Most efficient cartridge loadings

[Ron3]

The 303 Savage will be a challenge because it may be difficult to find dies and cases.

I would also say that maximum loads are NOT your friend when it comes to learning to load for any rifle and that goes double for loading an obsolete cartride to fire in an antique rifle.

Andy

I've already found new dies and new cases. Didnt buy any, though. (About 84 cents each IIRC)

[markm]

I mostly use Dillon dies… what problems did you have with Lee and RCBS?

My only issue with LEE is that they're cheaply made. They don't cost much at all, and they do very good things, but they wear out. (collets get stuck, etc)

[1168]

My only issue with LEE is that they're cheaply made. They don't cost much at all, and they do very good things, but they wear out. (collets get stuck, etc)

Roger. Thanks; I just obtained a 223 LFCD, so I’ll keep an eye on the collet.

[markm]

Roger. Thanks; I just obtained a 223 LFCD, so I’ll keep an eye on the collet.

I run the piss out of my LEE dies, so I put a little of that Aeroshell grease where the collet rubs the cone to actuate the "squeeze". I've had the collet stick in the closed position, so I regularly make sure it's loose by twisting it a little from the underside (the part that touches the shell holder)

For what it's worth, my Forster (maybe) competition/adjustable seating die sticks too. That's in the dillon tool head with the LEE FCD too. They both get a high volume of use.

[Bimmer]

Just use Trail Boss, problem solved! HA!

No joke... Hodgdon condones this, and there are guys shooting subsonic .223, .30-06, or whatever using TrailBoss.

Just fill the case to about 70% as a starting load and go from there.

I mostly use Dillon dies… what problems did you have with Lee and RCBS?

I started loading 7.63 Mauser with a set of second-hand Lee dies, and I could never get the seating die to set bullets straight, and I couldn't ever get the crimp die to work at all.
It could be that I'm retarded or that the dies were already screwed up, but a set of RCBS dies were stupid-simple to set up and are making great ammo.

(Unfortunately, Dillon doesn't make dies for 7.63 Mauser or Tokarev, though I was tempted to try to make my .30 Carbine dies work...)


RCBS dies are OK (see above), but Dillon's ingenious system whereby you can pull a pin and pop out the seating and crimping inserts to clean them is (for me) totally worth buying Dillon dies and selling all my RCBS dies ('cept 7.63 Mauser, see above). Since I load a lot of cast bullets for handguns, this is key...

If there's one thing (only one) that I don't like about Dillon's dies (at least the pistol dies), it's that the primer removal pin in the sizing die can't be adjusted down far enough (relative to the sizing die) to reliably pop out spent primers without also really doing an excessive sizing job. I shoot virtually all very light loads in Glocks, so I don't need my spent cases mashed all the way back to SAAMI-spec...

[1168]

RCBS dies are OK (see above), but Dillon's ingenious system whereby you can pull a pin and pop out the seating and crimping inserts to clean them is (for me) totally worth buying Dillon dies and selling all my RCBS dies ('cept 7.63 Mauser, see above). Since I load a lot of cast bullets for handguns, this is key...

If there's one thing (only one) that I don't like about Dillon's dies (at least the pistol dies), it's that the primer removal pin in the sizing die can't be adjusted down far enough (relative to the sizing die) to reliably pop out spent primers without also really doing an excessive sizing job. I shoot virtually all very light loads in Glocks, so I don't need my spent cases mashed all the way back to SAAMI-spec...

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I load mostly powdercoat for the Glocks and such. Prolly not as yucky as cowboy bullets, but cleanability is nice. My Dillon 9mm die does seem to size them a bit much. I’m working on getting the 750 to stop shaving small bits of powdercoat, and I’m tempted to look into that as a contributing factor.

[Bimmer]

I’m working on getting the 750 to stop shaving small bits of powdercoat, and I’m tempted to look into that as a contributing factor.

You're not belling your cases enough...

Lower the powder die until the bell is obvious and you can stick a bullet 1/16" into the case, and you'll stop shaving lead or powdercoat.

Yeah, it'll make your cases split sooner, but 9mm cases are about as common as grains of sand, anyway...

[1168]

You're not belling your cases enough...

Lower the powder die until the bell is obvious and you can stick a bullet 1/16" into the case, and you'll stop shaving lead or powdercoat.

Yeah, it'll make your cases split sooner, but 9mm cases are about as common as grains of sand, anyway...

Yeah, it mostly goes away if I bell the crap out of them.

[Bimmer]

Yeah, it mostly goes away if I bell the crap out of them.

"Mostly" is all you can hope for...

I don't trim handgun cases, so they vary in length, and I'm shooting all kinds of mixed brass, so some are presumably more springy than others, so how much they're belled (or stay belled) varies a lot.

Also, of course, sometimes I don't place the bullet just right as I crank the press... Then I still get a bit of shaving. No big deal.

[1168]

"Mostly" is all you can hope for...

I don't trim handgun cases, so they vary in length, and I'm shooting all kinds of mixed brass, so some are presumably more springy than others, so how much they're belled (or stay belled) varies a lot.

Also, of course, sometimes I don't place the bullet just right as I crank the press... Then I still get a bit of shaving. No big deal.

I also don’t trim pistol/revolver brass. I may end up separating my seating and crimping and/or trying a M die. I think the M die might be less sensitive to case length. Either will eat a toolhead spot, so I’ve been reluctant.

Edit: I just realized I’m way off the original topic. Sorry for the derail.