Hey there guys, I'm totally new to the world of reloading and santa was good to me this year. Here's my 1st question (of many). Mrs. Claus accidentally ordered .222 rem dies instead of .223 rem. the bullet diameter for both rounds is .224, what is the difference in the dies? I'm just trying to get all my ducks in a row before I do anything, so all help is appreciated. I am starting with the .223 on the advice of a member here who also turned me on to this site but many other cartridges will follow.
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reloading newbie needs help
- Thread starter jwilly
- Start date
Re: reloading newbie needs help
The dies ARE different. Exchange the dies or just get another set.
Order the latest edition of the Lyman's Centerfire Handloading Manual. I think it maybe the 49th edition. Read ALL of the NON caliber specific data chapters. It has a LOT of getting started hints. Then go back and read the SAFETY chapter again. Follow the book for 10 or 12 years and you won't make any mistakes.
Best of luck.
The dies ARE different. Exchange the dies or just get another set.
Order the latest edition of the Lyman's Centerfire Handloading Manual. I think it maybe the 49th edition. Read ALL of the NON caliber specific data chapters. It has a LOT of getting started hints. Then go back and read the SAFETY chapter again. Follow the book for 10 or 12 years and you won't make any mistakes.
Best of luck.
Re: reloading newbie needs help
Thanks for the reply, and advice Victor. I will be exchanging the dies (Cabelas), and getting a few other items that Mrs. Claus missed. Still need to finish my bench and shelving. I wish that the local CC offered classes but alas, no.
Thanks for the reply, and advice Victor. I will be exchanging the dies (Cabelas), and getting a few other items that Mrs. Claus missed. Still need to finish my bench and shelving. I wish that the local CC offered classes but alas, no.
Re: reloading newbie needs help
jwilly, simply put Victor is spot on, the dies are different. To be more specific in response to your question, the geometry of the cases are different, and what the dies job is (basically) is to squeeze your brass back to the size it was before firing--(this is a HUGE oversimplification) but in short, your brass will not fit properly into the wrong die, and in fact can cause all sorts of problem, including safety issues. Good intel to read a manual first, I read a couple before I started... do that reading before you load anything, and good luck! The right dies are always a must!
jwilly, simply put Victor is spot on, the dies are different. To be more specific in response to your question, the geometry of the cases are different, and what the dies job is (basically) is to squeeze your brass back to the size it was before firing--(this is a HUGE oversimplification) but in short, your brass will not fit properly into the wrong die, and in fact can cause all sorts of problem, including safety issues. Good intel to read a manual first, I read a couple before I started... do that reading before you load anything, and good luck! The right dies are always a must!
Re: reloading newbie needs help
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jwilly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all the info, now if I could just find a place with the bests prices on all the extras I would be in hog heaven. </div></div>
HAHAHAHA!
This is how it starts!
Check out:
Midway USA
Powder Valley
E.A. Brown and company
Third Generation Shooter's supply
Misouth Shooters supply
Graf's and sons
Natchez Shooters supply
Creedmoor
For starters!
Good luck and seriously, learn to love crawling before you start to walk. Don't worry about running just yet.
Safety first!
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jwilly</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for all the info, now if I could just find a place with the bests prices on all the extras I would be in hog heaven. </div></div>
HAHAHAHA!
This is how it starts!
Check out:
Midway USA
Powder Valley
E.A. Brown and company
Third Generation Shooter's supply
Misouth Shooters supply
Graf's and sons
Natchez Shooters supply
Creedmoor
For starters!
Good luck and seriously, learn to love crawling before you start to walk. Don't worry about running just yet.
Safety first!
Re: reloading newbie needs help
get yourself on the sinclair mailing list and tell her its for the kids and for her safety
get yourself on the sinclair mailing list and tell her its for the kids and for her safety
Re: reloading newbie needs help
and dont forget you can tell her you borrowed that new gadget from me. eventually they quit looking in that "goddamned" man cave/gun room. and at least you didnt spend it at the strip club, even if those girls were just working there to pay their college tuition
and dont forget you can tell her you borrowed that new gadget from me. eventually they quit looking in that "goddamned" man cave/gun room. and at least you didnt spend it at the strip club, even if those girls were just working there to pay their college tuition
Re: reloading newbie needs help
Jwilly, I am in the same boat you are man, Mrs.Claus is a great! I have been trying to get all the other things that I will need to finish off the rest of my supplies. I lucked out and a neighbors son works at sportsmans warehouse and is going to get my order on his 30% discount. This is awsome cause I can get the things I really want instead of what I can afford. In my search for the things I am needing I did look at most of the places that are mentioned in the reply by queequeg. I also found that on the manufacturers websites Lee, Hornady, RCBS, Forster, etc that they have a list of seconds that are greatly marked down. They say that they are mechanically sound and work its just that they might have some cosmetic issues. Also, I found it easier to go onto the websites of the manufacturers to order the catalog they offer. They are free with no shipping, on the web is ok but if your searches arent real specific it can leave some things out(Being that we are new and are still learning what everything is and what it does). Sinclair, Brownells, RCBS, Redding (nice catalog), Lee and Lyman all sent them in about a week. From what I have been reading in my two reloading books (Speer and A,B,C's of reloading) the thing about the .222 and mixing with .223 is bad, real bad. If the numbers don't match in anyway, from dies(even if they are close), (POWDERS BY DIFFERENT COMPANIES WITH SAME NUMBERS ON CAN), anything at all that deals with reloading has to match. I am not yelling with the caps lock but check things, and after you think you know its right check it again.
Have fun reloading and try not pulling your hair out finding out what all you will need to make good ammo. Someone needs to make a list of the equiptment they use from start to finish for reloaders making standard ammo and a list that has all the equiptment they use for match ammo. The things that they have learned they don't ever use and things that are a must and not going overboard with all of it. Its people like you and I that are trying to figure out what these things are, what they do, when do you use them, how will it help me out and what are the tools that insure a safe round that we are trying to figure out. Its really impossible, it might not seem like it but there are tons of manufacturers with all different things out there. Right now I am trying to find a headspace guage. Why I need it? I don't really know. An old reloader told me I will need to make sure that this is right everytime otherwise I will be holding a bomb in my hand if its not right. Do I buy the RCBS Headspace Mic, the Forster setup with the three things that look like bullets with a go, no go and a field thing, or do I buy a Hornady stick like thing with the multiple guages that fit to a caliper. To answer this I don't know and have no idea. I put a post on here about it with 61 view and 1 reply.
Just research everything is all I can say.
Jwilly, I am in the same boat you are man, Mrs.Claus is a great! I have been trying to get all the other things that I will need to finish off the rest of my supplies. I lucked out and a neighbors son works at sportsmans warehouse and is going to get my order on his 30% discount. This is awsome cause I can get the things I really want instead of what I can afford. In my search for the things I am needing I did look at most of the places that are mentioned in the reply by queequeg. I also found that on the manufacturers websites Lee, Hornady, RCBS, Forster, etc that they have a list of seconds that are greatly marked down. They say that they are mechanically sound and work its just that they might have some cosmetic issues. Also, I found it easier to go onto the websites of the manufacturers to order the catalog they offer. They are free with no shipping, on the web is ok but if your searches arent real specific it can leave some things out(Being that we are new and are still learning what everything is and what it does). Sinclair, Brownells, RCBS, Redding (nice catalog), Lee and Lyman all sent them in about a week. From what I have been reading in my two reloading books (Speer and A,B,C's of reloading) the thing about the .222 and mixing with .223 is bad, real bad. If the numbers don't match in anyway, from dies(even if they are close), (POWDERS BY DIFFERENT COMPANIES WITH SAME NUMBERS ON CAN), anything at all that deals with reloading has to match. I am not yelling with the caps lock but check things, and after you think you know its right check it again.
Have fun reloading and try not pulling your hair out finding out what all you will need to make good ammo. Someone needs to make a list of the equiptment they use from start to finish for reloaders making standard ammo and a list that has all the equiptment they use for match ammo. The things that they have learned they don't ever use and things that are a must and not going overboard with all of it. Its people like you and I that are trying to figure out what these things are, what they do, when do you use them, how will it help me out and what are the tools that insure a safe round that we are trying to figure out. Its really impossible, it might not seem like it but there are tons of manufacturers with all different things out there. Right now I am trying to find a headspace guage. Why I need it? I don't really know. An old reloader told me I will need to make sure that this is right everytime otherwise I will be holding a bomb in my hand if its not right. Do I buy the RCBS Headspace Mic, the Forster setup with the three things that look like bullets with a go, no go and a field thing, or do I buy a Hornady stick like thing with the multiple guages that fit to a caliper. To answer this I don't know and have no idea. I put a post on here about it with 61 view and 1 reply.
Just research everything is all I can say.
Re: reloading newbie needs help
Land surveyor,
The Head space gauge you refer to may in fact be a case gauge which is made to the SAAMI specs of a particular cartridge. By using this you will know with certainty that your resized case will fit in a SAAMI spec chamber. Custom chambers are usually tighter and a general spec case gauge may still not adequately tell you if your rounds will chamber. That said, most people with custom chambers are using custom dies such as bump dies or neck sizing, etc.
L.E. Wilson Case gauges
http://tinyurl.com/2dacko6
Head Space gauges are for determining the chamber dimensions from the case head to the datum point of the cartridge in question. For a typical high power rifle case that would be the point on the case head to the point of the shoulder that determines the limit to which the case can move no farther forward. On a belted magnum case, that point would be the belt. A "Rimless" pistol case head spaces on the mouth (.45 ACP, 9mm, etc.). A typical revolver case (.38, .357, etc.,) on the rim.
Head space gauges,
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=36/k=/t=P/mfg=/Products/Headspace-Gauges
These have more application to people installing barrels, chambering barrels or checking the safety of a new acquisition of questionable pedigree.
Head space typically isn't as important to the reloader as overall length might be, especially to those who seek to optimize the amount of jump the bullet has from it's loaded length to contact with the lands of the rifling.
Overall length gauges.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=36/k=/t=P/mfg=/Products/Headspace-Gauges
I own case gauges and an overall length gauge as well as a comparator set for determining the overall length to the more meaningful head to ogive length.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=231904
I have not used this yet. Just got it!
Land surveyor,
The Head space gauge you refer to may in fact be a case gauge which is made to the SAAMI specs of a particular cartridge. By using this you will know with certainty that your resized case will fit in a SAAMI spec chamber. Custom chambers are usually tighter and a general spec case gauge may still not adequately tell you if your rounds will chamber. That said, most people with custom chambers are using custom dies such as bump dies or neck sizing, etc.
L.E. Wilson Case gauges
http://tinyurl.com/2dacko6
Head Space gauges are for determining the chamber dimensions from the case head to the datum point of the cartridge in question. For a typical high power rifle case that would be the point on the case head to the point of the shoulder that determines the limit to which the case can move no farther forward. On a belted magnum case, that point would be the belt. A "Rimless" pistol case head spaces on the mouth (.45 ACP, 9mm, etc.). A typical revolver case (.38, .357, etc.,) on the rim.
Head space gauges,
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=36/k=/t=P/mfg=/Products/Headspace-Gauges
These have more application to people installing barrels, chambering barrels or checking the safety of a new acquisition of questionable pedigree.
Head space typically isn't as important to the reloader as overall length might be, especially to those who seek to optimize the amount of jump the bullet has from it's loaded length to contact with the lands of the rifling.
Overall length gauges.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=36/k=/t=P/mfg=/Products/Headspace-Gauges
I own case gauges and an overall length gauge as well as a comparator set for determining the overall length to the more meaningful head to ogive length.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=231904
I have not used this yet. Just got it!
Re: reloading newbie needs help
I was where you are 20 years ago.
I could tell you lots of 'best ways' to do things, but in truth, I shouldn't. Much of that boils down to matters of opinion.
My long simmered opinion is that simpler is better. Start simple, stick to known paths, then branch out once you're broken in your habits and preferences.
Research before you invest. Seek many views, and ask questions.
Not everything will work as advertised, and some issues are more important for others than they will turn out to be for you.
That's all fine.
Just understand that this is a many faceted passtime, and that reading the cautions twice is never a waste of time. If you don't understand something, ask.
Greg
I was where you are 20 years ago.
I could tell you lots of 'best ways' to do things, but in truth, I shouldn't. Much of that boils down to matters of opinion.
My long simmered opinion is that simpler is better. Start simple, stick to known paths, then branch out once you're broken in your habits and preferences.
Research before you invest. Seek many views, and ask questions.
Not everything will work as advertised, and some issues are more important for others than they will turn out to be for you.
That's all fine.
Just understand that this is a many faceted passtime, and that reading the cautions twice is never a waste of time. If you don't understand something, ask.
Greg
Re: reloading newbie needs help
jwilly: What part of WA are you in? You might not be too far up the road from me.
jwilly: What part of WA are you in? You might not be too far up the road from me.
Re: reloading newbie needs help
I am in almost the same boat-getting back into reloading...I was reloading just for a 30-06 years ago, now I am wanting to do .40, 9mm, .223, 30-06, and 300 WM...I have a question-what is the different types of powders (ball, stick, flake)? I am wondering which meters the best to help me choose a good powder dispenser...I was wanting to go with a chargemaster 1500 automatic and a harrell's or a redding 3br...any input or expeirences would help...thanks in advance!
I am in almost the same boat-getting back into reloading...I was reloading just for a 30-06 years ago, now I am wanting to do .40, 9mm, .223, 30-06, and 300 WM...I have a question-what is the different types of powders (ball, stick, flake)? I am wondering which meters the best to help me choose a good powder dispenser...I was wanting to go with a chargemaster 1500 automatic and a harrell's or a redding 3br...any input or expeirences would help...thanks in advance!
