On to the 30 Carbine!

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On to the 30 Carbine!

Post by Ranch Dog »

After setting up seven pistol shell plates and turrets for pistol cartridges on the Load-Master, I moved on to the remainder of my rifle cartridges. I set up the 7.62x39 late last year or early this year on a stand-alone Load-Master and just finished the setup and batches of loads with the 218 Bee, 25-20 Win, and 32-20 Win. Now its the 30 Carbine's turn and this will involve using the Load-Master for load work as I move from the Hornady 110-grain RNSP to the NOE 311-115-LFN GC which is a clone of the Lee C309-113-F with a little more diameter to the body.

For rifle turret setup, based on my experience, I use a bullet seating die without the seating plug in station #2. With pistol cartridges, I use a sizing die with the decapper removed; however, with the extra length of rifle cartridges and the lack of carbide dies, that doesn't work out well as there is too much drag on the case without relubing the cases before the ammo run. The bullet seating die provides case alignment and stability without affecting the shoulder or neck. I set it up as I would if it were going to seat a bullet, one turn or more off shell plate contact (one full turn of any Lee die moves it a distance of .071") so that it does not crimp the mouth. My belief is that a sizing or seating die holds downward pressure on the case in the shell holder long before the Primer Rocker Arm makes contact with the 1/4-20 Screw (bolt) initiates primer movement

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So for my setup, acquiring a second die body is an additional expense brought on by the Load-Master, but the positive priming I'm have experienced this year is worth both this effort as is beveling the primer pocket mouth with a crimp remover on every single case that enters the shell plate. Out of approximately 1,500 rounds of ammunition loaded setting up the Load-Masters this year I have not experienced a single missed or upset primer. I don't fret over priming anymore and don't need a camera or a light as I know that every case has been primed through the feel of the press.

You can get a complete sizing die through Lee Precision, in most case you must call them unless they are listed on this page. I mentioned that I use a sizing die with the pistol turrets, carbide sizing dies are listed here. If you want to go a bit cheaper, Lee will sell you the die body only, but you must call. If you don't want to call and want to go a few bucks less, look at FSReloading as they carry most of the die bodies were other dealers don't. The older die instructions have the part number of the bodies listed, sizing start with SD and seating with SB, but the new instructions don't. FS has a good search engine, search cartridge name along with seating or sizing body and it should pull it up.
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Re: On to the 30 Carbine!

Post by daboone »

Ranch Dog wrote: You can get a complete sizing die through Lee Precision, in most case you must call them unless they are listed on this page. I mentioned that I use a sizing die with the pistol turrets, carbide sizing dies are listed here. If you want to go a bit cheaper, Lee will sell you the die body only, but you must call. If you don't want to call and want to go a few bucks less, look at FSReloading as they carry most of the die bodies were other dealers don't. The older die instructions have the part number of the bodies listed, sizing start with SD and seating with SB, but the new instructions don't. FS has a good search engine, search cartridge name along with seating or sizing body and it should pull it up.
Thanks for posting this helpful info. :t
An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out.

When setting a job up for myself it must be Idiot Proof as well, as I am a bigger idiot than most people I know, and I prove it to myself everyday.
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Re: On to the 30 Carbine!

Post by Ranch Dog »

You're welcome daboone.
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Re: On to the 30 Carbine!

Post by Ranch Dog »

Since I last posted, been consumed by time spent in the cab of a tractor. Finally got some time to get everything settled and checked, all five stations so it is now on to the brass press.
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Re: On to the 30 Carbine!

Post by Ranch Dog »

Tractor and field time still consuming most of the time I have for the reloading room, but I finally have two incremental loads and then one for evaluation load for my Universal 30 Cal Carbine.

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Not much to it, but a first for me in that I did that the evaluation loads were completely entirely on the Load-Master. I've not done that before; I normally would have used the turret. All the features of the progressive were used, including the bullet feeder, the only thing that was different was the Lee powder funnel was mounted on the Powder Through Expander die and the charges were dropped with the Deluxe Perfect Powder Measure.

Below is what I think my inventory load will be, the five cartridges in line above. I didn't load up many nor cast but a few anytime I'm working with a new design. Lessons learned to make sure it is going to work before all the effort is put into the project trying to make it work! I only cast about 25 bullets.

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Re: On to the 30 Carbine!

Post by Ranch Dog »

I did the initial shooting with the NOE 311-122-FN GC yesterday. Prior to that, I spent 3 hours out in the near 100º temperature so I was not too excited about going up to the range. Honestly, after setting up the target cam and Labradar. I shot that little carbine as fast as it would shoot those cartridges.

The two incremental loads shot well but the max load will work out well. This was at 50 yards, as fast as I could shoot. When I saw the flyer, the third shot, I knew I had done that.

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Here are the Labradar results. They have an app now so my phone has both the target image and the velocity display.

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Exactly like my 32-20 Win. In fact, they look very close to each other!

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I haven't done much with the Carbine in the last twenty years but going through my tools I found the MRC die body that could be used with the other components of any 30 caliber Lee Loader.

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