New Reloader Seeking Advice

[UpTheIrons]

Priming is only one of two steps you can do where you aren't focused solely on the press and it's machinations. Decapping/resizing is a family affair - my 8 & 10 year olds like to help me with that step, and I can sit with family and prime cases without feeling lonely in the corner of the garage.

Yes, it can wear your hands out. I primed 1000 9mm cases last Saturday. I won't do that all in one day again!

[O6nop]

Priming is only one of two steps you can do where you aren't focused solely on the press and it's machinations. Decapping/resizing is a family affair - my 8 & 10 year olds like to help me with that step, and I can sit with family and prime cases without feeling lonely in the corner of the garage.

Yes, it can wear your hands out. I primed 1000 9mm cases last Saturday. I won't do that all in one day again!

Hmmm, maybe I'll go pick one up myself. I 'loaned' mine out to a friend just beginning reloading a while back and he says he gave it back... I don't think I have it. I was used to doing it on the press, but maybe I'll revisit the hand primer.
You mentioned there are two steps not requiring focus, depriming and priming, I guess. Sorting, tumbling/cleaning, trimming and deburring could fit in that category too, and could be fun for the whole family...

[UpTheIrons]

You mentioned there are two steps not requiring focus, depriming and priming, I guess. Sorting, tumbling/cleaning, trimming and deburring could fit in that category too, and could be fun for the whole family...

Yeah, you are right about those. I was just thinking of press-centric activities. For my kids, sorting gets old pretty fast unless I get them to look for oddball cases among the pistol brass: .357 SIG, .38/.357, any rifle brass.

[Middle Age Russ]

Depending on how you go about loading, you may have an opportunity to check cases after they are cleaned and decapped. If so, the primer pocket cleaning tools in the set would be nice. I certainly get your point about the case trimmer type tools not being needed for straight wall pistol cases, particularly those not crimped into ad cannelure, or crimping groove. I am just considering possibilities and want to set up for long-term success, which may indeed involve bottle neck cartridges at some point.

Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions, folks. I am now torn between the Lee Classic Turret and the Load-Master. I understand that the Load-Masters are a bit finicky, but it seems to me that one should be at least a little mechanically inclined to reload.

[cbunt1]

Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions, folks. I am now torn between the Lee Classic Turret and the Load-Master. I understand that the Load-Masters are a bit finicky, but it seems to me that one should be at least a little mechanically inclined to reload.

I have both a Classic Turret and a Load-Master. I like them both. The Load master is a bit finicky at first, but does very well if you take care of it.

Take a look at http://loadmastervideos.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; if you're serious about the LoadMaster. The instructions Lee sends are very basic, but these guys have made it so that you can get this thing going.

I see you're in the Woodlands area...take a trip to 10-Ring on Jones road and you can see and handle the turret and loadmaster presses in the store...as well as buy locally!

If you go for the loadmaster, and run into glitches, PM me and I'll try to help you out. There's a few bugs in the things, but nothing that can't be worked out and it'll run like a well oiled machine.

[Middle Age Russ]

Thanks, cbunt1. I'll keep you posted on my progress and any issues.

I have looked over a number of video how-tos regarding this press setup, and feel confident that I get get it up and running smoothly. Now I just have to purchase it and a stable, portable cart/bench to set it all up on.

[NcongruNt]

Depending on how you go about loading, you may have an opportunity to check cases after they are cleaned and decapped. If so, the primer pocket cleaning tools in the set would be nice. I certainly get your point about the case trimmer type tools not being needed for straight wall pistol cases, particularly those not crimped into ad cannelure, or crimping groove. I am just considering possibilities and want to set up for long-term success, which may indeed involve bottle neck cartridges at some point.

Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions, folks. I am now torn between the Lee Classic Turret and the Load-Master. I understand that the Load-Masters are a bit finicky, but it seems to me that one should be at least a little mechanically inclined to reload.

I personally do not clean primer pockets on pistol brass. I *do*, however, clean them in rifle brass, as that's a more intimate process in general, and I have the brass out of the press without a primer after lube and resize. Pistol brass gets sized/deprimed and then re-primed in a single lever pull on my Lee Classic Breech Lock (single-stage) press - deprime/size on the downstroke, reprime on the upstroke. Adding pocket cleaning would make that process much longer and add 2 steps to the process.

I don't know if you *have* to be mechanically inclined to reload, but it seems to be something common to reloaders in the first place. It certainly helps you understand everything that goes into the load, and makes it easier to keep QC in check.

For straight-walled pistol cases, a trimmer is completely unnecessary. I've never had my pistol brass lengthen themselves, and I've read from others in here with many more years of experience reloading to the same effect. For your possible eventual rifle cartridge loading, just wait on the trimmer. I've been reloading for about a year now, and just started the process with rifle loading, buying trimming equipment a few weeks ago. Save yourself some money now, and buy the trimmer stuff when you actually need it. I personally went with the Lee Zip Trim, which has great reviews. All it requires beyond the unit itself is a trimmer tool and the shell holder, which only cost a few bucks and come together, along with the reburring tool, another few bucks. My kit actually came with the deburring tool, so it was just the trimmer/holder and the zip trim for me.

[NcongruNt]

Just another comment, while I think about it. If you get a set of Lee dies, get the Deluxe kit with the Factory Crimp Die. It does a fabulous job of getting the bullet seated nice and clean and tight, and makes feeding very smooth.