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Beginning reloader has questions.

N

NoahbodyImportant

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 18, 2011
389
1
54
NE Ohio
I am attempting to reload and learning a lot. However, I do have questions.

I have prepped my .308 cases: cleaned, primer pocket uniformed, flash hole deurred and just ran them through the body sizing die.

Now, some of the brass mouth's are dented on one side, not perfectly round, lips "peened" (from tumbling with SS media) and some mouth's are opened a bit more because I inserted needle nose pliers to make the mouth round.

Question: What is my next step to prepare (or fix) this brass before moving forward in the reloading process.

Much Appreciated.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Run them through your FL die and keep the needle nose's away.
smile.gif
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

LOL, I should have figured that was not a good idea. Lesson learned.

I have the Redding Competition Die Set: Body Die, Competition Neck Sizing Die, and Competition Seating Die.

I have the correct neck bushing for the brass Im using.

Would I use the neck sizing die or do I need a full length die?
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

When you say Body Die, I am assuming that is the FL Die... when you run the brass through it, not only do you shape the FULL LENGTH of the brass, but the expander ball also opens up/uniforms the neck/mouth of the brass and removes any dents.

Because you lube up your brass for the FL part, cleaning usually comes after...
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

This body die does not have an expander ball.

From Description and MidwayUsa
The Body Die -- is designed to full length resize the case body only and bump the shoulder position for proper chambering without disturbing the case neck. It is intended for use only to resize cases which have become increasingly difficult to chamber after repeated firing and neck sizing.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Even with out the expander ball, the FL die should resize the die back into specs. It definitely sounds like you need to resize though.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Brother, if you are just starting out reloading, all you need is a FL sizer die and a tumbler with treated corn cob to cover the bases of your concern here.

Oh, wait, that's what I've been using for three decades now........
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

I did run the brass through the body die.

I will have to double check, but I thought after body sizing them, that the case mouths were still not round. I could be wrong.

I have also seen something called expander mandrels? Would this be an option if the body size die didnt work? Can I use any manufactures mandrel in my sizing die or do I need to buy the specific manufacture expander die?

Also, there is a Lee collet die?

Thanks for all the responses.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Go buy a 32 dollar set of hornady dies for 308. Problem solved.
smile.gif


Or simply the FL Size die.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NoahbodyImportant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I did run the brass through the body die.

I will have to double check, but I thought after body sizing them, that the case mouths were still not round. I could be wrong.

I have also seen something called expander mandrels? Would this be an option if the body size die didnt work? Can I use any manufactures mandrel in my sizing die or do I need to buy the specific manufacture expander die?

Also, there is a Lee collet die?

Thanks for all the responses. </div></div>

Dude, listen to Zmann....you're making this harder than it is.

Learn how to saddle the horse before you try to ride in the race........
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NoahbodyImportant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">LOL, I should have figured that was not a good idea. Lesson learned.

I have the Redding Competition Die Set: Body Die, Competition Neck Sizing Die, and Competition Seating Die.

I have the correct neck bushing for the brass Im using.

Would I use the neck sizing die or do I need a full length die? </div></div>
You need to use your neck sizing die with the bushing and expander ball. I only use the expander ball on new brass or when the neck is dinged, as in your case. The body die will not reshape the neck.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gvanhyning</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NoahbodyImportant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">LOL, I should have figured that was not a good idea. Lesson learned.

I have the Redding Competition Die Set: Body Die, Competition Neck Sizing Die, and Competition Seating Die.

I have the correct neck bushing for the brass Im using.

Would I use the neck sizing die or do I need a full length die? </div></div>
You need to use your neck sizing die with the bushing and expander ball. I only use the expander ball on new brass or when the neck is dinged, as in your case. The body die will not reshape the neck.</div></div>

Thank you gvanhyning
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gvanhyning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
You need to use your neck sizing die with the bushing and expander ball. I only use the expander ball on new brass or when the neck is dinged, as in your case. The body die will not reshape the neck. </div></div>

^^^^^
^^^^^^

This is correct. The other guys are talking speaking out of ignorance.


 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Yeah, it must be ignorance.....it's absolutely mind boggling though, isn't it, that anyone was able to even make a round go down a barrel before bushing sizers and body dies were all the rage.

This dude was freaking LOST with all his high tech gear he no doubt read about all the "pros" using here and everywhere....and wanting even MORE to solve his problem.

More gear that you can't figure out isn't the answer if you've no grasp of the basics, which is blatently obvious in the questions, or rather admissions, posed by the OP.

Learn the basics with basic gear, then when that's done right, move on to more advanced methods, if there's a reason to......
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: YAOG</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gvanhyning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
You need to use your neck sizing die with the bushing and expander ball. I only use the expander ball on new brass or when the neck is dinged, as in your case. The body die will not reshape the neck. </div></div>

^^^^^
^^^^^^

This is correct. The other guys are talking speaking out of ignorance.


</div></div>

+1
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tripwire</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yeah, it must be ignorance.....it's absolutely mind boggling though, isn't it, that anyone was able to even make a round go down a barrel before bushing sizers and body dies were all the rage.

This dude was freaking LOST with all his high tech gear he no doubt read about all the "pros" using here and everywhere....and wanting even MORE to solve his problem.

More gear that you can't figure out isn't the answer if you've no grasp of the basics, which is blatently obvious in the questions, or rather admissions, posed by the OP.

Learn the basics with basic gear, then when that's done right, move on to more advanced methods, if there's a reason to......</div></div>
<span style="text-decoration: line-through">
You Sir, are a TROLL. TROLLS get cookies. Tripwire must still live at home in his mom's basement.</span>

I didnt know to drive a car down the road I had to know how the engine works.

I stated in the original post that I am learning to reload. I have some ideas and some questions. If this is not the place to ask questions, then I do apologize.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NoahbodyImportant</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="text-decoration: line-through">You Sir, are a TROLL. TROLLS get cookies. Tripwire must still live at home in his mom's basement.</span>

I didnt know to drive a car down the road I had to know how the engine works.

I stated in the original post that I am learning to reload. I have some ideas and some questions. If this is not the place to ask questions, then I do apologize.</div></div>

Noah,

It is very helpful to understand the basics of flight before jumping off a cliff.

That said this absolutely the right place to ask these questions! For the most part folks are here to help. Of course there are some people who are firm believers in doing what they were taught right or wrong, unwilling or unable to improve and they think you should do the same. If you follow their advice you would still be throwing rocks by hand.

I don't know if you have read any of the reloading stickies. They have some good info for folks with basic dies but AFAIK there is not a lot posted here with a how-to for your Redding Competition 3-piece die set. I have a set of these great Redding Competition dies and IMO they are pretty good once you have a good loading workflow developed for your work space and ammo use.

Are you reloading for serious target use, hunting, ringing steel at 1,000 yards? Use makes a difference in what and how you process your brass and how well you manage your brass. It also makes a huge difference in what tools you will need to buy to get and keep control over your loading processing.

It sounds like you are starting at the beginning which is a good place to start. Don't be discouraged by the trolls and keep asking questions. Don't be afraid to test different processes out using old brass you pick up. Use good lube, try Imperial sizing wax! Best case lube ever!

HTH!
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

This is a great place to get help, but it often comes in varying degrees of helpfulness and is sometimes intense. Reloading can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. As Tripwire said the basic approach is a full length die set. The full length die basically reshapes the entire case to specs. The body die performs the exact function you quoted from Midway. A lot of us choose to neck size cases that have been shot only in the gun we are reloading for. If you're buddy gives you a bunch of cases he shot in his gun or picked up at the range you will need to full length resize them to get them to cycle in your rifle. If your cases were fired in your rifle then go ahead and use the neck sizer die to get the necks back in round, but they will only be approximately round because you only worked the outside of the neck, then you should use and expander die to round the inside of the neck and allow for insertion of the bullet into the neck. Full length dies have an expander built in and complete the operation of depriming and resizing in one step. The expanders used in full length dies are brand specific. Expander dies consist of a holder and a mandrell. The holders basically come in 2 sizes up to .348 and .35 and over. The mandrells come in all standard caliber sizes. A .308 mandrell can be used for .308 Win, .30-06, 300 Win Mag, etc. If you neck size exclusively after several reloadings you will need to use the body die because your case will have lost it's original shape. One other thing, regardless of FL or neck sizing be sure to check the cases to see if they will function in your rifle before you prime and load them. A good source of education on all of this is Glen Zideker's "Handloading for Competition." The book gets very involved and many will say is too complicated for a beginner, but that book describes all of the different possibilities with dies and their use. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you need help. Most guys on this site are willing to help. One word of friendly advice - remember that this is a forum and some folks are sarcastic, some have dry humor and yes, some are curmudgeons but they all share a huge amount of experience - they have it, you want it, so read and gleen the knowledge not the satire. Ski.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: NoahbodyImportant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I didnt know to drive a car down the road I had to know how the engine works.

I stated in the original post that I am learning to reload. I have some ideas and some questions. If this is not the place to ask questions, then I do apologize.



</div></div>

I'm not a troll dude, just a guy that's spent a lot of time at the bench and behind the trigger, and reloading very good accurate and concentric ammo for a lot of years using the old not-at-all cool and obscenely boring FL sizer die. It's probably to the point these days where most people on these forums buy into all the stuff you've bought into as absolutely necessary and critical, and I'm just a liar.

But oh well........

And your driving a car analogy sorta misses the point. You don't need to know how an internal combustion engine works beyond is it running or isn't it......but it would be extremely helpful to know what the "D" and the "R" and the "P" actually stand for.

Good luck, sounds like you might need it...........
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: YAOG</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gvanhyning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
You need to use your neck sizing die with the bushing and expander ball. I only use the expander ball on new brass or when the neck is dinged, as in your case. The body die will not reshape the neck. </div></div>

^^^^^
^^^^^^

This is correct. The other guys are talking speaking out of ignorance.


</div></div>

IGNORANCE? Yeah I guess some guys are educated beyond their intelligence too.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Well. Ive been shooting and competing for a few years now. I full length size with expander ball every time. I get 13 or so reloads out of win cases. I've won my fair share of comps. I do not use tumbling media that is harder than the brass I am trying to polish. My ignorance is possibly better than most college degrees. LOL. FWIW
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

My GAP10 is 308, it's not a bolt gun. Maybe that makes a difference as to why someone would FL size or not. *Shrug
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

go get you a simple FL die. run all your brass through it. This should solve any issues you have with the dents in the case mouth. I always trim my brass after this stage to make sure that I have exact same length brass. I haven't been reloading for years, but firmly believe that the more variables you can get under control and keep tigher tolerances the better your final load will be.

I come from a background of automotive builders. The bottom line when building a engine is tolerances and proper runout. Its the same in reloading the more precise you are in the end the better ammo you will produce.

Don't let some of these guys get you down. This forum is great (been searching here for a few years before I joined)just take it one step at a time and do some off forum reading.

I may get shit for posting this but I have a old book I read when I started called the ABC's of reloading. It was a great starting point and helped me save money in the beginning. Have fun and be safe!
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sprayed99</div><div class="ubbcode-body">go get you a simple FL die. run all your brass through it. This should solve any issues you have with the dents in the case mouth. I always trim my brass after this stage to make sure that I have exact same length brass. I haven't been reloading for years, but firmly believe that the more variables you can get under control and keep tigher tolerances the better your final load will be.

I come from a background of automotive builders. The bottom line when building a engine is tolerances and proper runout. Its the same in reloading the more precise you are in the end the better ammo you will produce.

Don't let some of these guys get you down. This forum is great (been searching here for a few years before I joined)just take it one step at a time and do some off forum reading.

I may get shit for posting this but I have a old book I read when I started called the ABC's of reloading. It was a great starting point and helped me save money in the beginning. Have fun and be safe! </div></div>

I don't think anyone has issue with the OP. Some told him simply what to do and added that he was tangled up with fancy equipment that is absolutely not needed to make award winning ammo.
I think most took issue with being called ignorant by a man that is probably educated beyond his intelligence.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sprayed99</div><div class="ubbcode-body">go get you a simple FL die. run all your brass through it. This should solve any issues you have with the dents in the case mouth. I always trim my brass after this stage to make sure that I have exact same length brass. I haven't been reloading for years, but firmly believe that the more variables you can get under control and keep tigher tolerances the better your final load will be.

I come from a background of automotive builders. The bottom line when building a engine is tolerances and proper runout. Its the same in reloading the more precise you are in the end the better ammo you will produce.

Don't let some of these guys get you down. This forum is great (been searching here for a few years before I joined)just take it one step at a time and do some off forum reading.

I may get shit for posting this but I have a old book I read when I started called the ABC's of reloading. It was a great starting point and helped me save money in the beginning. Have fun and be safe! </div></div>

I don't think anyone has issue with the OP. Some told him simply what to do and added that he was tangled up with fancy equipment that is absolutely not needed to make award winning ammo.
I think most took issue with being called ignorant by a man that is probably educated beyond his intelligence. </div></div>

I see what you are saying.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

There is much information available here and people come here from many different perspectives and different objectives.

I know that tripwire has been around a long time and I share his exasperation with some of the preconceived ideas being espoused on this site. You DO literally have to separate the pepper from the fly shit.

Example: I have been offering my two cents on the 46 page thread about wet stainless steel media. This is all very cool and judging by the pictures, the cases come out sparkling, ultra polished which apparently some people "get off" on? Me, I have never seen the need for this method and I have been doing this stuff since 1968. However, here we have a man that admits that he is new to handloading, and even if he didn't say so, by his questions, it is apparent. And, he is already using this new super cool method of polishing his brass.

It is pretty much the same thing with "body dies". I have never seen the need, but I drifted away from standard neck sizing dies a long time ago....but still know when they can be useful. So, if you partially full length resize, I doubt that you would need neck dies or body dies, but there again, it seems like hardly anybody here has heard of the Wilson bushing dies and the chamber seating dies, so I won't bother mentioning it/what I use, FWIW.

You guys need to walk before you can run. Quit getting too fancy and applying other people's pet theories for applications that you really don't understand. There is a certain amount of GURU talk around here and (frankly) a lot of it is over your heads.

I don't know exactly who is calling names and who is being referred to, but I am being subjected to a bit of it myself and hereby plead guilty to charter membership in the curmudgeon society, and furthermore move to nominate tripwire chief executive. All in favor, say aye! BB
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Laffin'......

I know one thing for sure as concrete fact, I'm taking the boys out here on our private range this afternoon to shoot. Aside from some cheap factory .40SW ammo we're gonna run through a new M&P, we're gonna run some handloads through the AR's and a few through one of my bolt guns (25" Krieger with 1:9.5 twist). We'll shoot non meplat trimmed unsorted 190 SMK's in unsorted winchester brass that was trimmed only ONE time back when it was once fired, and with only the thick side of the necks turned off for better concentricity; that was annealed after every firing without an annealing machine and without the aid of tempilac; sized with a boring old Redding FL die; with the powder charges weighed on a beam scale of all things one at a time; loaded on a boring single stage press, at some long range steel plates.....and I can guarandamntee that we'll hit what we're aiming at. Which is the point of it all in the first place.

Mileage does vary, of course.......
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Going through some posts and here you are not being appreciated for your special brand of blunt advice.

I hate to admit it, but I will, I increasingly enjoy your posts.

Let the guy turn his necks, buy a neck resizing die and sort his bullets in increments of .0000002 grains of weight if it blows his skirt up for Chistsake. At least he is trying and it's keeping him entertained.

Keep up the good work Tripwire and keep asking questions even if you dont always like the answers Noahbodyimportant.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Just a quick post as I need to rush out. Will return later.

The reason I need to <span style="text-decoration: line-through">turn</span> <span style="font-weight: bold">FIX</span> the necks (as stated in my original post), the brass was fired out of a gas gun and dented the necks on one side.

Also, the brass was cleaned in SS media, leaving the case mouths "peened"

I apoligize if this information was not made clear in my original post.

EDITED

 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

No need to aplogize for asking a question.

Dont let these crusty bastards rattle you.

Resizing to restore the concentricity of your neck makes sense but neck turning is primarily intended to clean up wall thickness deviations in the brass.

Just an FYI. Good luck.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: .375Mojave</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Resizing to restore the concentricity of your neck makes sense but neck turning is primarily intended to clean up wall thickness deviations in the brass.

Just an FYI. Good luck. </div></div>

Well, now you see what we're dealing with, with this guy.

Nobody is trying to put him down, or tell him something he doesn't need to know, just trying to get his head on straight about some things. It sounds like he's convinced the road to take is that more gear will always solve his problems. That's something I would never advise to a newby.

When I learned how to reload no one had even thought of the personal computer yet, and much less even dreamed of an internet. I actually had to beg, borrow, and buy real books to get my info. From there it's been a massive amount of trial and error seeing what works and what doesn't, what's needed and what's not. It's nothing short of BT/DT experience that's led me to do things now on purpose and not by accident. My only point is and always will be, crusty or not, is that reloading good ammo is NOT rocket science or brain surgery.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<span style="font-weight: bold">It is my understanding now, that to fix the necks, all I need is to run them through the Full Length Sizing Die.</span>

Thank you everybody for the explanations, even you Tripwire.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

If you had read all 46 pages about the SS media, you would know about the danger of leaving your machine running too long. How the collective braintrust decided to deal with that eventuality, I'm not sure? BB
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Noahbuddy,
If you have a FL sizing die in your setup use that alone (for now). You have a first class die set and don't let someone else tell you otherwise. As your reloading skill develop you will figure it out..Don't worry about it.
The bushing dies will only drag you further into the deep end and are not required usage at this point.
If you have only the bushing set send me a PM and I will be happy to help you through the process.



 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BuzzBoss915</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you had read all 46 pages about the SS media, you would know about the danger of leaving your machine running too long. How the collective braintrust decided to deal with that eventuality, I'm not sure? BB </div></div>
Yes, too long is bad and too short is not shiny!
smile.gif
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Of course, Mr xfan, sir.

But, (you know) who is on trial here? And, can you deny that tripwire suggested useful stuff, as opposed to some other advice of questionable value? I think he is exasperated at some of the really far out information that new handloaders are absorbing, rather than a solid understanding of the basics.

OP could have held off on SS polishing for a very long time and suffered not. That's just an example; it (SS polishing) doesn't hurt anything, except for the fact that it created another problem he was unsure of how to deal with. And, it is wasted energy. It is not necessary for cartridge cases to be sparkling inside and out. You don't even need a tumbler if you are processing your own handloads. Anyway, debatable but the subject was what?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Now, some of the brass mouth's are dented on one side, not perfectly round, lips "peened" (from tumbling with SS media) and some mouth's are opened a bit more because I inserted needle nose pliers to make the mouth round.

Question: What is my next step to prepare (or fix) this brass before moving forward in the reloading process. </div></div>

I think he has sufficient response for the present. BB
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Had a long response typed out to explain my "exasperation" to you, as Buzz puts it, but I figured since you missed the contextual flow of my first involvement here, you'd likely miss the point of the explanation too.

So, I'll just say this and further cement your opinion that I'm a hateful fucker, as I really couldn't give a damn shit. Flatter yourself, to think you rate high enough to chew on my ass, about anything.

I'll be sure to wear my kid gloves from now on though, when you're in the house.........
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

You need a hug, don't ya? Your sig line says it all, but xfan (apparently) can't read? What does he know, anyway? He's not even an American. Bless your heart, there will always be a place for crotchety old farts on this board! BB
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

Damn. You guys sound like you need a time out or marriage counseling.

Lol
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BuzzBoss915</div><div class="ubbcode-body">You need a hug, don't ya? Your sig line says it all, but xfan (apparently) can't read? What does he know, anyway? He's not even an American. Bless your heart, there will always be a place for crotchety old farts on this board! BB </div></div>

Laffin'......
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

The original poster, a newbie to reloading, should keep in mind that most of the reloading manuals provide a section on the basics of reloading and for beginners should be a must read.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

That's part of the problem. For years, I would have loading manuals in the bathroom, but these days, these kids would rather get on line and look up a max load and call it good, but there is a lot of basic solid information available in the manuals. I think it is time well spent, wherever you like to catch up on your reading. There is a hell of a lot of education in every reloading manual and none of them cover everything so you need to thumb through them all. Or, <shrug> there will be gaps in your knowledge you could drive a truck through. BB

edit: I think what is going on is the new guys want the fast track because they want to get into the target competition game, which is where they are going to hand you your ass, if you try and jump several levels of accomplishment. Stick to basics and it will never let you down. BB
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

That whole Stainless media thing is just a gimmic to boost sales for Doug Giraud. Ask me how I know.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tunanut</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That whole Stainless media thing is just a gimmic to boost sales for Doug Giraud. Ask me how I know. </div></div>

How do you know?
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

I was going to ask but thought it would be kinda snarky. Maybe somebody is about to blow the lid off the "whole Stainless media thing"? Should be good for another 46 pages. BB
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

I agree with almost everything BuzzMFrog and Tripwire have to say in other posts but especially here. I like to help new guys and give them sound advice but few hear what is said over the din of gadgetry and faciful voodoo rituals. Yes I am one of the crotchety ones but probaly not quite as crusty as Buzzm and Trip. I started very young and have put 30 years of loading under my belt. That is why I have the opinions that I do about certain things. I don't hate gadgetry, I think it is handy. I have owned many pieces of expensive gadgetry over the years for handloading, most I have sold off due to an epiphany about simplicity. Some I have gotten rid of due to it being just something else to catch a market share. I will never say I know it all and have nothing to learn, but to put it simply, there is very little in the way of ground breaking innovation in handloading accuracy, in the last 10 years. I am making better ammo than I made 20 years ago but I still make it the same way, if you get my drift. You don't need complex tooling, you need quality tooling.
As to the SS media thing. My ammo is presentable and my brass is clean. Yes, compared to the blinding brilliance of SS polished brass, it might look like that primer splotched Plymouth but that doesn't mean anything about whats under the hood.
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: armorpl8chikn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As to the SS media thing. My ammo is presentable and my brass is clean. Yes, compared to the blinding brilliance of SS polished brass, it might look like that primer splotched Plymouth but that doesn't mean anything about whats under the hood. </div></div>

Per cleaning brass, I do it the caveman way with boring old treated corncob and a couple of vibratory tumblers...that simple recipe has served my purposes well over the years with no need to go to any other level.

The reasons I do it are two fold, and neither are for the sake of "pretty", and both add value to the system.

1.) a clean bright case shows the color change more quickly/accurately when I anneal.

2.) clean shiney brass does NOT drag crap and crud through my dies and my chambers...both of which are sacred pieces of gear.

That's not being crusty, that's just being accutely religous to the way I do things, and so done absolutely on purpose.......
 
Re: Beginning reloader has questions.

I'm not exactly four square <span style="font-style: italic">against</span> the SS media thing. I think it is unfortunate that these new handloaders are so quickly jumping on the high tech bandwagon without realizing that it is a detour with very limited benefits other than cosmetic, and <span style="font-style: italic"> can</span> cause problems.

The part that gets me is it is a totally unnecessary diversion when there are many things one can actually do, where you can invest your time and money and realize <span style="font-style: italic"> positive</span> benefits. This is not one of them.

So, my blessing is conditional, get into stainless steel ultra polished cartridge cases without any expectations of improving your groups or your scores. Or, anything else, quite frankly. Your friends will be envious of your bright shiny cases and, (who knows) it may even improve your love life? What's not to like about that, eh? BB
 
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