I love how Lee Comes Togther
Posted: 13 Dec 2020 03:31
It was past time to reload for my 303 British Scout; the hogs had run me out of ammo. With all my reloading, Turret or Load-Master, I'm leaving turrets setup, Auto-Drums identified, everything ready to go. I just put the turret and shell holder on the press, add primers to the tray, add the drum to the Auto Drum and charge the bottle with powder.
Last week, I decapped the brass with the APP. It took a minute or so, then dumped it in the tumbler with Lyman Corn Cob Plus. After the timer tripped, I ran the brass through the Lyman Prep Center; primer pocket check/conditioning, trim length with a Lee Case Trimmer on the Prep Center, and then the case mouth deburring in and out. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes?
The actual reloading took about 30 minutes from setup thorough cleanup. The first charge was spot on, checking it every five rounds along with the overall length. After twenty rounds, moved the check out to every 10 rounds. On the Merry Go Around, I size using the Collet Die, Auto Drum on Rifle Charging Die (Long), Bullet Seating Die, and Factory Crimp Die.
On all my forty-some different cartridges, all my load work is long done. My reloading is simply ammunition production. It is always neat to see how consistent the Lee tools come back together to deliver ammunition that is spot on!
I did have a couple of cases collapse as they entered the collet die. Butter smooth going in had no idea they folded up until they came out. This is the seventh reload on these cases, twice as far as I've ever got. I think what happened is the shoulder radius is getting rather as the brass flows up and the neck thickness increasing. In the trouble cases, I can tell that the neck was binding between the mandrel and collet as they mated. The necks probably need to be turned. I have the tools but stopped doing it two decades ago. I don't think the work is worth the energy to do it. 100% of this ammunition will be shot in the field at hogs, the cases will remain where they fall.
Last week, I decapped the brass with the APP. It took a minute or so, then dumped it in the tumbler with Lyman Corn Cob Plus. After the timer tripped, I ran the brass through the Lyman Prep Center; primer pocket check/conditioning, trim length with a Lee Case Trimmer on the Prep Center, and then the case mouth deburring in and out. Maybe 15 or 20 minutes?
The actual reloading took about 30 minutes from setup thorough cleanup. The first charge was spot on, checking it every five rounds along with the overall length. After twenty rounds, moved the check out to every 10 rounds. On the Merry Go Around, I size using the Collet Die, Auto Drum on Rifle Charging Die (Long), Bullet Seating Die, and Factory Crimp Die.
On all my forty-some different cartridges, all my load work is long done. My reloading is simply ammunition production. It is always neat to see how consistent the Lee tools come back together to deliver ammunition that is spot on!
I did have a couple of cases collapse as they entered the collet die. Butter smooth going in had no idea they folded up until they came out. This is the seventh reload on these cases, twice as far as I've ever got. I think what happened is the shoulder radius is getting rather as the brass flows up and the neck thickness increasing. In the trouble cases, I can tell that the neck was binding between the mandrel and collet as they mated. The necks probably need to be turned. I have the tools but stopped doing it two decades ago. I don't think the work is worth the energy to do it. 100% of this ammunition will be shot in the field at hogs, the cases will remain where they fall.