@fishcop444 I use the Lee three jaw universal shell holder on the Zip Trim and it is convenient, although it needs to be kept clean and well lubed to work as designed. Unfortunately, it has larger diameter female threads for the Zip trim that don't fit the Lee case lock stud's smaller diameter male threads. I suspect there isn't an adapter, or a universal shell holder for a drill because that mechanism works better on a bench mounted device and would be awkward in a drill.
@fishcop444 Maybe a better solution would be something similar to an ER style collet chuck used in machining. They have wider grip ranges than older collet designs. With the small gripping force required, it should be possible to make a collet style universal shell holder that could work with .223, .308, 243, 270, 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, etc. The collet would have thin metal fingers and a lot more open air space, for the widest possible grip range with the minimal grip force needed.
Excellent pair of videos! Great for beginners like me. One question ... how can you tell if a piece of brass is military and thus needs primer pocket swaging? I have a bunch of brass that I shot myself that I'm planning to reload, some was 5.56, the rest is .223. Is the 5.56 stuff considered military and thus needs swaging? Can I tell by looking at the primer pocket to see if it is crimped in some way? Thanks again for the great vids.
@rossmetacraft I tried to keep my brass separated, but never could. I always end up reloading assorted range pickup brass from dubious sources. I find it easier to assume all .223 / 5.56 brass needs to have the primer pocket swaged. I'd put the RCBS primer pocket swager in the Lee Classic Cast Press and if the primer pocket fit over the swaging button, it didn't need swaging, otherwise, I'd pull the handle to swage it. Now, I process all the brass through the RCBS Case Prep Center.
Have you done a follow up set of videos for the rest of the steps for loading? I have been running into problems when it comes to setting the bullet and then crimping. The depth thing is confusing for me and you have done the first video which actually makes sense and takes the time to show the whole process...
@tony10376 So far, I only made videos describing case prep, as there are many options and that can be the most confusing part of rifle reloading.
The case neck should be resized such that the .224" bullet presses in without too much difficulty but isn't so loose that the bullet can move between the bullet seating step and the subsequent bullet crimping step. I never use the bullet seating die to crimp. I adjust the die to seat only, and I use the Lee Factory Crimp collet die in the next step.
@hunterwr69 If you shoot a pistol, I'd recommend starting to reload straight wall pistol ammo. It's easy. You can do it with a simple single stage press. I'd recommend a Lee Classic Cast as a great value in a super beefy press you could use for any rifle ammo later. Follow the directions and be very careful about powder type and powder weight and bullet seating depth and you should be OK. Once you et the hang of that, it's a small step up to rifle reloading.
@hunterwr69 You might want to watch the nine reloading videos on Sinclair International's YouTube channel. They're a good intro to see if you'd like reloading. You'll still need to read a reloading book. Sorry, but there is no safe way to get immediate gratification with reloading. Another reloader can help get you started and that's about as painless as it gets.
@hunterwr69 The ammo cost is usually about half the cost of decent store bought ammo. The start-up equipment costs can be as low as $100 for a minimalist quality setup, and can range up from there. I'd recommend the Lee Classic Cast press. It's inexpensive and beefy enough to load ANYTHING. I use it for .50 BMG. Reloading manual, electronic scales (.1 grain accuracy), calipers, reloading dies, load blocks, Lee AutoPrime, powder funnel, powder dispenser or scoops. Work up from there.
I heard the Lee was good and to get just a single stage press to start. I dont want to start right away but for now I just want to see prices and if it is worth it I am getting a .223 soon and gonna be shooting a lot
@hunterwr69 If you want best possible accuracy (especially for a bolt action), you NEED to reload. Otherwise, it's just a good way to save money (actually, spend the same and shoot more!) and learn more about your shooting. Reloading can be a very good complementary hobby to shooting. It's not for everyone. Those only wanting cheap ammo fast and not willing to learn a bit should just buy ammo online.
I want the best possible accuracy I am going to be using a single shot handi rifle I would love to be able to pluck off targets accuratly at as far as I possibly can and for that I would need great ammo so thats another reason I want to reload my own. So would you definitly recomen reloading my own?
Thanks! I appreciate the well done informative video. I'm going to buy a Lee Classic Press very soon and start reloading my own ammo. Your video was a great help!
Hey just a tip with you miling machine or drill press you can use the Hornady tool you showed in the first part. I put it in the chuck and then just hold the case under it you can feel when its done its really fast and works great. Might save you a step without having to use the RCBS I dont know just thought id share that with you.
Use only a small amount of synthetic oil on the cases, and none on or above the shoulder. Oil on the shoulder will cause hydraulic denting but that's true of any liquid lube. Make sure there's a little oil inside the neck to lubricate the expander. You should develop a feel for how much oil to use and how often by how much force is needed to resize the brass. Use just enough oil to keep the press running smoothly. You don't want a stuck case!
I read somewhere that oil inside the case can cause the powder to stick to the sides instead of dropping down the to the bottom. Then when the bullet is seated, the friction can cause an explosion. What gives?
I'm not sure about bullet seating with a mixture of oil and powder granules adhered to the neck causing an explosion, but oil inside the case is a bad idea. It will probably interact with the powder to change its burn rate, so at the lest accuracy will suffer. Oil can deactivate a primer resulting in a misfire.
I resize and deprime on a single stage press (not the LoadMaster), then clean off the case lube in a vibratory tumbler. Only the clean cases are reloaded. Clean the lube off your cases!
Disassemble and clean the resizing die. There is usually polishing grit left in there that will cause cases to get stuck, which is very bad. After cleaning, apply a thin film of synthetic oil to all of the parts to prevent rust and keep the first case from sticking.
Excellent videos! Prior to these I had no knowledge of reloading/loading and had no idea how involved the case prep work is. You seem to have covered everything and helped a novice like myself understand what needs to be done and why you're doing it. You've shed a lot of light on the subject!
Thanks for taking time out of your day to enlighten us!
Both are inexpensive and available online at Midway, etc.
Chuck the lock stud into the 1/4" power screwdriver (cordless drill is faster), and screw the shell holder onto the lock stud to hold the brass. The caliber specific case length gauge screws into the cutter (same for all calibers) and the rotating brass is pressed against the cutter until the pin on the case length gauge bottoms out on the lock stud when trimmed to length.
Pistol brass is usually lost before it goes bad, but rifle brass has a definite life expectancy.
Full power loads will often have split necks after 7-12 loads. These are easy to see and discard, and aren't much of a safety issue. Anneal necks to avoid splits.
A more serious issue is case head separation, where the brass thins near the case head. It's difficult to see on the outside. A band forms inside from shooting and resizing and can be dangerous. A bent paper clip can feel the band.
I usually don't probe inside the cases with a bent paper clip for signs of incipient case head separation but maybe I should start. I had no case head separations for a long time, and the last couple of times I shot, I had one per day. It could be bad for the weapon and it could be dangerous. Maybe some of my brass is getting old? If so, I'm starting to question my strategy of annealing case necks to prolong brass life. I'd much rather have a case neck split than a case head separation.
You said you had case head separation when you shot. Any damage to the rifle? What happens when it separates inside the bolt? Sorry for this newbie question.
When the case head separates, the hot gases can vent out the ejection port or down into the magazine well. Gas cutting can occur and that can damage the gun or injure the shooter. I didn't realize it had happened until the next round misfed because most of the brass was still in the chamber. Excessive headspace can cause case head separation and those can be bad, but I think in my case the brass may be a little stuck and the extractor may be pulling the heads off the brass?
great videos. Very professional filming and narration. I am getting ready to start reloading, and this has taken away some of the trepidation about starting. Thanks!!
Both are inexpensive and available online at Graf's, Midway, etc.
The "brass holder" is the lock stud (1/4" hex drive for cordless drills, cordless screwdrivers, or clamping in milling machine vise), and the shell holder is the knurled collar that is turned to secure the brass to the lock stud.
Will the adjustable chuck holder fit into the electric drill/screwdriver? Is it easier to use than the standard shell holder?
fishcop444 3 months ago
@fishcop444 I use the Lee three jaw universal shell holder on the Zip Trim and it is convenient, although it needs to be kept clean and well lubed to work as designed. Unfortunately, it has larger diameter female threads for the Zip trim that don't fit the Lee case lock stud's smaller diameter male threads. I suspect there isn't an adapter, or a universal shell holder for a drill because that mechanism works better on a bench mounted device and would be awkward in a drill.
Liberty4Ever 3 months ago
@fishcop444 Maybe a better solution would be something similar to an ER style collet chuck used in machining. They have wider grip ranges than older collet designs. With the small gripping force required, it should be possible to make a collet style universal shell holder that could work with .223, .308, 243, 270, 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, etc. The collet would have thin metal fingers and a lot more open air space, for the widest possible grip range with the minimal grip force needed.
Liberty4Ever 3 months ago
Excellent pair of videos! Great for beginners like me. One question ... how can you tell if a piece of brass is military and thus needs primer pocket swaging? I have a bunch of brass that I shot myself that I'm planning to reload, some was 5.56, the rest is .223. Is the 5.56 stuff considered military and thus needs swaging? Can I tell by looking at the primer pocket to see if it is crimped in some way? Thanks again for the great vids.
rossmetacraft 4 months ago
@rossmetacraft I tried to keep my brass separated, but never could. I always end up reloading assorted range pickup brass from dubious sources. I find it easier to assume all .223 / 5.56 brass needs to have the primer pocket swaged. I'd put the RCBS primer pocket swager in the Lee Classic Cast Press and if the primer pocket fit over the swaging button, it didn't need swaging, otherwise, I'd pull the handle to swage it. Now, I process all the brass through the RCBS Case Prep Center.
Liberty4Ever 4 months ago
Excellent video! Neat trick with that mill, I see you graduated from the School Of Overkill! lol
Mrcaffinebean 8 months ago
Being a machinist myself, I like seeing the mill used for case trimming.
SyFurr 1 year ago
@SyFurr I'm not a machinist, but I play one on the internet. :-)
A 2 HP milling machine makes fast and precise work of trimming .50 BMG brass.
Liberty4Ever 1 year ago
Have you done a follow up set of videos for the rest of the steps for loading? I have been running into problems when it comes to setting the bullet and then crimping. The depth thing is confusing for me and you have done the first video which actually makes sense and takes the time to show the whole process...
tony10376 1 year ago
@tony10376 So far, I only made videos describing case prep, as there are many options and that can be the most confusing part of rifle reloading.
The case neck should be resized such that the .224" bullet presses in without too much difficulty but isn't so loose that the bullet can move between the bullet seating step and the subsequent bullet crimping step. I never use the bullet seating die to crimp. I adjust the die to seat only, and I use the Lee Factory Crimp collet die in the next step.
Liberty4Ever 1 year ago
I would like to start reloading ammo but it seems that there is waaay to many steps involved
hunterwr69 1 year ago
@hunterwr69 If you shoot a pistol, I'd recommend starting to reload straight wall pistol ammo. It's easy. You can do it with a simple single stage press. I'd recommend a Lee Classic Cast as a great value in a super beefy press you could use for any rifle ammo later. Follow the directions and be very careful about powder type and powder weight and bullet seating depth and you should be OK. Once you et the hang of that, it's a small step up to rifle reloading.
Liberty4Ever 1 year ago
@hunterwr69 You might want to watch the nine reloading videos on Sinclair International's YouTube channel. They're a good intro to see if you'd like reloading. You'll still need to read a reloading book. Sorry, but there is no safe way to get immediate gratification with reloading. Another reloader can help get you started and that's about as painless as it gets.
Liberty4Ever 1 year ago
@Liberty4Ever
Do you know about how much it would cost to start reloading .223 ammo?
hunterwr69 1 year ago
@hunterwr69 The ammo cost is usually about half the cost of decent store bought ammo. The start-up equipment costs can be as low as $100 for a minimalist quality setup, and can range up from there. I'd recommend the Lee Classic Cast press. It's inexpensive and beefy enough to load ANYTHING. I use it for .50 BMG. Reloading manual, electronic scales (.1 grain accuracy), calipers, reloading dies, load blocks, Lee AutoPrime, powder funnel, powder dispenser or scoops. Work up from there.
Liberty4Ever 1 year ago
@Liberty4Ever
I heard the Lee was good and to get just a single stage press to start. I dont want to start right away but for now I just want to see prices and if it is worth it I am getting a .223 soon and gonna be shooting a lot
hunterwr69 1 year ago
@hunterwr69 If you want best possible accuracy (especially for a bolt action), you NEED to reload. Otherwise, it's just a good way to save money (actually, spend the same and shoot more!) and learn more about your shooting. Reloading can be a very good complementary hobby to shooting. It's not for everyone. Those only wanting cheap ammo fast and not willing to learn a bit should just buy ammo online.
Liberty4Ever 1 year ago
@Liberty4Ever
I want the best possible accuracy I am going to be using a single shot handi rifle I would love to be able to pluck off targets accuratly at as far as I possibly can and for that I would need great ammo so thats another reason I want to reload my own. So would you definitly recomen reloading my own?
hunterwr69 1 year ago
Thanks! I appreciate the well done informative video. I'm going to buy a Lee Classic Press very soon and start reloading my own ammo. Your video was a great help!
bigrebone 2 years ago
Hey just a tip with you miling machine or drill press you can use the Hornady tool you showed in the first part. I put it in the chuck and then just hold the case under it you can feel when its done its really fast and works great. Might save you a step without having to use the RCBS I dont know just thought id share that with you.
BENLINUZ 2 years ago
good video. I reload .223, I wish I had an instructional video like this when I started loading!
synthetic motor oil as case lube is a good idea, as long as you clean after sizing, I use a water based lube so that I don't have to clean twice.
you do make some shiny cases though...
bingeebob 2 years ago
LINUX + RELOADING = EPIC WIN!
godzilla74114 2 years ago 2
Great video!!! I am going to try the synthetic oil. Thanks!!!!
resseau73 2 years ago
The Zip Trim is the gray mini lathe that's powered by a pull string, as shown at the start of this video.
I modified a Lee Cutter to mount to the RCBS Case Prep Center to use with the appropriate Lee Case Length Gage to trim brass to the right length.
Liberty4Ever 2 years ago
Very nice videos. I am just getting started with reloading as a hobby (and to save money). This info will come in very handy. Thanks Liberty4Ever!
TigerJon02 2 years ago
Use only a small amount of synthetic oil on the cases, and none on or above the shoulder. Oil on the shoulder will cause hydraulic denting but that's true of any liquid lube. Make sure there's a little oil inside the neck to lubricate the expander. You should develop a feel for how much oil to use and how often by how much force is needed to resize the brass. Use just enough oil to keep the press running smoothly. You don't want a stuck case!
Liberty4Ever 3 years ago
I read somewhere that oil inside the case can cause the powder to stick to the sides instead of dropping down the to the bottom. Then when the bullet is seated, the friction can cause an explosion. What gives?
jaymz038456 3 years ago
I'm not sure about bullet seating with a mixture of oil and powder granules adhered to the neck causing an explosion, but oil inside the case is a bad idea. It will probably interact with the powder to change its burn rate, so at the lest accuracy will suffer. Oil can deactivate a primer resulting in a misfire.
I resize and deprime on a single stage press (not the LoadMaster), then clean off the case lube in a vibratory tumbler. Only the clean cases are reloaded. Clean the lube off your cases!
Liberty4Ever 3 years ago
That makes more sense, it looks like I misunderstood your exact process. Thanks!
jaymz038456 3 years ago
Disassemble and clean the resizing die. There is usually polishing grit left in there that will cause cases to get stuck, which is very bad. After cleaning, apply a thin film of synthetic oil to all of the parts to prevent rust and keep the first case from sticking.
Liberty4Ever 3 years ago
Youve got a future in education man very good
Ancientirish 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
my bf just got done f**king me and I am so tired and sore :( he took pics and put them on my page lol! Q
marneezy 3 years ago
Excellent videos! Prior to these I had no knowledge of reloading/loading and had no idea how involved the case prep work is. You seem to have covered everything and helped a novice like myself understand what needs to be done and why you're doing it. You've shed a lot of light on the subject!
Thanks for taking time out of your day to enlighten us!
BinPlottin 3 years ago
Thank you for taking the time and making the videos. I will be buying my reloading gear this gear this week thanks to your videos.
mpolice32 3 years ago
very informative. Thank you.
blisster01 3 years ago
What are the parts needed for the power screwdriver case trimmer you have in this video? By the way great stuff, I learned alot.
jjadem 3 years ago
Lee Cutter & Lock Stud
Lee Shell Holder & Case Length Gage
Both are inexpensive and available online at Midway, etc.
Chuck the lock stud into the 1/4" power screwdriver (cordless drill is faster), and screw the shell holder onto the lock stud to hold the brass. The caliber specific case length gauge screws into the cutter (same for all calibers) and the rotating brass is pressed against the cutter until the pin on the case length gauge bottoms out on the lock stud when trimmed to length.
Liberty4Ever 3 years ago
how many times can you reuse the brass?
how many times will you be trimming.. n such before the brass is KIA.?
pingpong909 3 years ago
Pistol brass is usually lost before it goes bad, but rifle brass has a definite life expectancy.
Full power loads will often have split necks after 7-12 loads. These are easy to see and discard, and aren't much of a safety issue. Anneal necks to avoid splits.
A more serious issue is case head separation, where the brass thins near the case head. It's difficult to see on the outside. A band forms inside from shooting and resizing and can be dangerous. A bent paper clip can feel the band.
Liberty4Ever 3 years ago
So, do you use the paper clip method solely to check for case head separation? How about just getting rid of the cases after 5 loads to be sure?
foxspeedlogistics 3 years ago
I usually don't probe inside the cases with a bent paper clip for signs of incipient case head separation but maybe I should start. I had no case head separations for a long time, and the last couple of times I shot, I had one per day. It could be bad for the weapon and it could be dangerous. Maybe some of my brass is getting old? If so, I'm starting to question my strategy of annealing case necks to prolong brass life. I'd much rather have a case neck split than a case head separation.
Liberty4Ever 3 years ago
You said you had case head separation when you shot. Any damage to the rifle? What happens when it separates inside the bolt? Sorry for this newbie question.
foxspeedlogistics 3 years ago
When the case head separates, the hot gases can vent out the ejection port or down into the magazine well. Gas cutting can occur and that can damage the gun or injure the shooter. I didn't realize it had happened until the next round misfed because most of the brass was still in the chamber. Excessive headspace can cause case head separation and those can be bad, but I think in my case the brass may be a little stuck and the extractor may be pulling the heads off the brass?
Liberty4Ever 3 years ago
thanks for the reply sir. i've learned a lot. keep those videos coming.
foxspeedlogistics 3 years ago
great videos. Very professional filming and narration. I am getting ready to start reloading, and this has taken away some of the trepidation about starting. Thanks!!
jcdmd73 3 years ago
Wow - amazing set of videos! Very informative for people new to reloading.
Keep the good vids coming!
solrflare 3 years ago
wow this is great. did not think about syn motor oil as case lube, but it seems to work for everything else. too bad i just bought 8oz of case lube.
EriccartmanR1 3 years ago
Nice vid bro. Good stuff for a noob like me, thanks
crowndwner 4 years ago
Nice video. Where can I get that brass holder you used to hold brass in vice under the mill?
Thanks
al
boochie123 4 years ago
Lee Cutter & Lock Stud
Lee Shell Holder & Case Length Gage
Both are inexpensive and available online at Graf's, Midway, etc.
The "brass holder" is the lock stud (1/4" hex drive for cordless drills, cordless screwdrivers, or clamping in milling machine vise), and the shell holder is the knurled collar that is turned to secure the brass to the lock stud.
Liberty4Ever 4 years ago
Got it.
Thanks again
al
boochie123 4 years ago