do i need to buy an expander die with the LnL

[nxfedlt1]

new to reloading, not quite sure what to do here. I thought I didnt, but a call to hornady now left me confused.

thanks

[hdiker1]

If you have a complete set of dies, you already have one unless you mean a powder thru expander.

[Hack]

new to reloading, not quite sure what to do here. I thought I didnt, but a call to hornady now left me confused.

thanks

A Powder Through Expander (PTE) will do it, but like hdiker1 said, you probably already have a "belling" die. If you ignore your resizing die and you bullet seating die and still have a third die, that's it.

To be sure, run a case up into it a good ways and see if it bells / flares the mouth of the case. This is done to make seating the bullet easier.

Hack

Edited May 1, 2009 by Hack

[Boats]

Don't know what you are loading for but. Lots of guys use an extra expander. Mostly when loading cast bullets, this lets you expand exactly as much as you need, no more, and avoid deforming the soft lead bullet when seating into the case. Dies that come with sets are one size fits all. Expanders can be ordered or re-cut to precise dim's

Jacketed bullets are much stronger and most people always use the standard die that comes with the set.

Boats

[Jeff686]

The standard 3-die set (assuming you are reloading straight-walled pistol cases) includes a resizer, expander, and seater. You can also buy them individually. I always expand the cases. With copper bullets, you can just expand a little. With lead, you must expand more. I usually expand just enough to hold the bullet without needing my fingers to guide the bullet/case into the seating die.

If you want, you can powder-drop and expand in the same station. If you choose to do that, you will need a different expander, call the powder-through expander. It fits inside the powder measure and lets the powder drop through it while it expands the case mouth. For some reloaders, combining the expander and powder drop makes room for other features (such as a bullet feeder or powder check).

What is strange to me is that Hornady doesn't sell the dies in 4-die sets. I think the 4th die should be the crimp die. Almost everyone uses separate dies for seating and crimping, so it makes sense. In fact, you could argue that most people also use powder-through expanders, and the included stand-alone expander is almost never wanted anyway.

In my LNL for 38 super, I use:

Station 1: Resize (and deprime)

Station 2: Powder drop + expander

Station 3: Empty (for powder cop or bullet feeder)

Station 4: Seat bullet

Station 5: Crimp bullet

If I had a stand-alone expander, I would:

Station 1: Resize (and deprime)

Station 2: Expand

Station 3: Powder Drop

Station 4: Seat Bullet

Station 5: Crimp bullet

For 45ACP, I'm a little less picky and seat+crimp at the same station. I have a set of Lee dies from my last press, including a lee powder-through expander/powder measure. I think the Lee powder-through expander is easier to adjust than the Hornady. However, the Hornady powder measure is the most consistent one I've used.

Station 1: Resize (and deprime)

Station 2: Powder drop and expand

Station 3: Empty

Station 4: Seat and Crimp

Station 5: Empty

Hope this helps!

[TruSight]

The standard 3-die set (assuming you are reloading straight-walled pistol cases) includes a resizer, expander, and seater. You can also buy them individually. I always expand the cases. With copper bullets, you can just expand a little. With lead, you must expand more. I usually expand just enough to hold the bullet without needing my fingers to guide the bullet/case into the seating die.

If you want, you can powder-drop and expand in the same station. If you choose to do that, you will need a different expander, call the powder-through expander. It fits inside the powder measure and lets the powder drop through it while it expands the case mouth. For some reloaders, combining the expander and powder drop makes room for other features (such as a bullet feeder or powder check).

What is strange to me is that Hornady doesn't sell the dies in 4-die sets. I think the 4th die should be the crimp die. Almost everyone uses separate dies for seating and crimping, so it makes sense. In fact, you could argue that most people also use powder-through expanders, and the included stand-alone expander is almost never wanted anyway.

In my LNL for 38 super, I use:

Station 1: Resize (and deprime)

Station 2: Powder drop + expander

Station 3: Empty (for powder cop or bullet feeder)

Station 4: Seat bullet

Station 5: Crimp bullet

If I had a stand-alone expander, I would:

Station 1: Resize (and deprime)

Station 2: Expand

Station 3: Powder Drop

Station 4: Seat Bullet

Station 5: Crimp bullet

For 45ACP, I'm a little less picky and seat+crimp at the same station. I have a set of Lee dies from my last press, including a lee powder-through expander/powder measure. I think the Lee powder-through expander is easier to adjust than the Hornady. However, the Hornady powder measure is the most consistent one I've used.

Station 1: Resize (and deprime)

Station 2: Powder drop and expand

Station 3: Empty

Station 4: Seat and Crimp

Station 5: Empty

Hope this helps!

Hi Jeff686,

What brand is your dies? Are there a big difference between Hornady, LEE or Redding?

I'm asking because of your experience with L-N-L, need advice on dies purchase (brand and models) for 9x19, please.

Also I've heard that smaller pistol metering insert is sufficient for exact powder loads, is that true?

Appreciate your valued reply.

Best regards.

[CocoBolo]

What brand is your dies? Are there a big difference between Hornady, LEE or Redding?

I'm asking because of your experience with L-N-L, need advice on dies purchase (brand and models) for 9x19, please.

Also I've heard that smaller pistol metering insert is sufficient for exact powder loads, is that true?

Appreciate your valued reply.

Best regards.

I started out with Lee Dies then I tried a set of Dillon dies. I have replaced them all with Hornady Dies. Their expander is not a powder thru die and works much better than the powder thru die which was breaking some of my 38 Super Brass. The Hornady bullet seater has a sleve that aligns the bullet this just makes better ammo. The best is the Hornady sizing die it is just a lot smoother than the others, but be sure to buy extra decapping pins as you will break a few, this happens when a case falls over on the way in. I load 9, 38 Super, 40, 357, and 45's plus 223. I use all 5 stations with pistol as I use the non powder thru expander and the hornady taper crimp in stage 5, since my LNL is the wire ejector. (has case feeder).

On the Dillon 650 I use Hornady dies but the Dillon expander in the powder die which I have to say is excellent.