well, I tried my first reloads today

[44minimum]

things didn't turn out quite as well as I hoped.I had ordered some 38 special/357 dies but I'm not sure that's what I got. on the dies it says 38 special and on the instructions it says 38 special. I'm trying to load 357 and every time I tried to seat a bulletit smashed it down all the way into the case. I tried backing out the second and third die from the threads, then seating a bullet but I never did get it right. they were all mashed down too far. I wasted about ten cases and bulletsbefore I finally got pissed off and quit.any ideas?

[drinks]

Not to be insulting, but did you read the instructions?
What dies do you have and what cases and bullets are you using?

[MT Gianni]

Try fitting a factory loaded round into your seating die with the bullet seating screw all the way out and turn it in till it touches. That should get you close to whatever manual you are using's overall cartridge length.Gianni.

[TCLouis]

Lets do it one step at a time.

remove the bullet seating stem from the die
screw the die way out
Place a round with a bullet much like you have to reload in the shellholder
raise the bullet all the way up toward the die
screw the die in until you feel it make contact with the round in the shellholder
replace the bullet seating stem
screw the stem down until it makes contact with the bullet in the loaded round.
Lock the die and seating stem at that point.


This should get you in the ballpark for loading your own rounds.

As others have said, you may want to go back and review all the information you can find on reloading methods and procedures.

One never saves money reloading, they just shoot more often with the best ammo for their guns.

[Buckshot]

............44minimum, sometimes stuff turns out like that for me:D. You'll be able to load 357's in those 38 dies fine, following the guy's suggestions. Look at it this way: If it came out perfect at the very first, where would the sense of accomplishment come from afterwards, HA!

Thinking this way has helped several times as I stood there looking at the smoldering wreckage all around me, that I had created with my first attempt.

............Buckshot

[David R]

44,

You can do it!

[Wayne Smith]

And remember, the wadcutter is loaded flush with the mouth of the case.

[keeper89]

44-

When I started in 1979 I had a speer manual, an rcbs junior, steel dies and no knowledge whatsoever. I went the other way, though. Took a while to figure out why those danged 38 casings wouldn't crimp using 357 length dies--welcome to the club, pal. After a while you will be able to laugh at this one and won't get po'd until the NEXT time you f### something up!!

[7br]

As I recall with my .44spec/.44mag, there is a washer that is supposed to go under the lock ring of the seating die. The extra thickness makes up for the difference in case lenth. I have made up several dummy rounds that allow me to quickly reset my dies. You should be able to do the same with factory ammo.

[mike in co]

As I recall with my .44spec/.44mag, there is a washer that is supposed to go under the lock ring of the seating die. The extra thickness makes up for the difference in case lenth. I have made up several dummy rounds that allow me to quickly reset my dies. You should be able to do the same with factory ammo.

bingo....
since the dies say 38, you need a spacer aprox .1 thick to move the dies up
to a length for the 357.
try backing out a bunch and working in slowly, looking where the crimp hits the case, back up and add the seater.

sizing cases....start with the die out a bunch and work in.
belling for the bullet...the cases need to be the same length, or the bell may cause problems in the dies( you really only need a little bell)

for the crimp ( and the load performance) the cases need to be the same lenght , so you get the same crimp........

[1Shirt]

All kinds of good words of wisdom, particularly about the washer. Was loading mag brass for 357 and 44M with washers many years ago befor they started furnishing the "washer" with some of the special dies. That was mostly because I didn't have the money to buy both special and mag dies back then. Have always given the advise to novice reloaders to sit for a few reloading sessions with an experianced reloader, get at least one reloading manual (preferably Lyman), and to read all the instructions relating to reloading. Now I would also add that it is also highly advisable to go to the various web sites on reloading and review them even if they can on occaision be confusing. Also am a firm believer in the old saying "make haste slowly".
1Shirt

[44minimum]

yep I read the instructions and I think I've followed them. It was s &b brass once fired, 140 grain J. HP bullets, and the Lee Carbide three die set.the instructions and the dies are 38 special and I was loading 357, is that the whole problem? Thinking it could be, I backed out the second and third die but I had to back it out a whole lot to get much of a change, but it still smashed the bullet down into the case to far. On the expansion die, I pressed the brass all the way up into the die, are you supposed to do that? I am going to use new star line brass but I want to get it adjusted correctly before I ruinany of it.is there more than one adjustmenton the die that screws in that I could have gotten out of whack? I ordered a video from the nrma but I think they have forgotten about it.who knows, it probably tells me exactly what I need to do.

[Buckshot]

............The seater die body will have a central threaded stem which is what pushes the slug into the case. I don't know whose dies you have and how crimping is being handled, but I will assume that it is going to be done in the seater die too.

So okay, you put a case in the shellholder and runner up. Now thread the die body into the press. Unscrew the central seater stem UP as far as it will go short of coming out of the die. Screw the die body down until you feel some resistance. This will be the crimp ledge inside the die body touching the casemouth.

Extract the case and charge it with powder and replace it in the shell holder. Place a bullet on the casemouth and run it back up into the die. Screw the central seater stem DOWN until you feel it touch the bullet. Lower the ram a bit and screw the seater stem down some more. Run the case and bullet back up.

Do the above until the bottom of the cannelure on the bullet is 'Just' below the casemouth. Back off the seater stem a RCH and slightly lower the case, then screw the die body down maybe an eigth of a turn. Run the case back up all the way and you should feel the crimp ledge in the die roll the casemouth into the bullet's cannelure. Lower the cartridge and look at the crimp you produced.

Should have the casemouth about centered in the cannelure and visibly rolled into it. You want a nice smooth rounded look to the crimp. If it looks good, run it back up into the die and screw the seater stem down to firmly press against the bullet, and tighten the lock ring on the die body.

In about the time it took to read this, after you've done it a few times you could have set up 5 dies.

................Buckshot

[Scrounger]

It is a simple process and the dies you have will work, you just need them adjusted properly. Where do you live? There must be a reloader nearby and he can show you how to do it in 5 minutes. Try asking your gun shop or reloading equiptment store to put you in contact.

[44minimum]

ok dudes, i shall print these instructions an follow them to a t. i shall persist!

muchas gracias

[versifier]

You can order the .38/.357 spacer washer from RCBS directly, or you can get a Redding spacer from Midway (1 800 243-3220, www.midwayusa.com) item #312-274 $3.79. They also have lots of manuals and videos/DVD's like The ABC's of Reloading, Manuals by Lyman, Lee, Nosler, Sierra, Speer, Intro to Reloading videos by Hornady, Lyman, And Sierra. Get their catalog, too, if only as a reference. :coffeecom The NRA has a great reloading book, too, but I am not sure if it's still in print - if not, you can probably scare up a copy at a gun show. Twenty years ago, when I started, it was my first die set, too. After a few months of readjusting the dies back and forth for the two different cases, my buddy took the washer (still in its unopened plastic wrap) and said "Don't you think you could save some time using this?" There were no instructions about using it with the die set, but it was included. I believe I gave an intelligent answer like "Huh? Oh, so that's what the ****ing thing is for!" We all start at the beginning. While there's nothing really difficult about reloading, the are a lot of little details to learn and remember. All it takes is practice, patience, and perseverance.

[David R]

44,

You do not need the stinkin washer! Its not your problem, neither is that you have 38 dies, you just need to get your dies adjusted correctly. I am going to guess you had your seat/crimp die set so it touches the shell holder like the size die. It doesn't work that way. There are die instructions above and probably included with the dies.

You will be shooting in no time.

Some day you will be giving advice :)

David

[drinks]

44;
You have not adjusted the seating stem properly.
With the Lee 3 piece carbide dies, the sizing-decapping die has a hex head sticking out the top, the seating-crimping die has a knurled knob sticking out the top.
You set the Knurled knob to seat the bullet at the depth you want, screw it way out to start with, raise the case up until it touches the start of the crimp portion of the die, screw the whole die up until the case is not touching in the die with the case all the way up.
Then put a bullet in the case , raise the case all the way up, screw the seating stem down to touch the bullet, lower the case a bit and screw down the seating stem some more, keep doing this until the bullet is in the case to the correct depth.
Then screw down the die about 1/2 turn, raise the seating stem up the same distance, not the same amount of turn, they are different thread spacing and the die moves more than the stem for the same amount of rotation.
This should seat and crimp the bullet at the correct depth, if too deep, back the seater stem off a bit more, if the crimp is not enough, turn the die down a bit.

I , personally, never seat and crimp in the same operation, I seat first with the die backed out enough to not crimp at all and then back the seater out quite a bit and then adjust the die down to crimp, do not like the idea of crimping a moving bullet

[TCLouis]

the reloader wrote: "On the expansion die, I pressed the brass all the way up into the die, are you supposed to do that?"

If this is truly what is happening, the bullet probably FALLS down into the case. This would be so easy for you and us IF we could just pop over and show you one time.

IT AIN'T "Rocket Surgery", but trying to do it or help over the net is NOT the easiest of operations.

Did you try to find the National reloading manufacturesr web site, it may do a better job explaining. Did I miss it, did you tell us what reloading manual you used to get started.

Spacers or NO spacers is NOT the issue, the die(s) are likely WAY too far down in the press.

[Jumptrap]

t

IT AIN'T "Rocket Surgery",



What the hell is Rocket Surgery? Is it remotely connected to Brain Science?

Or, are both subjects Junk Science? HAR!

[David R]

Just wondering how its going 44 minimum.

David

[Throckmorton]

that just lets you change cartridges and not have to readjust the sizer die.Running the die up or down each time you switch from .38 to .357 accomplishes the same thing.
where did you buy your dies? If they are used the seller could have been incorrect as to their usage.Since the don't say .357,they may not be.I wold do a search on the mfgrs. websit to see what they really are.

[StarMetal]

Throckmorton

The spacer ring is used for all the dies, not just the resizing die. The 38 spcl is about 1/8 inch shorter then the 357 so all stations of the dies would need the spacer ring. Another thing, 357's can be reloaded on most 38 spcl dies.

Joe