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Thread: Visually checking every powder charge.

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
    minerburns's Avatar
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    Visually checking every powder charge.

    Progressive Press users, here is a convenient way to visually check all of your powder charges without using up a die station.
    The mirrors are from Amazon and have strong magnetic bases.
    The larger unit is the better of the two for most machines.

    Next Reloading Class Aug 14 near Yakima, WA.
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  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    or a powder indicator die in station 4...
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy

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    I picked up an LED liscense plate light that I put in the middle hole for Dillon and hooked up to a fish camera battery. Later I got a store bought light that does a better job. Doing mostly pistol cartridhes makes it simple . GW

  4. #4
    Boolit Master ACC's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by minerburns View Post
    Progressive Press users, here is a convenient way to visually check all of your powder charges without using up a die station.
    The mirrors are from Amazon and have strong magnetic bases.
    The larger unit is the better of the two for most machines.

    Next Reloading Class Aug 14 near Yakima, WA.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    That is an awesome idea. I don't have a turret press but it is a great idea.

    ACC

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Land Owner View Post
    or a powder indicator die in station 4...
    how does that work in a four station progressive?
    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


  6. #6
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    I did that also with a small mirror on my Lyman turret. The way my press was set up on the wall in my pantry I couldn’t see into the case but the mirror worked great.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I just look in each case as I hand place the bullet. The problem is, after having loaded something like 200,000 rounds on this press, it’s too easy to rely on muscle memory and not look, and that’d apply using a mirror as well.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy



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    I use a endoscope camera works great for 300BO and 38 special on the ole progressives , it was cheap and uses my phone.
    "Yes or no will almost always suffice as the answer"

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    Thanks for the tip. Just bought mine at Amazon 17 bucks.
    “You should tell someone what you know. There should be a history, so that men can learn from it.

    He smiled. “Men do not learn from history. Each generation believes itself brighter than the last, each believes it can survive the mistakes of the older ones. Each discovers each old thing and they throw up their hands and say ‘See! Look what I have found! Look upon what I know!’ And each believes it is something new.

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  10. #10
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    Good information, minerburns--And the other tips as well.

    DG

  11. #11
    Boolit Master hc18flyer's Avatar
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    Yup, going to have to get one someday, would come in real handy at times! I don't have a progressive yet? hc18flyer

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Loudy13 View Post
    I use a endoscope camera works great for 300BO and 38 special on the ole progressives , it was cheap and uses my phone.
    Oh I could see that working well to check priming too, stick into the thru expander before the drop. Or under the press after the priming station in the hollow ram

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy Sig's Avatar
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    If you have room, put in a RCBS lockout die.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by kevin c View Post
    I just look in each case as I hand place the bullet. The problem is, after having loaded something like 200,000 rounds on this press, it’s too easy to rely on muscle memory and not look, and that’d apply using a mirror as well.
    That is my problem. I could never trust myself to be 100% perfect. Some of us are wired differently. But it is a good option for those who have the discipline and the mind set to do it that way.

    IIRC I paid about $60 for the powder check die and was impressed that it will detect about a .2 gr difference in powder drop on pistol cartridges like .38/.357 and 9mm. No way my eyes are that "calibrated". But really, unless loading to max, being off by +/- .2 gr is not a big deal for the type of shooting most of us do. Even a squib is not catastrophic if you are paying attention. So, the mirror has its place for a cheap solution for many folks.
    Don Verna


  15. #15
    Boolit Bub hunter49's Avatar
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    Some great tips for sure! I agree with dverna but, I weigh each powder charge and use a powder trickler as needed.
    The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first. - "Thomas Jefferson"

  16. #16
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by Land Owner View Post
    or a powder indicator die in station 4...
    If only it were that easy. I own a Dillon 750 w/ a Mr. Bulletfeeder to load lead 45ACP, so there is no room for it, a powder-check die, and separate seating and crimp dies.

    I am looking to add a powder check die to my setup. But if I add the powder-check die, will be forced to use a combination seating/crimp die. I have no problem doing this, except that I read that using this die shaves lead, and I use powder-coated lead bullets. Yes, I could crimp off the press, but that doubles the time it takes to reload.

    Have considered getting an 1100, but it looks like although it has 8-stations, the stations are restricted in what they can do and I cannot add the powder-check die if using a Mr. Bulletfeeder. *** Dillon?!

    Have also looked at the Apex-10, but it seems to be too problem-prone to bother with.

    Does anyone here use a combination seating/crimp die w/ lead bullets? And if so, is there a problem w/ lead-shaving?
    Member: Orange Gunsite Family, NRA-Life, ARTCA, American Legion, & the South Cuyahoga Gun Club.

    Caveat Emptor: Do not trust Cavery Grips/American Gripz/Prestige Grips/Stealth Grips from Clayton, NC. He will rip you off.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master

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    If you crimp light, it is minimal or zero. Especially if your bullet has a crimp groove.

    Or I can ask from another way:

    Are you shooting at a level that can not tolerate shaving a minuscule amount of lead from a bullet? I can confidently say it would not impact my standing offhand groups at 25 yards at all. And If I’m shooting rested at 50 I’m not shooting a volume to care about an extra step in production….

    Oh, and I still don’t know if that tiny shaving would impact my groups when rested at 50 yards. Good chance that it wouldn’t.

    I’m not a competitor, but if I were I’d bet I wouldn’t be dropping points just because I seated and crimped at the same step.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master



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    No, am not concerned about a tiny amount of lead being shaved. Both other messages I have read seemed to insinuate it was more than a tiny amount. I do not know, but am willing to experiment. Will get a die and experiment.
    Member: Orange Gunsite Family, NRA-Life, ARTCA, American Legion, & the South Cuyahoga Gun Club.

    Caveat Emptor: Do not trust Cavery Grips/American Gripz/Prestige Grips/Stealth Grips from Clayton, NC. He will rip you off.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master

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    I used to get heavy lead shavings. But then I discovered (from this site!) Lyman M dies, and that put a stop to that right quick.

    A well adjusted case bell via M-die with a well adjusted seat die with light crimp (or medium crimp into a crimp or lube groove) solve all lead shavings (for me).

    Though I do get them again on my newest cartridge now that I use a LEE bullet feed die and double ended wadcutters. But I think that is a very different situation, and that hand feeding the wadcutters could solve that. Or it's just the nature of wadcutters. I am guessing that case doesn't apply here though.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Kevin Rohre asks:
    "Does anyone here use a combination seating/crimp die w/ lead bullets?
    And if so, is there a problem w/ lead-shaving."

    GONRA sez -if you can visualize a reloading problem - its gonna happen.
    Just add the extra reloading step NOW - save time lateron .

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check