Lee Loader

Wrapping the handle with tennis racket tape helps out my old aching hands/fingers but not the forearms. I also wrapped the handle on the FA deprimer. Makes protracted repetitive jobs easier and more enjoyable, if depriming can be enjoyed.

Depriming is more fun than priming.

Should my hand press handle completely close when im seating and crimping?

Ive followed both the instructions on the die set and the extra directions in Modern Reloading 2nd Ed and when im ready to seat the handle is only closing maybr a half and very firm and if i were to close it any further im way over crimping (crushing)

Ideas?

Yes, it should fully close.

You didn't set up the die correctly in that case. Did you set it up without a shellholder installed?

Fyodor wrote:Yes, it should fully close.

You didn't set up the die correctly in that case. Did you set it up without a shellholder installed?

With shellholder, again using directions in both sources. I think my trouble may be where it reads, "youre now x turns from y crimp," and overdoing it

I know the obvious answer is to use the FCD but im really trying to learn to seat and crimp on one die and want to be comfortable doing it amd doing it well every time before choosing to move on to the FCD

I also always seat and crimp with one die, since I only have three stations in my pro1000. I also did crush cases a few times, but that was when the crimp was set too deep. But usually I don't have any problems. But again, the ram needs to fully go all the way up, and the lever closed. If it doesn't do that, it's set too deep.

I'm not sure what the manual says, but I decided it's best to first set up the crimp, and then the seating stem. Otherwise you'll mess up the seater when adjusting the crimp.

Speaking of all this another die im having trouble with is the PTE and my flare. At first i was minimally flaring until i switched to a new type (158gr LRNFP by MBC) and i buckled a case when i was seating

Now its set to a much wider flare and the handle sticks after flaring when opening the handle and i really have to yank it to get that case out of the die.

Too much?

GRV01 wrote:Speaking of all this another die im having trouble with is the PTE and my flare. At first i was minimally flaring until i switched to a new type (158gr LRNFP by MBC) and i buckled a case when i was seating

Now its set to a much wider flare and the handle sticks after flaring when opening the handle and i really have to yank it to get that case out of the die.

Too much?

Yep, flare shouldn't cause sticking. The only problem I see with crimping and seating in one step is the crimp getting started before the bullet is fully seated. At best you distort the bullet at worse you distort the case. Happens with both roll and taper crimp, but I've found the worse results with the roll crimp. My preference for the 4th die.

Make smoke,

When setting up the bullet seating and crimping die, I first seat one bullet till I get the length I want (or case lined up with the cannelure) then I seat two more. Then I back the seating stem way off and work on getting the crimp that I want. When I have the crimp that I want, I put the first one back in the shell holder and run it up into the die again and bring the seating stem down till it touches. Lower the case and give the seating stem just a little tweak lower and lock it (non Lee die). Then I put the fourth case in seat and crimp and inspect to make sure that it is were it is supposed to be. I have recently been seating and crimping in two different steps as my Berry's bullets in 9mm have been flattening more than I like when seating and crimping at the same time. Maybe I over crimp them a bit but it works for my application and the turret press makes it so easy to do this way.

Well did a batch last night and following Mr Lees advice on page 55-56 of Modern Reloading 2nd Ed to setup the third die it worked well, you can see a sample below. I dunno what i was doing before because these came out pretty easy. I only really screwed up the first because i had missed the key step where it reads, "with a sized, flared case in the Shell holder . . ." I wanted to include a pic to show off how much of a bonehead i can be but couldnt find the offending example in the garbage. Lets just say i turned it into a 357 Sig case

In any case, i still want to crimp and seat together on the third die as long as im using a hand press but ive already settled on purchasing a turret after i make this big move in which case ill have all four dies set up to seat and crimp separately

As to flaring i wonder if mine may be damaged? I tried to adjust it myself and it was only flaring on one side of tje case it felt like, so followed the directions that came with the dies which read something like 'screw in til it touches the holder then back out two turns for magnum cases' so four half turns later cases are sticking in the die. I have to yank it free, close partially again to charge and then gently pull apart to remove the charged case.

Thr instructions mention it should stick a bit to shake free any powder but im not so sure it should be this much

Anyway thanks for the help folks

As an aside, im disappointed with MBC's hitek coating. Compared to ACME's powder coating it is very thin and flakes easily when seating or crimping which makes me doubt its effectiveness where it counts: moving down a barrel. If ACME made 158gr LRNFPs i wouldnt buy any other, and i really want to use these handloads to try my hand at hunting javelina after our move out west. Im worried about the effectiveness of ACME's LSWCs at range and think ill need something flatter shooting. Anyway, just my take on MBC hitek coated bullets