Introduction to Reloading

Reloading Bottleneck Cartridges

1.  Case Cleaning and Inspection:

(This is done after you have cleaned your brass using a tumbler)

Using a soft cloth, wipe each case clean to remove any dirt or cleaning media, as this can scratch the case and resizing die. Inspect the case for anything that would keep it from being safety reloaded, such as split case mouths, case head separations, excessive bulges and other case defects. Any case found to be defective should be discarded.

2.  Case Lubrication:

You’ll need to lubricate the cases before they go into a sizer die to prevent case from becoming stuck in the die (if you are using a carbide sizer die you would eliminate this step) as well as reduce resizing effort and prevent excess working of the brass.  There are several different ways to do this in addition to a wide variety of products available to use.  I use the following:

RCBS Case Lube Pad - Taking three or four cases at once, you simply lay them on the pad and roll them back and forth a few times with the palm of your hand. You will need to buy the lubricating oil as well to apply to the foam pad.

Hornady's "One Shot" Case Lube - It is a non-petroleum based product and will not contaminate powder or primers. You arrange cases in a loading block or on a clean cloth, spray at a 45 degree angle to lubricate case mouth as well as entire exterior of the case. It dries completely in about a minute and is then ready to resize.

Imperial Sizing Die Wax - This comes in a small round compact. You rub some on your fingers every few case or so, and apply it with your fingers during handling.

3.  Shell Holder:

Snap a shell holder into the press ram with a slight twisting motion.  The shell holder will securely grip the head of the cartridge case.  To determine which shell holder to use for a particular cartridge, check the ShellHolderChart I made with all the different brand shell holders.

Shell Holder

4.  Install the Sizer Die:

Thread the sizer die into the press until the die touches the shell holder when the ram is at the top of the press stroke. Raise the press handle and turn the die down another one eight to one-quarter of a turn and set the large lock ring. (If you’re using a carbide sizer die, leave a 1/16″ gap between the bottom of the die and the shell holder.)

5.  Insert the case:

With the press handle in the up position, slide a case into the shell holder.

6.  Resize the case:

Gently but firmly, lower the press handle all the way to the bottom and run the case all the way into the sizer die. This will resize the case to is original dimensions and knock the fired primer out the bottom of the case. Next, raise the press handle. This will lower the case and expand the case mouth (on bottle-neck cartridges), correctly setting the case neck diameter to hold the bullet properly.

7.  Trim the Case:

Cases sometimes stretch and become longer than the specified maximum length.  These cases must be trimmed to allow for proper chambering and for safety reasons.  New unfired brass does not need to be timed, and from my experience, once fired factory ammunition usually doesn’t require trimming.  But, check you case measurements and compare to your reloading manuals data to be sure.  The trimmer works like a small lathe and can be used to trim most cases up through 45 caliber.

8.  Chamfer and Deburr:

If your case required trimming, you must chamfer and deburr it to remove any burrs left on the case, allowing a new bullet to be easily seated into the case. Insert the pointed end of the Deburring Tool into the case to remove burrs and chamfer the case mouth. Fit the other end over the case mouth to remove exterior burrs, both only requiring a few twists.

9.  Expand the case mouth:

(For straight-wall cases)

This is a separate step that is required for reloading straight-wall cases. Because of their design, straight-wall cases need to be expanded in a separate expander die. install the expander die in the press, place a sized case in the shell holder and run it into the die. The expander plug should be adjusted so the case mouth is belled or flared just enough to accept the new bullet.

10.  Primer Pocket Cleaning:

(Omit this step if using new brass)

Using a primer pocket cleaning brush, clean any remaining powder residue from the primer pocket.  Also, you should clean the inside of the case neck.  Simply insert the brush into the case mouth and gently brush in and out a few times.  Both of these brushes come in size small and large.  Below, pictured on the right is the primer pocket brush, and on the left is the case neck brush.

10.  Priming the Case:

(The method described below is what I use to prime cases, a hand-held priming unit, instead of using the primer “arm” that is built into the press.  I find it to be more accurate and am able to have more quality control over each individual reloading step.)

Lee hand-held "Auto Prime"

Step 1 – Select the shell holder for the cartridge you are reloading and place into the Lee Auto Prime.

Lee Auto-Prime Shell Holders

Step 2 – Scatter primers in the tray, then shake the tray horizontally until all the primer are positioned anvil side up.

Step 3 – Slide case into shell holder.  Allow one primer to enter the center and squeeze the handle.  This seats the primer into the case.

• Step 4 – Slide case out of shell holder and check for proper depth placement.

11.  Powder Charging:

Consult your reloading manual to learn what kind of powder and exactly how much is recommended to reload your cartridge.  One way to measure powder is to use a  uniflow powder measure. It will dispense a precise, uniform charge with each crank of the handle.  Fill the measure with powder and dispense several charges to establish flow and to settle the powder in the hopper. Return this powder to the hopper. Use a reloading scale to adjust the powder measure. Weigh every charge until several consecutively thrown charges each show the desired weight. Recheck the weight about every ten cases.  There are a couple of products that you can purchase to help speed up the process and improve accuracy.  I first bought a RCBS Powder Measure and a Micrometer Adjustment Screw.  You remove the standard metering screw, lock ring and bushing, and these are then replaced by the micrometer unit.  The micrometer screw does not measure weight, only volume.  But this allows the reloader to record the micrometer reading for a specific charge of a given powder and, by using the micrometer, return to that setting at a later date when the charge is again being used.

Uniflow Powder Measure

Micrometer Adjustment Screw

Once you have a consistent and desired powder charge achieved, begin loading your cases using a powder funnel.

12.  Bullet Seating:

(These next few steps are, again, mostly for bottleneck cartridges. The steps are slightly different for straight-wall cases)

Bullet Seating Die

Thread the seater die a few turns into the press. Put a case in the shell holder and lower the press handle, running the ram with the case to the top of the press stroke. Turn the die body down until it stops. The crimp shoulder in the die is now pressing against the top of the case mouth. Now, while looking at the headstamp on top of the die, back the die out one complete turn. This raises the crimp shoulder above the case mouth. Secure the die in position with the die lock ring.  Next, unscrew the seater plug enough to keep the bullet from being seated too deep.  With the handle in the up position, insert a properly, primed and charged case into the shell holder.  Take a bullet and place it into the case mouth with one hand while you lower the press handle with the other, easing the case and bullet up into the die.  After raising the handle, note the seating depth of the loaded round.  If the bullet needs to be seated deeper into the case, run the seater plug down. Run the loaded round back up into the die, raise the press handle and check the seating depth again. It may take a few adjustments to get the proper and final bullet seating depth. Once proper seating depth is achieved, tighten the small seater plug lock ring.

Finished!  Your first reloaded cartridge is ready to be fired.

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