204 AR
Well-known member
Yes, the drill moves and the gutter spike runs the trigger.
Who still loads in the "Dark Ages" as far as equipment?
- Thread starter Hidalgo
- Start date
204AR, I had special dies made for fired brass for my Gracey Trimmer. If any trimming is needed, I do it first.
When I shot HP competition, I used to neck turn my brass and trim on a Forster case trimmer in one step. I changed out the screw which held the hand crank, replacing it with a hex headed machine screw and used my cordless drill w/socket to drive it. Since I no longer neck turn, sold the Forster and started using the Lee hand trimmer, which requires primer removal.
When loading w/the Dillon progressive, I hand deprime, trim and chamfer after each firing. Russ, I have shortened the stem on several different shell holders until an unsized case, when trimmed w/altered mandrel results in correct case length when sized. Just trim the fired case w/shortened mandrel, size and check case length, repeat as necessary to achieve proper length. While the mandrel fits unfired case neck a bit looser than designed I haven't detected any accuracy issues with this method.
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
I do the same thing my drill just hangs off the end of my bench.
Sounds like you have all you need.
When I was shooting High Power, I saw people do a kinds of things. What opened my eyes was a guy that was High Master who bought Win brass, charged it and stuffed a bullet in it. Then he just sold the brass as 1X Fired brass. He did t even run new brass through a neck sizer! If a bullet didn't fit, he just threw it in the 1x fired brass pile. He said all of that was just a waste of his time. And you know how much time we all spent on brass. One guy even had a tool he made, that had a micrometer that measured concentricity of loaded rounds, and it had a lever to apply pressure on the case neck and bullet to straighten it. I just did what I thought woukd result in consistent rounds and the rest was up to me.
Something like this one? I never did straighten those that did not make the cut, however, just sorted them out and used the best for 600 & beyond, where concentricity is most important, and the others @ 200 & 300.
I even mounted a sight base on the side of mine so it did double duty of checking my sights for repeatability.
I tried it all, sorting cases by weight, neck turning, primer pocket uniforming, etc. Gave up sorting cases first (I used GI Match brass when I could get it and M2 ball the rest of the time; Match brass is softer.), continued most until I made high master, but, while I continued the drill, somewhere along the line began to think it was more a mental crutch than an actual advantage. IDK, but I do believe that having faith that your gear and ammo is the best possible, let me concentrate on the task at hand just a bit better and shooting is primarily a mental game IMO. Ammo was good enough, left target was practice @ 100 yds. Spotter disc @ 600:
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I started with an RCBS Jr about 1966 and used it till an ex wife sold my stuff while I was out of town. Replaced it with a Rockchucker about 25 yrs ago, Rockchucker still works fine. have several old Herter dies I steal the rings to tighten the dies in the press with. Haven't used them in years as when I got them I already had other dies in the cartridges I have. Did get two new Lee neck sizing dies for a couple 243's 6 or 7 years ago. But most my neck sizing is done with FL dies. My scale is really old, old RCBS 505. My step into modern stuff would be my dial caliper. Originally I had one of the old plastic RCBS slide calipers and it seemed to work. I have this though about pretty much everything If it works for me I don't need a replacement!
It looked somewhat different. He was a precision machinist for cardiac hardware. He made his. He also made my first electric case trimmer. This was 30 years ago.
I used machine gun brass for everyday stuff, Winchester for the matches. Weighed and sorted brass and bullets. I never saw anyone shooting better scores than me, that was neck turning brass. When I went from the M14 to the AR, I had an immediate score increase. I bounced back.and forth from Expert to Master. Then needed 1 more Master to move up, but quit shooting to develope the 4H shooting sports in my county. Did that for 9 years, and saw my son bring home state championship trophies from Louisiana and Texas. It was worth it.
derbyacresbob
Well-known member
After seeing the below video on YouTube many years ago, I got me a RCBS Case Prep Center and set it up to trim brass. I really like this way of prepping the brass.
This is the only NEW WAY I use for reloading rifle ammo.
This is the only NEW WAY I use for reloading rifle ammo.
Cool; like the alteration to the Lee trimmer allowing use on RCBS case prep station. Before they came out w/the RCBS I deprime and set up the Lee trimmer in a cordless drill. Primer pocket uniformer (or blue Dillon pocket swage) is a one time operation, same as the RCBS.
I find it easier to trim & chamfer after each firing than it is to measure case length and trim only those in need of trimming; it is all accomplished in one smooth operation.
I find it easier to trim & chamfer after each firing than it is to measure case length and trim only those in need of trimming; it is all accomplished in one smooth operation.
TXCOONDOG
Well-known member
Not I Sir, I gave up muskets a long time ago. 
All kidding a side, I still use a Redding Beam scale from the 70's to weigh each powder charge and a single stage press. I use a Lee turret press for my pistol stuff. However, I do use a digital scale for weighing my cast bullets. Instead of using lube, I powder coat my casts.
I thought about a progressive press, but what would I do with the rest of my time?
All kidding a side, I still use a Redding Beam scale from the 70's to weigh each powder charge and a single stage press. I use a Lee turret press for my pistol stuff. However, I do use a digital scale for weighing my cast bullets. Instead of using lube, I powder coat my casts.
I thought about a progressive press, but what would I do with the rest of my time?
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William Suter
Active member
I have one very similar. LOL
William Suter
Active member
HM, those little Lee case trimmers are pretty handy. I have several sets. Sure makes trimming cases a bunch easier.
Yes they are! I loaded lots of 30-06 for competition. Shot out 3.5 barrels in my #1 Mod. 70 (over 26,000 rounds), another in a Garand (average life of 7500 rounds ea.) + several others well worn during the twenty some years I participated. The single stage press gave way to two Dillons and my loading procedures changed w/time. Went through a couple of different case trimmers, but found the Lee trimmer is as simple as they come and the most efficient. Easier to trim after every firing than to measure and trim only ones that need it.
My loading sequence is tumble brass, lube cases, size and decap. Next each case is trimmed, chamfered and lube rubbed off all in one step while chucked on the drill, then hand primed. Not taking full advantage of the progressive, but found the time saved by the Lee process almost made up for the extra step on the Dillon. Trimming and de-lubing cases are my least favorite steps in the loading process so the quicker I can do that, the better.
Someone posted a video using an RCBS prep station and he had altered a Lee trimmer to be driven in one station of the RCBS. That was pretty cool, but that setup was not available when I need it.
William Suter
Active member
I have a Lyman Prep center and the Lee trimmer fits it so trimming is pretty fast, and no sore arms from cranking on the old Forrester anymore.
William Suter
Active member
I started out with the old Lee reloading kits. The ones you had to knocked the primers out with a punch and mallet. Then progress to an RCBS Jr. I got really fancy and bought a second one. That was years ago. LOL, still use them today. One for sizing and the other for seating. I have a Lyman Gen 6 powder measure now but use to use the Lyman 55 for years. I also have a Lyman Prep station but about all I use it for is trimming cases and cleaning primer pockets. Still use a tumbler/media to clean my brass. I guess I'm a little old fashioned and a little modern.