Reloading 101 - info please

[jdyoung]

Couple questions (I'm taking notes)

wet vs dry tumblers for cleaning brass??

do you de-prime the brass before you tumble and clean it?

I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos this week and learning that EVERYONE has their own opinion on the methodology so just looking for suggestions from guys that have been doing this for awhile. You never know what or who you get making videos and posting online

I deprime with a Lyman Universal Decapping die before cleaning ( that way my sizing dies stay clean longer). Once clean , I size , I then clean with a Lyman sonic (wet) cleaner, dry with a Frankford Arsenal dryer ( basically a dehydrator like used for making jerky etc). final polish is done with a Midway vibratory tumbler with either walnut or corn cob media laced with polishing compound.

 

[jdyoung]

Thanks for the offer but I have no idea what this is..... I need to learn about all the equipment and terms before I start collecting anything. No point in taking you up on the offer if it is something I'll never use and it can find another home to someone in need right now.

this community is pretty cool. Thanks for all the offers. I am in the process of learning before I load anything.

PTG Nut or Sinclair Hex style bullet comparator . Used with calipers to measure length of completed round from Base to Ogive. I have also used it on just bullets to sort according to ogive position.

 

[Mram10us]

Couple questions (I'm taking notes)

wet vs dry tumblers for cleaning brass??

do you de-prime the brass before you tumble and clean it?

I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos this week and learning that EVERYONE has their own opinion on the methodology so just looking for suggestions from guys that have been doing this for awhile. You never know what or who you get making videos and posting online

I throw fired brass into ss tumbler, dry, then fl size, etc. Another example of different ways to do it. Key is keeping the inside of your dies clean

 

[ntsqd]

What I've learned in the short time that I've owned a tumbler:

Tumble after primers removed means that the primer pockets at least get a little cleaning.

Tumble before primers removed means that you don't get #$%*&! tumble media stuck in the flash hole, or if you do you may not know it because the de-cap pin with remove it with the primer.

I'm with JDYoung, I de-cap with the Lee Universal de-capper die (can't believe how inexpensive those are!), tumble, pass thru the de-capper again to remove any stuck media. I don't even police the cases, I just run them all thru the de-cap die a second time. Then they get re-sized.

Lots of ways to do this, I don't think that there is a wrong way, but of course my way is the best way. (Heavy sarcasm there).

JDY, thanks for that pic!

 

[Muddyboots]

+1 on cleaning before FL sizing and using universal decapper to remove primers for cleaning. I run a primer pocket cleaner as well just to make the primer pockets "pretty".

One hint on using walnut media is mix ground walnut bedding for reptiles (Petsmart) that is very fine with standard walnut media at least 1:1 and the flash hole plugging is greatly reduced plus there is an increased "media turnover flow" in a vibratory cleaner that enhances cleaning of brass. Plus the finer walnut does improve inside case cleaning as well as time to clean since the surface area of the finer media is polishing at a greater rate.

 

[Muddyboots]

KSB209: Manual on its way.

So do we want to start a pool on when he actually receives it? Scheduled delivery of 1/18 through USPS. I am betting not before the 25th. Do we even think this month? I have friends that are still getting deliveries today from stuff ordered way before Christmas. I just don't have faith in their timetables.

 

[Starlite]

I have a Lee Perfect powder measure if you need it

I love that your giving that up. For me it's the most accurate, dependable and cheapest one I have. I'll never give it up until I can afford a RCBS / Hornady electric thrower.

 

[Starlite]

I deprime with a Lyman Universal Decapping die before cleaning ( that way my sizing dies stay clean longer). Once clean , I size , I then clean with a Lyman sonic (wet) cleaner, dry with a Frankford Arsenal dryer ( basically a dehydrator like used for making jerky etc). final polish is done with a Midway vibratory tumbler with either walnut or corn cob media laced with polishing compound.

My steps are similar except I do my annealing following the decaping. Then I run the Lyman turbo tumbling in corncob (CC). Lastly i sonic clean (gets rid of all the CC dust), Rinse, dry and resize. Over to the trimmer, chamfered edges and PP cleanup before final inspection

 

[Muddyboots]

Ok, I was somewhat kidding on expected arrival date but Holy Cow! Just received in mail today a Bass Pro sales flier. Maybe tad out of date!

 

[Starlite]

Ok, I was somewhat kidding on expected arrival date but Holy Cow! Just received in mail today a Bass Pro sales flier. Maybe tad out of date!View attachment 240033

Are you gonna call in an order and ask for that price?

 

[ButterBean]

I love that your giving that up. For me it's the most accurate, dependable and cheapest one I have. I'll never give it up until I can afford a RCBS / Hornady electric thrower.

I love it and have kept it for a spare for decades, super accurate throws

 

[Muddyboots]

Are you gonna call in an order and ask for that price?

For sure and wonder if it be delivered by end of 2021?

 

[Starlite]

For sure and wonder if it be delivered by end of 2021?

I ordered some scope throw levers back in April from a US maker. Still waiting. Amazon refunded my money. Still waiting for them. Hopefully someone is getting use of them.

 

[Vettepilot]

Back to the books. Yes, I would still buy both the Lyman and Lee books. All the reloading manuals include a huge section on load data, in addition to all the reloading step by step instructions, procedures, and explanations. After reading them, if you decide to get into reloading, you will need that load data, and will refer back to the "how to" sections many times. Both books are excellent for beginners, and excellent reference material to own IMHO.

As for all the different, and sometimes opposing "advise" you will encounter on YouTube and in forums.... everyone feels their way is best. You will develop your own preferences over time. Just one example might be case cleaning. There's tons of opinions on how to do it, in what specific order, etc. The truth is, as long as the exterior of the case has no grit on it that could damage your dies, you could reload without cleaning the cases AT ALL with no ill effects.

Vettepilot