Reloading help needed

**Searcher67** · June 24th, 2009, 05:31 PM

Hey all, Well I went out and bought the Lee 50th anniversary reloading kit, some powder, bullets and primers..
Now that I am home and have looked through all this stuff, I keep hearing those everlasting words of wisdom from my mom echoing through my head "Your going to shoot your eye out kid!"

I was wondering if there is some place on the forum or the net that gives me a tutorial on how to operate this rig without destroying the components, my gun or MYSELF! in this process. I have never thought I would be reloading. But here I am without a clue.

I'm not dumb I just want to see how this is done BEFORE I pull the lever or the trigger.

**MartinBrody** · June 24th, 2009, 10:09 PM

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata...tml/index.html

Lee's site has help videos, might be some there for your kit. I read the ABCs of reloading and the Lee book, I think both have pretty good instructions. I started with a lee classic kit, no press just a mallet and dies and the step by step nature of it really helped me understand the whole process. The first batch should take forever, you can never be too careful, as you continue speed will come, it took me an hour to make my first three rounds on the lee classic kit, now I fly with my single stage press.

**Searcher67** · June 24th, 2009, 10:45 PM

I went out and set up a place in my shop to work, took about an hour. Then I set to work trying to figure out all the parts and how they operate. I did find that the detent button is stuck down, so I have to see what they can do about it (the place I bought it). I deprimed some brass, watched those videos and figured out how to set the dies properly. Then I resized a few and seated the bullets (without powder or primer) so I have about 5 good looking inert shells! For some reason the first few actually compressed the brass at the neck, I think this was because I probably did not set the die right.

I think tomorrow after I see the gun shop about the press, I might load a "real" one then take it to the range and see what happens.

I've been looking around the net and I see all these danger danger things like make sure to take off all the lube, bolt pressures and the like.

I measured with a micrometer a factory round with my inert round and they are just about perfect. I'm working with .308 and from tip to primer is about the same, the roundness of the two rounds are the same.

I wish I knew someone nearby who did this, to watch me run through the process....I'm afraid to ruin something like my face....or even my precious rifle! Why did I spend this money!!!!

**Don T.** · June 25th, 2009, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by Searcher67

I went out and set up a place in my shop to work, took about an hour. Then I set to work trying to figure out all the parts and how they operate. I did find that the detent button is stuck down, so I have to see what they can do about it (the place I bought it). I deprimed some brass, watched those videos and figured out how to set the dies properly. Then I resized a few and seated the bullets (without powder or primer) so I have about 5 good looking inert shells! For some reason the first few actually compressed the brass at the neck, I think this was because I probably did not set the die right.

I think tomorrow after I see the gun shop about the press, I might load a "real" one then take it to the range and see what happens.

I've been looking around the net and I see all these danger danger things like make sure to take off all the lube, bolt pressures and the like.

I measured with a micrometer a factory round with my inert round and they are just about perfect. I'm working with .308 and from tip to primer is about the same, the roundness of the two rounds are the same.

I wish I knew someone nearby who did this, to watch me run through the process....I'm afraid to ruin something like my face....or even my precious rifle! Why did I spend this money!!!!

You figured it out. Your expander die wasn't belling the case mouth enough. It sounds like you have it adjusted now?

Make sure that you watch the overall lengths when you load them. Bullet depth affects pressure. Did you get a reloading manual with your kit? (I can't remember if I had to buy it separately.)

**briang** · June 25th, 2009, 01:36 AM

I'll give you the same advise that was given to me when I started. Don't make a single live round until you get at least one reloading manual and read and understand it cover to cover. That's how I learned, just a couple manuals and some common sense and I still have all my body parts.