Reloading problem

[enfield303t]

The biggest waste of money is buying poor quality reloading equipment. I use RCBS or Hornady dies and they are well worth the money. Both companies are famous for great service if you ever need replacement parts which is very important.

I also use a Dillon D-Terminator powder scale and believe me it is well worth the money.

I measure every load individually and reset the zero on the scale every five loads.

You really can't be too careful.

[gunner]

I use the Hornady die set and haven´t had any problem. It is normal to get a bulb at the neck base and i full-size the cases every 5th reloading cycle. Using PRVI cases makes all easier because they have a longer life and no tendency to break at the bottom.

[Patrick Chadwick]

The Lee dies annoy me. It is often just not possible to get enough grip on the collet to hold the decapping rod in position. Up goes the case into the die, down comes the case - and the rod is stuck in the neck, having been pulled through the collet clamp. This spoils your evening quite thoroughly.

After trying to roughen the rod, to get more friction (didn't work), I tried cutting a screw thread on the rods and putting a nut on the top of the assembly, but the rods are hardly long enough. Now I just decap separately.

Patrick

[TDH]

I have found, and this is just me of course, that each brand has it's own problem with decapping pins. The worst set of dies I had were Hornaday New Demension but that was because of the seating die and they were 7.62x39. RCBS and Lyman each use a different type pin and they are eacy to change,and break. check the lock nut on the decap pin often or tight or they will break. I have changed the pins on a Lee and it is a real pain but 2 ton epoxy holds them in.
When the rare stuck case happens I've found the Lee a lot easier to use to knock it out using the straight Lee decapping rod.

[vintage hunter]

Patrick, sounds like you have a rough expander or else not enough lube is being applied to the inside of the case neck. I've only had this problem with one set of Lee dies. My remedy was to drill/tap a hole in the locking nut for a cup point set screw then file a small flat on the rod so the set screw can get a good bite and that solved it.

[Syl]

I just used the Lee Deluxe Die Set after seven Cases resized, the inner part of the Resizer Die got stuck in the case! Could not pull it out, so had to hammer it out. Now the inner bit is bent. Any idea why this happened? I used the Lee Lubricant, did I use enough? .303 Rifle

---------- Post added at 11:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:50 AM ----------

What is a straight Lee decapping rod???

---------- Post added at 11:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 AM ----------

What is a straight Lee decapping rod???

[browningautorifle]

If a cases get stuck it tends to be a lack of lube. I don't know why people want to hammer on their dies. Get the RCBS stuck case removing set and there will be no hammering or damage to your dies. Better yet, just a bit more lube.

[TDH]

On Lee decap rods the pin is a press fit. They can be changed if bent or broke but it is a royal pain. They really weren't designed to be changed just replaced.

BAR I've got a RCBS stuck case remover and the last stuck case I had it didn't work on. So it was back to the brass hammer and direct force.

[win308]

.303 rifles often have an oversized chamber...not headspace wise, but across the base of the brass.....at the widest part of the case. When a round is fired the brass expands to fill the chamber. Brass is rarely 100% uniform in case wall thickness. so the thinest part of the case wall expands more than the thicker parts...leaving a small buldge in the side of the case toward the back of the round. Neck sizing does not address this buldge so you are attempting to push a somewhat oval case into a round chamber. You have to full length resize to bring the brass back to a round dimension to get it to chamber. This is like bending a coat hanger back and forth several times until it breaks. The brass, expanding upon firing, then shrinking upon sizing, is being worked just like the coat hanger....i.e. it soon cracks after just a few reloads and the brass is ruined and the chamber is gas cut at the crack by the burning powder gasses. Re-loading for rifles with generous chambers gets to be frustrating in a hurrry.

[shop tom]

I have a Lee decapping die. I works for all of my cases and I decap them before cleaning. Most of my die sets are RCBS. I removed the decapping pin in those, one less thing to worry about since the cases are already primerless.

I have found that Lee dies have a lot of garbage in them when new. I take time to clean them (and all others) before first use. Didn't do that once scratched the heck out of some 8x56r cases (Lee dies) before I caught on.

tom