[QUOTE=dazlin;136506461]Hi all,
I have been reloading pistol ammunition for a few years now. So, the time has come to move into rifle reloading. I am doing my homework and have a few questions about case prep to submit to the group...
1. My plan is to start with .223 Remington for my AR-15, then go to .30-06 for my Garand and my new hunting rifle, and finally to 8x57mm Mauser for my son's Yugo M48. Loading for the Mauser will present no particular difficulties. For that matter neither will the AR-15 or M-1 Garand. Both will almost certainly have standard service chambers. Standard full-length dies from any major manufacturer will size the casings to allow them to be used easily in your rifles.
2. After looking at .223 dies in the catalogs, I am thinking that I need both a full size resizing die (esp for military brass) and a neck sizing die for commercial brass and to avoid overworking the brass in general. And what about the small base dies? All that I see seem to be full length dies. So, would a small base resizing die preclude the need for a standard full length die? Buy a die set. Don't fool around trying to buy a bit of this and a bit of that. RCBS and Redding are very fine die sets. Do not under any circumstances try to neck size brass for a semi-auto rifle. It will be fine for the Mauser. It is not at all a good idea for the AR-15 and even less a good idea for the M-1 Garand. Buy full-length die sets. Set them up according to the manufacturer's instructions. Forget internet websites, etc. Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. At the same time buy at least one up to date quality reloading book. Again, RCBS, Hornady, etc. are very good. Do not use small base dies for either the AR-15 or M-1 Garand. The M-1 Garand chamber is a typical service chamber. A SB die will only sized the brass more than is needed. For the AR-15, you will only need a SB die if the chamber is remarkably tight... like maybe a match chamber. For a typical service rifle type setup, standard dies will work very well.
3. I am a big fan of crimping as a separate step in pistol ammo. But how about in rifles? Some references have reccommended the practice for semi-auto weapons like the AR-15... but what about the M1 Garand? When it comes to crimping, use a taper crimp die. It will allow you to crimp the case properly without having to worry about if a bullet has a crimpling groove or not.
4. Bullet seating seems to be the "plain vanilla" die. Are there differences that I should look for? A standard seating die will do everything you need to do in seating the bullet. It simply is not that complicated. Once you settle on a load, you may even take a pair of pliers (horrors!!!) and "snug" the adjustment down so that
5. Sizing lube: flat tray or spray? Kinds to avoid? (BTW, I am using a single stage press.) I've used both methods of lubing cases. I much prefer the spray. RCBS spray case lube has worked well for me.
6. How much is too much lube? And what is the best way to clean off lube? A little bit of lube goes a long way. Using the spray I've found a good method is to lay the cases out in a row, spray them lightly, turn the a 1/2 turn and spray them lightly again. Once they are sized, etc., I put them in the tumbler and let it get the lube off.
7. Do you lube the entire length of the case for full length sizing? For neck sizing? For full-length sizing, lube the whole case. For neck sizing, you can put a little bit of lube on your finger tips and smear it onto the case.
8. Why aren't there carbide rifle dies? Carbide dies work well for straight sided cases as the carbide ring inside the case is relatively short. To produce a rifle die using carbide can be done, but it is much more expensive as rifle cases typically have bodies that taper slightly along with transitions of the shoulder and neck.
Please feel free to respond to whichever question(s) you like. I suspect that there are several others out there that have similar questions.
TIA
Dan
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