Observations of a noob reloader

mac1911

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I am new to metalic reloading and have made a few observations[thinking]

1. If you do not have readily available tap and dies nuts and bolts ORDER a stuck case removeing kit with your loader/dies----I have plenty of taps and dies thank god.
@ random I have been getting .223/5.56 cases stuck PITA

2. DO NOT clean your dies with break clean then go get a drink, answer the phone, talk milsurp rifles with your buddy for eva then go back to them several hours later......my new pistol dies have a nice petina now. THANK the reloading gods it only was on the outside.

3. dont forget to order shell holders if your die set does not come with them[angry]
OK so I did this a few times!!!! finally got a "set" that should cover all I will be doing
 
1) I have never ever had to use anything like a tap and die set to get anything working again with reloading. I have Lee dies and Dillon dies. Oh, the few RCBS dies get used when I have to. BUT, I never get anything stuck in them. The couple of times I have had a student get a piece of brass stuck were BOTH in Lee dies. For those, you loosen the collet holding the knock out pin, and remove the collet. You then whack the top of the knock out pin with a ball peen hammer, and the brass comes right out of the die! Replace the collet, and set the pin, and tighten the collet. You're back in biz!

2) Die sets only need a light coating of oil to keep them from rusting. Blow dust out with compressed air, and occasionally clean the insides with a swab with some 100% isopropal alcohol (gas line antifreeze) to remove residue.

3) NEW sets of dies come with shell holders. Buy ONLY new die sets.

Three reasons to only buy new: First, you will get shell holders. Second, you never know how scratched the insides of a used set would be. Third, the used sets sell for as much as a new set anyways. For a couple of bucks, why not get NEW, and not worry about these reasons?

I am new to metalic reloading and have made a few observations[thinking]

1. If you do not have readily available tap and dies nuts and bolts ORDER a stuck case removeing kit with your loader/dies----I have plenty of taps and dies thank god.
@ random I have been getting .223/5.56 cases stuck PITA

2. DO NOT clean your dies with break clean then go get a drink, answer the phone, talk milsurp rifles with your buddy for eva then go back to them several hours later......my new pistol dies have a nice petina now. THANK the reloading gods it only was on the outside.

3. dont forget to order shell holders if your die set does not come with them[angry]
OK so I did this a few times!!!! finally got a "set" that should cover all I will be doing
 
I am new to metalic reloading and have made a few observations[thinking]

1. If you do not have readily available tap and dies nuts and bolts ORDER a stuck case removeing kit with your loader/dies----I have plenty of taps and dies thank god.
@ random I have been getting .223/5.56 cases stuck PITA

Stop using Hornady "One Shot" case lube... [smile][smile][smile]
 
Duke,
New Hornady dies do not come with shell holders, none that I have purchased anyway.
2nd I tried to push/whack/press out the stuck case as you described Duke and only proceded to bend the nock out pin.

I have purchased both 30-06 and .223 dies new. The only dies I purchased used where pistol and have had 0 issues with the pistol dies or 30-06

As far as the stuck shells in the .223 Im thinking a while back I was shooting with my friend who has a .223 AK variant and possibly has a loose chamber???. I or he may have tossed some cases in my empty case bucket at the range. I am going to mic the remaining 50 cases I have and ditch anything that seems to be to big.



Fun fun learn learn

as far as the hornady one shot it was flawless with the 500 30-06 HXP cases not one stuck. I do have only a small amount left of the hornady spray lube.

Now duke your way to remove a stuck case might work but Im pretty sure that goes against the directions of the die makers ???
any how this is how I did it. I just made the kit myself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSzkdqM45KE

Duke I stand corrected http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piTWcqhH3No
 
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Three reasons to only buy new: First, you will get shell holders. Second, you never know how scratched the insides of a used set would be. Third, the used sets sell for as much as a new set anyways. For a couple of bucks, why not get NEW, and not worry about these reasons?

Depends on where you buy them. I got a set of barely used RCBS dies (with carbide resizer) for .45 ACP/AR for almost half the price of what they cost new.

As far as the scratches go, just open the box and look at the dies! [laugh]

-Mike
 
I've been bitten twice by Hornady one Shot. The trick to using it is to read the directions and clean the dies out. Then shake the can, spray the inside of the die, then spray the cases from three sides and make sure to get some in the neck, and then let the One Shot dry before you try and size anything.

B
 
PS the design of the new demension dies from hornady make dukes stuck case removal a no go
 
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