies are not worth dealing with.

Edit - Plus, cutting more brass today will eat up some time while I count the days till I get my swager.

 

[choppinlow]

OP - you might find it very helpful to find someone in your area who has been loading for years you might can hang out with and learn from. Some things about loading are not OK to learn the hard way. Someone with experience can get you into shape and keep you safe faster than any manual or internet resource (no jab at THR meant by this at all).

 

[poco loco]

I don't think you can have too many books

I have about 3 feet of shelf dedicated to every reloading manual I find used...New I've bought the Lee book, and both lymans, the standard and the cast.

If nothing else, it allows you to look back through time and compare loads plus again imo, the more data, the better.

Do you need that many? No, however, I find myself referring to one of my old guides at least once a month and they don't eat anything, lots cheaper than my dogs. Plus they can be found often quite cheaply

 

[jeffforkliftguy]

Poco....off topic...i live in the sanatoga/pottstown area...r u local? Poco Loco is a paintball place in my area....

 

[rmcelwee]

Just as some closure to the thread - I managed to salvage 42 of the 50 cases trimmed with the dull (damaged?) Lee Ball trimmer. I'm not sure what the minimum case length for a 223 is (what do all your books say?) but I chose not to use anything below 1.740". Everything cleaned up very quickly with the new tools and I am happy once again.

Thanks again for everyone's help!!!

 

[TBJK]

I looked in my books to no avail. Only min OAL but found saami specs that show 1.760- 1.730. Really it says 1.760 -.030 I'd post the link but is specifically says no redistribution. So I will just post this h t t p ://w w w.saami.org/pubresources/cc_drawings/Rifle/223%20Remington.pdf

 

[notaglockfanboy]

rmcelwee, no it isn't that hard or difficult to reload .223, some guys just make it that way. It isn't nearly as hard as overhauling a engine, but it is extremely more dangerous. 50000+ psi three inches from your face can be bad if not done right.

 

[rmcelwee]

I did some 7mm WSM today. A friend has been waiting for me to get the press and stuff so we could use the supplies he bought. It was much harder seating those bullets than seating 223 (again, I've only played with non-charged 223 so far). The die was strange in the fact that you could go too far and squash the neck of the round. We screwed up the first two rounds before doing 20 of them correctly.

 

[Potatohead]

I don't have my swagger yet

Well there's the problem-a man is nothing without a little swagger