Lyman Tru-Line Jr.

[teamuc]

I am about to resurect dads old Tru-line Jr. press to set up at my apt. I just ordered a replacement turret that uses the standard size die. I will mainly be reloading .223 for the range (maybe 300-500 a month) So I have a few questions. I did try to search but not sure what to search for.

1. What brand of dies should I get? 2 die, 3 die etc?
2. what accessories/tools should I have on hand?
3. scales, tumblers, seperators. Whats good and resonably priced?

I think thats all for now, This is a work in progress so not looking to jump right in. I just want to make sure I have everything I need when I am ready.

Thanks for any help

Andy

[williejc]

If I remember correctly, this press is not robust and may not be suitable for full length resizing rifle cases. I have and have had the smaller die sets for bottle-neck rifle cases to be used in the Tru-Line Jr--with the turret that you replaced. These same die sets were originally designed for the Lyman nutcracker type hand tools. In rifle calibers they were made for neck sizing only. Even in pistol calibers these dies partially resized the case just enough to provide tension for holding the bullet and reducing case diameter enough for chambering.

Your press was designed to use the dies described. Although you can reload great pistol ammo with it, you may discover that the press falls short on mechanical advantage and rigidity for any rifle reloading that would require full length resizing. An example would be loading .223 ammo for an AR.


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[teamuc]

Thanks for the response! I did do a little more research on the press after posting and found that it is not suited for the full length resizing die. But it should work fine for the rest of them. I think to get around this I will find a (used but good) single stage press to put the one in and use the tru line for the rest. Any suggetions on type/brand of dies and accesories/tools that I should have on hand?

Thanks

Andy

[MarshallDodge]

Book: ABC's of Reloading.
http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloading...3571562&sr=8-1

Cleaning: Tumbler or use a liquid case cleaner (there are simple recipes on the web if you want to make your own.

Sizing: I started out loading 223 with a RCBS 2-die set. Now I use a Dillon carbide size die, you still have to lube but it makes the job easier. RCBS, Dillon, and Hornady make good dies. Lee is OK. You will have to lube your cases. I use a spray on lube from MidwayUSA.

Trimming: Rifle cases stretch a little when you size them so you will need a trimmer. I use the Lee trimmer kits with an electric drill. They are not the best for huge quantities but better than the the benchtop hand crank deals and a kit will cost about $10.

Case gauge: An absolute must. Dillon has them: http://www.dillonprecision.com/conte...fle_Case_Gages

You should also pick up a pair of precision calipers to measure the Overall Length (OAL) of the case and the loaded ammo.

Priming: I am not sure if that Lyman has a priming setup in it. If not, the Lee hand primer works well. If you are loading military brass, they have a crimped primer. You will need to remove the primer and then trim or swage the excess brass so the new primer will fit. Dillon makes a neat little press to do this but it's pricey, Hornady makes a little hand tool to do the job: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct...tnumber=501588

Powder scale: Electronic is great but if your budget can't afford it then an RCBS 505 is a nice unit.

Powder measure: If your setup does not have one then I would probably go with the Hornady.

[teamuc]

Thanks, I think I am starting to get the picture. What about the RCBS X-Dies(?) I think they might eliminate the need to trim as much? II was not able to find much on them other than the one viedo on thier site.

Thanks

Andy

[SpinRC]

+1 On MarshallDodge's recommendations especially getting the Lee trimmer kit.

I use the RCBS 505 scale and it has served me well. If you are going to be loading on a single stage press then you might not need a powder measure right away, the Lee scoops work fine at first. If you will be using a ball powder like H335, or Bl-C2 then a powder measure such as the RCBS uniflow works great, but the extruded powders don't meter well through it.

If you are loading for an AR and your bullets have a cannalure I recommend the Lee factory crimp die. The crimp helps if you are doing a lot of rapid fire, just do not crimp bullets without the cannalure the crimp die really messes up the Jacket.

A powder measure and an electronic scale will help to speed things up once you get the hang of it. Just make sure you get into a pattern because consistency is a big part of reloading reliable accurate ammo.

[teamuc]

Still new at this could you elaberate what the "cannalure" is? Is that on the bullet or the case?

Thanks

Andy

[SpinRC]

A cannalure is on the bullet. It is a groove that runs around the circumference of the bullet that you crimp the end of the brass case into. this helps to hold the bullet firmly in place. Recoil can some times cause a bullet to get pushed back into the brass case. This only affects bullets in the magazine and with bolt actions it's not much of an issue because the bullet at the bottom of the magazine only gets jostled by the recoil 4-5 times. With an AR the last cartridge is getting pounded 29 times and the bullet might get moved back in the case, which will detract from accuracy and can sometimes cause problems feeding.

Sierra Matchkings don't have a cannalure. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...ber=1482256626

The Hornady 55gr Fmj does. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...ber=1165165907

[teamuc]

Thanks, After posting I was looking at some of my factory ammo and saw the grooves. I figured that was what you were talking about.

Everyone has been a great help! Keep the tips and suggetions rolling!

Thanks

Andy