SSN Vet
Member
I can't believe I just typed that
Lee Classic Turret Press...My First Reloads! ...Questions!
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I can't believe I just typed that
Good to know, thanks!
I will have to print your post and see if my "bumps" mimic yours. It is just weird, I always thought bullet seating would be harder, and the other steps would be easier, or a least smoother. But I guess it is pretty hard to deform metal, even brass.
This is good to know. Oddly, when I was doing the batch with 4.8 grains, it would sometimes fluctuate low, 4.7 usually, or the occasional 4.6, but never high. When I was using the disk cavity for 5.1 grains, it never fluctuated low, but occasionally would be 5.2gr, but never higher than that.
Yes this is what happened,
but guess what? I did not break it! I just stripped off a bit of the plastic I think. My problem was I was trying to insert it when it was down, someone advised me to put it in the 'up' position and then insert it, which worked much better. I took it all apart and tried putting it back in and now it seems to work and indexes perfect, so we are all good on that front. I had the same thought
Your neck tension may be ok. It's not uncommon to pull a bullet with one good whack, and bullet seating requires a lot less pull than resizing.
Just make sure you can chamber the round by dropping it into your barrel. It's called the klunk test. If it fails to easily fall fully into the chamber, then you need more taper crimp.
Just make sure you can chamber the round by dropping it into your barrel. It's called the klunk test. If it fails to easily fall fully into the chamber, then you need more taper crimp.
cbuttre835
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I'll echo what SSN Vet said, the bump on the up stroke of the handle is the flare hitting on the way out of the die. If I get that I lessen the flare. That makes me feel better about not wearing out brass too fast and having neck tension problems.
I have noticed my regular auto-disk being 0.1 - 0.2 grains off each time. What I do is make sure to bump the handle at the top of the stroke a couple times when the case mouth enters the powder through expander die, to "pack" the powder in the disk cavity. that, and keep the level consistent too. That will lessen the variation to 0.1 grains or less, typically.
I have noticed with .308 and a couple other long cases that you can't charge them with the rifle charging die; I think the shoulder hits and won't let the die fully actuate the powder drop. It'll charge .223 but that's all the rifle I load on the classic turret press. Rest get charged with the Lee Perfect Powder Measure.
I have noticed my regular auto-disk being 0.1 - 0.2 grains off each time. What I do is make sure to bump the handle at the top of the stroke a couple times when the case mouth enters the powder through expander die, to "pack" the powder in the disk cavity. that, and keep the level consistent too. That will lessen the variation to 0.1 grains or less, typically.
I have noticed with .308 and a couple other long cases that you can't charge them with the rifle charging die; I think the shoulder hits and won't let the die fully actuate the powder drop. It'll charge .223 but that's all the rifle I load on the classic turret press. Rest get charged with the Lee Perfect Powder Measure.
Lost Sheep
Member
And if it doesn't fall with a solid "clunk" or falls in soo deeply that the cartridge base is below the barrel hood, then you have too much "crimp". (The "too deep" test is approximate. Chamber closing is the real acid test.")
Lost Sheep
I think initially I did have too much flare. It was TOUGH to pull out, but the bullet sure was easy to place atop the mouth. I have since reduced the flare, and I still get a bump, but it isn't bad. I just don't want to go any less because I can barely see the flare as it is, and the bullet is already pretty tough to balance on there. I am using plated (for now...also have a box of 500 LRN's waiting to go) so I don't want to scrape off the jacket.
Along with all my other checks on every 5th round, I have done the klunk test and it is always satisfying. The rim aligns pretty much spot on with the barrel hood, it goes in and out smooth with a nice "klunk" at the bottom!
SSN Vet
Member
I forgot to mention that I never let the Auto Disk hopper get <1/2 full. That way I almost always get +/- .1 gr. Oddly, my experience has bee that if I let the hopper go below half full, it seems to throw slighlty heavier charges.
One thing to keep an eye on with the Auto Disk (especially with the larger cavities) is to make sure the cavity is pushed far enough out to completely overlap the drop hole. If you don't adjusting the powder through expander die to sufficiently lift and cycle the Auto Disk mechanism, a large cavity won't 100% overlap the drop hole and a small ledge can prevent all of the powder from dropping.
I've gotten in the habbit of giving the disk a tap or flick with my finger while the press handle is all the way down, just incase there's any poweder clinging .
When you load rifle you will likely need to double stack the disks, and when you do so, make sure the larger cavity is on the bottom, or elsy you will also create a "ledge" for powder to hang up on.
It's not a perfect poweder measure, but IMO, it's a pretty darn good one.
If you use the printed chart to figure out what size disk to use, you will find it very conservative (seems to be designed for people who aren't using a scale to check things) and will almost always have to go at least one cavity size larger to get what you want.
Keep copius notes about what size disk your using and what the weight of the charge actually thrown for that powder is, and you'll soon be able to make up your own little table for the powders and charges you use... then you'll be spot on every time.
One thing to keep an eye on with the Auto Disk (especially with the larger cavities) is to make sure the cavity is pushed far enough out to completely overlap the drop hole. If you don't adjusting the powder through expander die to sufficiently lift and cycle the Auto Disk mechanism, a large cavity won't 100% overlap the drop hole and a small ledge can prevent all of the powder from dropping.
I've gotten in the habbit of giving the disk a tap or flick with my finger while the press handle is all the way down, just incase there's any poweder clinging .
When you load rifle you will likely need to double stack the disks, and when you do so, make sure the larger cavity is on the bottom, or elsy you will also create a "ledge" for powder to hang up on.
It's not a perfect poweder measure, but IMO, it's a pretty darn good one.
If you use the printed chart to figure out what size disk to use, you will find it very conservative (seems to be designed for people who aren't using a scale to check things) and will almost always have to go at least one cavity size larger to get what you want.
Keep copius notes about what size disk your using and what the weight of the charge actually thrown for that powder is, and you'll soon be able to make up your own little table for the powders and charges you use... then you'll be spot on every time.
Yep, I have used a sharpy to draw two lines on my hopper. One is the "fill-to" line and the other is the "time-to-refill" line.
Good to know about the larger auto disk cavities aligning all the way over the drop hole. I do plan to start reloading rifle rounds down the road, and have already bought the double-disk kit, but for now just .45 auto since it is (relatively) straightforward and low-pressure.
I agree overall it seems like a good effective, simple design. My last batch, all 5.1 gr, with the occasional 5.2 readout, but I don't think it is even fluctuating 0.1gr, I think it is just somewhere in between, because when it reads 5.2gr, if I remove just a few flakes, it goes back to 5.1gr. So it must be right on the cusp, which leads me to believe that my throws are even more consistent than I thought. No doubt the graphite rubbing off on the inner parts and smoothing it up help, and less static cling too.
Good advice about the log for various cavity volumes, powders, and charge weights that it throws. I am somewhat OCD with my spreadsheet "log book" so that I can always refer back to it. But for now, I am pretty happy with this little recipe, until I run out of the Berry's and switch over to the lead bullets I have on hand.
Good to know about the larger auto disk cavities aligning all the way over the drop hole. I do plan to start reloading rifle rounds down the road, and have already bought the double-disk kit, but for now just .45 auto since it is (relatively) straightforward and low-pressure.
I agree overall it seems like a good effective, simple design. My last batch, all 5.1 gr, with the occasional 5.2 readout, but I don't think it is even fluctuating 0.1gr, I think it is just somewhere in between, because when it reads 5.2gr, if I remove just a few flakes, it goes back to 5.1gr. So it must be right on the cusp, which leads me to believe that my throws are even more consistent than I thought. No doubt the graphite rubbing off on the inner parts and smoothing it up help, and less static cling too.
Good advice about the log for various cavity volumes, powders, and charge weights that it throws. I am somewhat OCD with my spreadsheet "log book" so that I can always refer back to it. But for now, I am pretty happy with this little recipe, until I run out of the Berry's and switch over to the lead bullets I have on hand.
SSN Vet
Member
wrt. using the "whack-a-mole" bullet puller...
if you can tap out a 55 gr. bullet from a .223 Rem reload in one whack I'll mail you a bottle of the beer of your choice.
According to Newton, the mass of the bullet has a lot to do with it
if you can tap out a 55 gr. bullet from a .223 Rem reload in one whack I'll mail you a bottle of the beer of your choice.
According to Newton, the mass of the bullet has a lot to do with it
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