Reloading tips and tricks

I see on alot of forums, a sticky used for a place to share your tips and tricks to help everyone out a bit.

Now, I am about as green as they come when it comes to reloading, but being a mechanic, I am always keeping my eyes open for ways to make the job easier. Feel free to add your thoughts to the list.

When loading cast bullets, what do you guys use to clean the lead peelings up when you seat the bullet?

I found that a microfiber cloth works pretty well for cleaning the lube off the case and bullet. just a couple of twist, and the cloth grabs the wax and cleans everything up pretty well.

For you LEE loaders:

Two words.. Charge bar. I ordered mine a few weeks ago, and I am impressed. Never have to change out another disk, and you can fine tune your charges.

Also, the little square socket that rides on the center bar would not catch every time. I made mine spring loaded. Now I run all day, and it works every time.

Add yours to the list.

Paul

If you expand your case properly and your boolits are sized right...there should NOT be any "lead peelings"

How's that for a tip

Taper crimp is more prown to peeling especially if you seat an crimp in the same die

Sorry, that is bullet lube, not case lube.
Also, I am trying to keep the case expantion to a minimum. I hear this shortens the life to open them up too much.

Like I said, I am pretty green at this, but determined.

Paul

I've been using a Lee single stage press with Lee dies and have not had any lead "shavings".

Another thing that can cause lead shavings is trying to seat and crimp (roll or taper) in the same die. These should be 2 separate steps.

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Well crap, I guess I just have fat bullets.

Paul

What size mold did you use?

my mold sized to .452

that tumble lube 45 mold you have.. its the lube groove version of it

I will get some measurements of how large I am belling the case mouth this evening. I may not be making it large enough. Works well for jacketed bullets.

Paul

paul if im not mistaken if you are using a lee they seat and crimp in the same die.. you could put a bell the size of a tuba on the end of your case and not make much of a difference. The only way i could think to avoid this would be set it to seat only and crimp on a single stage = (

Now I see. Somewhere in my research when I was kicking around the idea of reloading, I read somewhere almost as if it where in all caps. DO NOT FLAIR THE CASE MOUTH TOO MUCH. I took this to heart. I increased the flair just a bit, and things are much smoother now. I was cramming the poor bullet into the case.

Also, the Lee bullet seater die does not crimp. At least not my set, so all is good.

See, this thread is helping already. Me anyway.

THanks guys.

Paul

In my quest for the perfect 38 I have noticed nickel cases are more prown to cracking at the mouth than brass

Jacketed bullets will work with less bell because they are harder than lead. Lead bullets require a little more bell.

If you are trying to roll crimp a lead bullet outside the crimp groove, that can cause shaving.

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Well, after making these adjustments, I took a little time and loaded up about 100 9mm's tonight. Much better, and a hell of alot easier.

Paul

See - Told ya

Congrats - Its a reloading rite of passage...we've all been there and done it too

With 11,000 post, I am sure some of it is good advise.

Thank you,

Paul