New reloader

[jtaustin]

I'm reloading 300 win mag, 180 gr Nosler Accubonds, in once fired but old Speer brass, RCBS dies and press. When seating the bullet, I get small bits of copper around the edge of the case mouth. Is this normal? Will it accumulate in the seating die? Do I just swab it out?

 

[kcebcj]

No not normal. My guess is you need to chamfer the inside of the case mouth just enough to remove the sharp edge especially if just trimmed to length.

 

[Unofficial Gun Addict (UGA)]

+1 to what Jim said. Any grooves or digging into your copper are going to affect the bullets flight, especially at longer distances. It can also happen if your necks are way to tight on your brass... But that's very uncommon. If you are chamfering your case mouths and still having issues, get a rotary drill, chuck up a 3/4" socket and fill the socket with 000 or 0000 steel wool. Spin your drill up to high speed and push the mouth of the case into it for about 5 to 10 seconds. Check to see if the mouth is smooth. Seat a bullet and see what results you get.

Welcome to reloading. It can be a joy and a pain, but if you keep at it, it's very satisfying to create rounds that are devastatingly accurate out of your rifle(s). There are a lot of experienced reloaders here that will be happy to help you... But also, don't forget to search for answers because it's likely that someone else has had and asked about the issue you are having.

Good luck!

Boss

 

[tailbon3]

I have the same problem. I am using Lee reloading dies. I removed the expander from my 243 decapper/sizer die and and measured the widest part of the expander. It only measured .234". That means the brass is about .233 inside diameter. That's much too small, isn't it? How big should that expander ball be?

I've noticed the same problem with my 300 WSM loads - they always shave a bit of copper off the bullet. I have Lee and RCBS dies for the 300. I guess I'll measure both of them.

When I reassemble them, is there a trick or something to get the decapper/expander exactly in the middle of the die?

 

[Canadian Bushman]

I have the same problem. I am using Lee reloading dies. I removed the expander from my 243 decapper/sizer die and and measured the widest part of the expander. It only measured .234". That means the brass is about .233 inside diameter. That's much too small, isn't it? How big should that expander ball be?

I've noticed the same problem with my 300 WSM loads - they always shave a bit of copper off the bullet. I have Lee and RCBS dies for the 300. I guess I'll measure both of them.

When I reassemble them, is there a trick or something to get the decapper/expander exactly in the middle of the die?

Typically expanders are .001-.003" under the diameter of the bullet. Are you lube-ing the inside dia. of the case mouth when you size because that brass will wear out an expander.

Leave the expander loose. It will float and center itself.

 

[flashhole]

Are the bullets flat base bullets or bevel (boat tail) at the bottom? You might have a slightly larger diameter bullet base when compared to the bullet shaft.

Making sure you have a good bevel on the inside of the neck is good advice.

tailbon3 - I lube a case and run it up into the die before I tighten the die in the press and tighten the expander mechanism in the die. I also favor the Lee die rings with the rubber o-ring. They seem to account for slight misalignments in the system.

 

[tailbon3]

Re: New reloader - neck size

I will definitely pay more attention to the case neck lube. I used to only use a tiny bit of lube on every other case. I ordered brand new Lee EZ X pander decapper rods for 243 and 308/300wsm. I'm got bad feeling those will be too small also :-/

I use both flat and boat tail bullets. Both seem to have this same problem.

Anyone else have any problem with Lee Expander rods?

 

[7magcreedmoor]

+1 on the chamfer tip. If reloading cases for the first time, and after each trimming, you must chamfer and deburr the mouth. On the lube issue, I have been very happy with the imperial wax case lube (comes in a tin like shoe polish) and their case neck dry lube (powdered graphite) with application media. The two are easy to use, easy to clean up afterward.

 

[tailbon3]

Re: New reloader - case necks too small

I received my new expander rods from Lee. They measure .004 smaller than bullet diameter, much better than the old expanders. I also bought a Lyman 'vld' inside chamfer tool. I have prepped a bunch of cases and will post some results soon.

 

[tailbon3]

The new expander rods plus case lube fixed it. I am not getting copper shavings when I seat my bullets anymore. I also wondered how much difference air temperature makes. My reloading setup is in my unheated but insulated garage. Sometimes I reload and its only 50 degrees Fahrenheit in there. Do you all know if that is too cold to properly resize brass or something?

 

[Maztech89]

No that's not too cold. I've loaded wearing ski gloves before in 5* F temps with no problems. I just take the powder throw and scale inside since it can be setup on any table.

Did you use your VLD Deburring tool on the new loads that are coming out nice? I'm betting that was your main problem as it doesn't take much of an edge to get shavings. And yes those shavings are terrible to have in your dies and should be cleaned out well.

 

[Dosh]

tailbon3, the case lube may affect your powder if left in the cases you are loading. Clean it out before charging. 7magcreedmoor's dry neck lube will work as well and not bother the powder. Forster offers a mica neck lube system which won't affect powder also. Good luck

 

[tailbon3]

Yes, I used the VLD chamfer tool. I like it much better than the Lee tool. As for the neck lube, do you just take a clean cotton swap and wipe the inside of the neck after sizing? Is that sufficient to clean the neck out? I am just wiping the inside of the neck with Lee case lube as a neck lube. Do I need a better product?

 

[7magcreedmoor]

Yes, I used the VLD chamfer tool. I like it much better than the Lee tool. As for the neck lube, do you just take a clean cotton swap and wipe the inside of the neck after sizing? Is that sufficient to clean the neck out? I am just wiping the inside of the neck with Lee case lube as a neck lube. Do I need a better product?

I repeat: Imperial Dry Neck lube works very well, will not contaminate the powder, and no cleanup is needed for the neck. Their wax lube for the outside of the case works very well, and wipes off with a rag.