Reloading sequence?

[jhook]

I accomplish all my case prepping on my RCBS rock chucker, (size & decap) after lubbing.  Then trim with Giraud, then tumble with Thumler's Tumbler steel media.  

After drying, I mark them with red magic marker on the face of the rim.  Then I dump them in my 650, and they go through another size & decap die.

Two Questions:

1) sometimes the magic marker material gets in the primer pocket.  Someone told me at the range that wasn't good, I am contaminating the pocket.  But I have been marking my brass for a couple years with that method, no issues?

2) should I remove the dillon's size & decap die, and just have that spot empty or replace it with something else?  If leaving the die there, do I need to relube again before dumping brass in dillon?

 

Thanks guys,

John

[Gussers]

1. A little permanent marker in the primer pocket shouldn't cause you any issues. I've done the same and I can't see how it would contaminate the primer if it's allowed to dry before priming.

2. I assume, since you're trimming, that you're reloading something with a shoulder... rifle? If you're worried about the primer pockets, then you should deprime then tumble. I have had great luck tumbling with primers in, though I tend to only do so with 9mm and .40 as I shoot a lot of them and it saves me a step, thousands of times. I would recommend you skip the second size and deprime. The deprime is totally unnecessary and the size will change the case dimensions from what they were the first time around. You will have also put lube on the cases you just washed off. You definitely need to lube any time you run through a sizing die if you want to avoid stuck cases. 

Here's what I do for rifle:

1. Deprime (optional)
2. Wet tumble and dry
3. Lube and size (depriming if not done previously)
4. Quick tumble (optional again, depending on the lube I used)
5. Trim
6. charge, seat, crimp in my Dillon

If doing military brass, I'll deprime and swage before I do the first tumble. If using Hornady One Shot, and not concerned about the look of the case, I'll typically skip the second tumble and leave it on. It's very dry and doesn't hurt anything. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

[9x45]

jhook, are you taking about pistol, or rifle? If it's pistol, you have about 15 steps more than what I use. What's lubbing mean? Is that pirate speak? R, ya land lubbers....

RE: magic marker in the primer pockets, I heard a guy at a gun store say that reloads can blow up Glocks..... and that they sight their hunting rifles in at 1 mile.....

For pistol (and rifle) I first tumble in walnut loaded with mineral oil to clean, then in corn loaded with NuFinish car polish to shine em and make em slippery. About 1 tablespoon per vibrator tumbler. There is absolutely no dust, I run them without tops, overnight on a timer. Since that operation is offline, it could run for days anyway.

Then for 9mm, straight into the reloader with no lube. For once fired .357SIG and .223Rem, spray em with dry mold release, no lube or trim, into the reloader.  For hunting rounds, mold release, size, trim, hand prime, load. You don't need to remove the mold release, it's a dry powder.

 

the 2 part walnut and corn turns nasty brass into happy shiny brass

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jhook]

Thanks for the info guys.  Yes, I forgot to mention what caliber.  .223

I was more interested about what to do on my dillon 650 tool head.  I have decided to remove the size&decap die, but do I need to replace that position with something else?

Thanks, John 

[anbrumm]

You do not have to replace it with something else. Some people leave station 3 empty if they are not using powder check or bullet feeder.

[Dirtchevy841]

My process. 

1. Ss media clean

2. Resize decap led single stage

3. Tumble corncob 10 min get lube off

4. Giraud trimmer

5. Load on Dillon. Station 1 empty took resize die out. No need to resize. 

Also sometimes when I am lazy I have a toolhead with just a resize die set up and I resize a deprime on 650 which goes pretty fast. Usually I do this for plinking ammo. My 3 gun and rifle comp rds done on single stage press. 

[RiggerJJ]

I use a universal decaper in station one on my loading head just to be sure the primer pocket is clear, but I use dry media for cleaning.

I use a 2 head process with a 650 (and now with a 1050) with a Dillon trimmer on the processing head. I hate handling each case of brass to trim in a pencil sharpener type trimmer, so I went with the Dillon trimmer that fits on the tool head. Also I do not de burr or chamfer, I use dies for that.

Clean, lube, dump in case feeder, process head, clean to remove lube, dump in case feeder, load head, done. No muss, no fuss.

Under 1moa accuracy in all on my ARs...

jj

[jhook]

Thanks guys,

I think I'm going to try Dirtchevy's method.  Buying an extra tool head for $22 and put the size&decap die in it.  Then I wouldn't have to go to my single press.  The dillon trimmer is a little to steep for me.  I'll stay with the Girauld.

Thanks

[Dirtchevy841]

2 hours ago, jhook said:

Thanks guys,

I think I'm going to try Dirtchevy's method.  Buying an extra tool head for $22 and put the size&decap die in it.  Then I wouldn't have to go to my single press.  The dillon trimmer is a little to steep for me.  I'll stay with the Girauld.

Thanks

It really goes quick with that single die tool setup. Also sometimes for my match stuff when I want to process a lot of Lakecity brass for comp I'll also raise the die up enough so it doesn't resize and lower the decap pin and just punch the primers out so I can stainless tumble a bunch without primers as to get the pockets really clean for the match stuff 

[hceuterpe]

Buy a lee decapping die and put it into station one.  That will ensure there's no crap in the flash hole.  I use an Lee SS press with an Inline ejector system for brass prep.  Dan makes them for Rockchucker presses along with several other SS presses.  He also custom built a custom base plate to hold LnL bushings instead of shell holders

You can easily switch the decapping die around too, since it wouldn't have tweaking needed that a rifle sizing die would have to get the headspace correct.

Edited October 15, 2016 by hceuterpe