Advice needed to start my reloading addictin

[Bowers]

I got my dies and trimmer in today finally. I set my dies up per the instructions and started. i lubed 20 cases and full length sized and deprimed them. that went pretty smooth, i did notice a little tool mark about a 1/4 inch below the shoulder, barely can be felt with fingernail, making a circle around the case. Is that normal? seems more cosmetic to me. also after trimming, deburring and chamfering it i can feel a lip on outside of the mouth, is that normal, i beleive it would come off very easy with 00 steel wool. i had to go to work and had to stop for now.

[davemuzz]

I got my dies and trimmer in today finally. I set my dies up per the instructions and started. i lubed 20 cases and full length sized and deprimed them. that went pretty smooth, i did notice a little tool mark about a 1/4 inch below the shoulder, barely can be felt with fingernail, making a circle around the case. Is that normal? seems more cosmetic to me.

That doesn't seem normal to me. You probably posted this….but I'll ask again….why brand of dies did you buy? Also….can you post a picture of this tool mark?


after trimming, deburring and chamfering it i can feel a lip on outside of the mouth, is that normal, i beleive it would come off very easy with 00 steel wool. i had to go to work and had to stop for now.

Hmmmm…..where do you feel this lip? Is it right on the edge of the case mouth? Again, a pic would be very helpful here. But a lip? When you trim your not "pressing" to hard on the cutting tool to create this lip are you? You know….forcing or pushing the brass out?

Dave

[Cold Trigger Finger]

Sounds like your on your way. I recommend a fairly religious use of safety glasses. !
I'm a great fan of Lee diesbut own most brands in 1 caliber or more.
The 308 has so much data available for it that you can almost find it in the newspaper. . I am loading Rl15 for my wife's 308. But that's because I horde my Varget for my 6.5 Creedmoor.

Reloading is very addictive. I don't own a rim fire that I shoot. Can't reload it.

[Bowers]

That doesn't seem normal to me. You probably posted this….but I'll ask again….why brand of dies did you buy? Also….can you post a picture of this tool mark?



Hmmmm…..where do you feel this lip? Is it right on the edge of the case mouth? Again, a pic would be very helpful here. But a lip? When you trim your not "pressing" to hard on the cutting tool to create this lip are you? You know….forcing or pushing the brass out?

Dave

Pics coming in a bit. The dies are Lee Delux 3 piece set. I can barely feel it with fingernail, and cant with my fingertip. The tip of the mouth i believe i just didnt deburr properly, and went to deep.

[Bowers]

That doesn't seem normal to me. You probably posted this….but I'll ask again….why brand of dies did you buy? Also….can you post a picture of this tool mark?



Hmmmm…..where do you feel this lip? Is it right on the edge of the case mouth? Again, a pic would be very helpful here. But a lip? When you trim your not "pressing" to hard on the cutting tool to create this lip are you? You know….forcing or pushing the brass out?

Dave

Best pic i could get for now.

http://imageshack.com/a/img593/6971/56y9.jpg (http://imageshack.com/i/gh56y9j)Uploaded with ImageShack.com (http://imageshack.com)

[Bowers]

http://imageshack.com/a/img845/7392/ximj.jpg (http://imageshack.com/i/nhximjj)Uploaded with ImageShack.com (http://imageshack.com)

another

[Bowers]

i took measurments of these 3 cases. Everything seems close to what i should expect.

Inside the mouth is .307
Neck diameter is .336
Case diameter below shoulder is .453
Case diameter at bottom is .468
Case oal is 2.010

[missed]

What lube are you using on the cases?

What's the Plc for in the back ground?

[Bowers]

What lube are you using on the cases?

What's the Plc for in the back ground?

Im useing Lee case lube, it came with my press kit. i plan on changing it.

The PLC goes to either a tester or endformer at my job. Im a maintenance/Tech support there. We make the A/C tubing componets for multiple Automative companies.

[Bowers]

great news. came home after work. set my dies up again. decided to put less lube on my cases and the problem has seemed to go away, i did look threw the other cases and it seemd like it got better after 10-15. they may been a burr up in the die and got worked out. i will update if it comes back. I did email Lee about the issue earlier.

[davemuzz]

The tool mark should not be there. Make sure you have cleaned your dies inside with a bore solvent to remove any die coating. Then, I would re-read the install instructions and just make sure your dies are installed correctly. (And if your getting the right measurements….it would seem they are)

If you still get the ring, then call Lee and tell them what you are getting on your brass. Send them the pics. They should send you a new die.

Dave

[missed]

Yeah what Dave said about cleaning the dies out, I really like the lee lube myself.

I saw the ab box and was curious

[big norm]

You will come out cheaper by the time you add hazmat fees to your purchase!

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk

[bythebook]

The marks on the shoulder of the 3 cases look like you had too much lube on them and it will make marks like that. Also when you lube just put it on the neck and body of the case, none on the shoulders. I have used many lubes over the years and I have been using Imperial wax and like it a lot.


I have had to polish the inside of Lee dies some times with 0000 steel wool on a rod in a drill to get rid of tool marks.

[DanSavage]

Just send Lee an E-mail and they will send you another one. Quality control has slipped with a lot of manufacturers in the firearms world because of high demand. Lee customer service is great.

[Bowers]

The marks on the shoulder of the 3 cases look like you had too much lube on them and it will make marks like that. Also when you lube just put it on the neck and body of the case, none on the shoulders. I have used many lubes over the years and I have been using Imperial wax and like it a lot.


I have had to polish the inside of Lee dies some times with 0000 steel wool on a rod in a drill to get rid of tool marks.


i got to thinking. if the ring was from the lube, wouldnt it have more of a smooth edge on the ring. it felt more like a cut or crimp. If our master machinist is at work tonight i will have him to look at it, and see what he thinks too.

thanks

[bythebook]

I was looking at what looks like a mark up on the shoulder, that may be a reflection. The ring looks like a defect or something in the die.

[stangfish]

Just a thought. If there was a defect would it not be longer than just in one spot. Ever look at the marks a dirty die makes on brass? Long scratches. A ring like that with nothing leading up to it is add no doubt.

[Bowers]

Finally got time to make a few rounds. I had primerd about 50 rounds a few days back. I started tonight with 42.3gr Varget and using the 150 grain FMJ's. I found some of the FMJ's to have chips in them as I removed them from the bag, so I sorted and continued. I double checked my info, and the chart said for me to seat them a min OAL at 2.800 and 2.810 max, I got my bullet die out and set up to the instructions, I grabbed some of the brass with the rings in them to use as a "dummy" round and set a bullet, It turned out around 2.600, way deep. I made the proper adjustments and finally got them to set around 2.803. feeling comfortable I got my charged rounds and set a few and checked the OAL as I went, Then I started getting a few that set deeper about 2.785 OAL," I removed them" and maybe 2 that was about the max. I started measuring each FMJ bullet out of the bag before loading and found them to vary in length, about .015 difference, that's when I stopped everything. I'm not certain as how that would make different OAL because it seems it should still compress if they where longer and the remaining would remain out to make the OAL, unless the compression is pushing it back out. Tomorrow I'm going to try and purchase some Sierra Game Kings or SMK's and try them. And see how they turn out. I am almost certain I completed every step correct, and I triple checked everything as I went. I did end up with about 10 complete rounds that I feel to be in good condition. They cycled in my action and etc without firing them. But I just don't know if I even want to shoot them since I wont continue to reload any like that.

Do any of you guys have any ideas of what would be going wrong here? hopefully its just the bullets I bought, and will resolve on its own.

[fla9-40]

You will get different COL by measuring from the tip of a bullet. I would recommend you get a bullet comparator and set your COL with this.
Now on the other had, bullets will have different ogive in the same batch so the COL might be off by as much as .015± so to get it as near as possible you would have to measure each bullet with the comparator and sort them appropriately. But if your not shooting in a $1mill match or seating close/on the lands, I don't see you need to be this anal!
This tool will also work great to get a measurement of where that particular bullet is seating on the lands.


Here is the Hornady bullet comparator at Natchez
Read the product description on this one:

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=PCB234&src=exrbSrch

And the more expensive one:
http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=PCB14&src=exrbSrch