Doc Hunter

Trim every time. The most important part of a rifle case is the neck.

Anybody out there selling a 180 Round Nose cast bullet? SnS has a 200 round nose, wish they did a 180.

I load and shoot tons of Unique. It is a bit fickle. There is always a "range" of throws. Other factors are humidity, static, or just not holding your mouth right. The Lee measure is not designed to be spot on. Too many variables with all powders. Take your time and find the disk that actually throws what you want. Forget what its says in the printed table - the powder measure cannot read.... If you use your chrono, your Standard Deviation will tell you what you need to know regarding consistency. Work up a safe load, there is no reason to be on the edge with it - and go shoot. If you want to be anal, be anal about your trigger pull.

Well I guess its all in what you are trying to do. I run a "M" die on the last station of a 550, after the cases have gone through a 1200 case trimmer that's in station 2. The "M" die rolls the sharp edges of the ID from the trimmer out of the way. Cases are then tumbled again and a de-caping die is the first station on a 1050 to hit the primer. The swage station is set to give me the primer crimp removal I want without having to worry about the case mouth as that has already been taken care of.

Rigger, I think you will find that the Lyman "M" die is capable of way more case mouth flare, and you are not hindered by the adjustment of the primer pocket swage rod in the process. The "M" die is originally designed to flare for cast bullets - it is nothing like a standard mandrel that for instance Sinclair sells.

Get the book "Handloading for Competition" - read it 30 or 40 times. Your set!

You may want to try a Lyman "M" die. It will allow you to add a small amount of flare to the case mouth to ease the transition of the bullet into the case (bullets make poor expanders) you don't need much - just a little so the jacket is not damaged. If it makes you feel better, you can remove the slight flare with the crimp die after bullet is seated. Really helps bullets enter straight. This will save your bacon with any flat based bullets.

Welcome to the world of reloading.

A 180 will do it all. You will play with others - you will go back to the 180.

You have received some good info here. Some additional points that may help you. The Lee Factory Crimp Dies is generally not a good idea on plated or cast lead bullets. These bullets are soft and the Lee FCD will size the bullet down in the case. You will likely get poor accuracy and leading. The Hornady die you have now is likely a taper crimp die - good-to-go. Take the barrel out of the weapon and use it as a gauge when you setup your dies. The round should "plop" right in and fall right out. Work up your loads using KNOWN good data. Get a chrono and learn to use it - it is as important as your reloading scale. Shoot more and worry less. Time on the trigger means much more than time on the loader handle. Reloading is fun - but it is a process. Shooting is the sport.

Don't over think this.

Primer pocket generally goes first. For matches I watch the brass that gets uses and use a hand primer. For practice through the 1050 - till it fails.

This is the very reason I post NO load data on the web. For some people you may as well be posing a crack recipe. Work your own loads - learn from the process. Shortcuts are for fools! I'm not convinced that some even know how to zero a scale. Ok, off my rant now. "oops, sorry dude" -- almost famous last words. You should send the builder a check.

Funny just got my stack with the 380 plate From Dawson's - these ROCK.

I've always loaded mine. I'll loose them before they crack.

I'll load all my practice ammo. For a match, with a low round count and restricted range, I'll shoot factory. A loose primer pocket will ruin your day.

Dillon 1200 is your friend.

What brand/model Neck Sizer die are you using on your Brass Prep toolhead? Also are you using the Neck Sizer simply to clean up any edges left by the trimmer or are you also opening up/flaring the neck a bit for the bullet? I use a another standard dillon sizing die that is backed off a little to not touch the shoulder. This die does knock off the sharp edges from the trimmer, but the real reason I use it is to set the neck tension because the sizing die on the trimmer leaves a little to much neck tension for my taste. I have also used a bushing type redding neck sizing die but honestly I like the dillon better. Another thing I have done on the support rod/die on the swaging station is turned down the upper diameter on the rod so it does not flare the case at all, i usually only bullets with a boat tail like the 55 hornady or Sierra SMK's. But I have also loaded so of the hornady flat base bullets with out any issues. I'm running an almost exact copy of this setup. It ROCKS! I use a Mandrel die from Sinclair as a neck expander to keep from messing with another size die. Works the brass a little less.

This. But there is a trick if you are running a progressive press. A Lyman "M" die can be set to just barely open the case mouth a touch. Bullet then has a nice straight path to follow. Don't over do it. With a progressive, size/case prep off the press, then run the "M" die in the first station.

Well I missed that part - reading is fundamental - LOL. In that case you are going to have a hard time with a "fast" powder. Universal, or Unique - something in that burn rate. Will be a safer bet. Sticky hard extracting cases are not going to help, so you will have to find a compromise.

I would suggest you try it. Shoot it and see how it feels to YOU. One size does not fit all.

Trailboss may surprise you if you can find some. It will fill the case and has been reasonably clean in my guns.

Try some real jacketed bullets. Plated in many guns is a fail.

Huge waste of time. You will loose them or they will crack before any trimming was meaningful.

The new normal.