New to Reloading got some ?

[cheff]

So I got well prepared for reloading. I joined this site and read all I could. I got Modern Reloading, ABC of Reloading, Hornady book and Lyman Reloading book. Joined Loaddata.com and read all their articles. Bought the 50th Anniversary kit from Lee, carbide dies for 460S&W and 454 Casull. Built my bench and got started with some starting loads from the Hornady manual for the 240gr XTP.

I loaded 50 rounds with Ramshot Enforcer at 39gr for the 460. But last night I got my Lyman manual and it shows the starting load for the XTP at 36.5gr and states higher velocity than the 39gr in the Hornady Manual. This leads me to believe there is quite a range of error one can make with out making the loads dangerous.... ?

I want to use lead bullets because they are much cheaper. So if I start with a bullet of the same weight and similar shape, and use the 36.5 grains to start I should be quite ok and work my way up till I find a suitable charge of my liking as long as I stay away from max loads on either book, and I look for signs of pressure... correct?


Now for my other issue....

The first few cases I put through the carbide die were shaved a bit and have a small build up of copper by the case head. They where a bit hard to push through the die and there was audible scraping sound as the cases went through. You guys think it is safe to shoot this rounds or is the little lip going to damage my cylinder? Is the case now compromised and should be discarded?

I put another 50 cases through the sizer last night and non of them had the issue. I also did not encounter this issue with the 454 casull die.

Thanks for a great site all!

 

[NFrameFred]

New dies should be cleaned before use, and some even advocate using a light case lube occasionally even with carbide dies.

Though I'm sure they likely get a 'rinse' during production, grit from polishing and machining fragments can hide out in new dies and scratch cases. Assuming your brass is clean and polished to begin with, as dirty brass can even scratch up quality dies.

In most instances it only mars the finish and doesn't weaken the case, but I suppose a deep scratch that left a coil of shavings may be another thing.

And it seems like you already have a good grounding on the basics, but I will just state the obvious and caution you to make sure the bullet/weight data you are using is for the lead or jacketed slug you are actually loading, as there is less resistance from lead bullets and the data is not interchangeable.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here, and any questions you might have can surely be answered by someone with experience. I'd dare to say there is several hundred years worth of practical reloading experience logged by the members here.

Reloading is one of the best ways to get maximum enjoyment out of shooting and collecting.

 

[Nightowl]

When sizing new brass for the first time, even in carbide dies, I lube the brass with a spray on lube. My new brass, say for .44 mag or .500 is from Starline and definitely works much better with lube. It also offers much less resistance and is easier on the press operator, who has old tired arms!

 

[cheff]

I figured out why the Lyman book list only 36.5 grains and the Hornady list 39gr for the 240gr XTP. In Lyman book they use LRM primers and Hornady uses LR. I guess I better pay more attention before lowering posted loads in each manual.

I think I will stick with the Hornady load since it list lower pressure and fps than the Lyman. Especially since I could not find any magnum primers.

I will do some more research and practice before I attempt to load with lead.

 

[duckloads]

I'm not sure if I read you wright or not,,,but please do not use lead bullets with jacketed load info even if they are the same weight. This sounds like a really scary thing to do. Someone might chime in with a better reason on why not to do this. At least get a 2nd opinion on this.

Be safe.

 

[OKFC05]

"want to use lead bullets because they are much cheaper. So if I start with a bullet of the same weight and similar shape, and use the 36.5 grains to start I should be quite ok and work my way up till I find a suitable charge of my liking as long as I stay away from max loads on either book, and I look for signs of pressure... correct?"


No offense, but I'd start by re-reading the info sections in your loading manual. Guessing that a load might be OK for a different bullet is dangerous.

Visible pressure signs in straight-walled cases are notoriously unreliable, by the way.

 

[tgwillard]

I recommend the 2nd edition of the Lee Modern Reloading manual. While it is a bit of a commercial for Lee products, it has a lot of good information. Since I use mostly Lee products, I was glad to read about some of their products in more detail.

The only thing I am not clear on is why the Lee manual says not to use neck resizing for semi-autos, and pumps. I reloaded some .223 Remington using my classic Lee Loader and they functioned perfectly in my Ruger Mini 14. Before testing live rounds I assembled a bullet (55 grain FMJ) and case without primer or powder and ran it through the rifle a few times to test the integrity of the cartridge.

Lee also makes the point to stick with starting loads since they are easier on the weapon. Since my reloads are strictly for target I fully subscribe to this philosophy.

 

[Pisgah]

I recommend the 2nd edition of the Lee Modern Reloading manual. While it is a bit of a commercial for Lee products, it has a lot of good information. Since I use mostly Lee products, I was glad to read about some of their products in more detail.

The only thing I am not clear on is why the Lee manual says not to use neck resizing for semi-autos, and pumps. I reloaded some .223 Remington using my classic Lee Loader and they functioned perfectly in my Ruger Mini 14. Before testing live rounds I assembled a bullet (55 grain FMJ) and case without primer or powder and ran it through the rifle a few times to test the integrity of the cartridge.

Lee also makes the point to stick with starting loads since they are easier on the weapon. Since my reloads are strictly for target I fully subscribe to this philosophy.

The full-length resizing for semiauto advice is good rule-of-thumb advice. Many semiautos have oversized chambers, and neck-sized cases will not function well in them -- in fact, they sometimes require small-base dies that resize them smaller than regular dies. But if your rifle functions well with neck-sized-only brass, there's no problem going that way.