Recently ammo prices have gone up and I've always wanted to try reloading. Now that I have my own garage again, I figured it was time.
I bought the Lee Challenger kit from MidwayUSA.com which came with most of what I needed to reload. I started by attaching the handle and bolting the press to the workbench with 1/4" lag bolts after reinforcing the bottom of the workbench with a scrap piece of 2x4. Next attach the plastic spent primer tube and plate to the left side of the press. Finish by mounting the primer assembly to the top of the press.
I'll cover the various other accessories and tools as they are used. We'll start with case prep. Typically I reload handgun ammo in batches of 50 or 100.
Now its time to clean the cases. Fill the tumbler 2/3rds with crushed walnut, add a few tablespoons of polish. Let it run for about 10 minutes to mix in the polish. Don't add the polish and the brass at the same time or it will goop up inside the cases. Next add the cases to the tumbler and let it run for about and hour. After an hour dump the brass through a strainer and sift out the walnut. The walnut can be reused many many times until its dirty and doesn't clean well. Cut up a dryer sheet into four pieces and add it to the walnut and brass when you run it and it helps keep the dust down and trap a lot of the dirt.
Begin by running the lock ring way up on the decapping die and installing a quick change bushing. Install a shellholder in the press and run the ram all the way up. Screw the decapping die down until it touches the shellholder. Run the lockring down tight against the quick release bushing. (Yes that's surface rust on the top of the decapping die. Be sure to wipe down your dies with some gun oil or silicone spray when you are done)
Attach the primer arm assembly or the spent primers will fly out of the right of the ram instead of falling into the tube where they belong.
Run all of the brass through the decapping die. The brass should now be resized and the primers removed. You'll notice that the primer pockets are dirty. Use the pocket cleaning tool to remove the fouling. Once the pockets are clean, its time to prime.
Typically I prime and bell the cases in a single step. Install the flaring die and adjust it the same way as the decapping die.
Use the Lee Primer to reprime the cases. Add 100 primers to the tray and gently shake back and forth to get the primers upright. You should be seeing the inside of the primer. Close the case and attach to the press. The white one is for large primers, the black one for small primers.
Run the brass into the flaring die and click a primer onto the primer arm. Lower the ram all the way to the bottom until the primer seats. Repeat until all the brass is reprimed and flared. The cases should be flared just enough so a new bullet can sit in the mouth. If its not, turn down the adjustment on top until it sits. Once the cases are primed the primer assembly and primer arm can be removed from the press.
Now its time to seat the bullets. Consult your load book for the appropriate cartridge length. Of the die adjustments, this one is the hardest. Insert a case (without powder or primer) into the shell holder and run the ram up. Screw in the bullet seating die until the die touches the case mouth. Lock down the die with the lock ring. Back the bullet seating adjustment way out. Now place a bullet on the case and run it back up the die. Screw down the adjustment until you feel the bullet start to seat. Using small increments screw down the adjustment and check the cartridge length until the bullet is the correct length. Once its set you wont have to mess with it again, unless you change bullets.
Next, add powder to the cases. Consult your manual for the appropriate loading data. I'm loading .45 ACP 230 gr. FMJ to 1.254" with 7.0 gr of Powder Pistol. Begin by zeroing the scale then setting the scale to the appropriate measurement. Mount the powder measure to the table and add the appropriate powder. Turn the black adjustment until the measure dispenses the correct amount. For handguns, start at 0.5cc on the dispenser and adjust it as needed until it throws the appropriate charge. Note that the Lee Reloading manual will tell you the appropriate volume. For 7.0gr of Power Pistol its around 0.6cc. Make sure to run the level on the powder measure all the way up and all the way down. Once its set, I check every 10 or so rounds.
Add powder to the case, insert a bullet in the case and run the cartridge into the seating die. Repeat until all cases are done. Now the cases need to be crimped. You can either add powder to all the cases, then seat the bullets or you can add powder and then add bullets one at a time. I prefer to do it one at a time. Once powder goes in the case it doesn't leave my hand until I insert it in the shell holder and place a bullet on top. This should keep me from double charging or squibbing a round.
Insert the crimp die. Adjust the crimp die by running it down until it touches the shell plate. Lower the ram and screw in the die 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Back the adjustment on top off. Insert a bullet and run up into the die. Screw down the adjustment until you can feel the top of the bullet. For semi-auto rounds you don't need much crimp, just enough to close the gap. Too much crimp and the round won't properly head space in the chamber and you'll run into feeding issues. Check to ensure the round feeds into the magazine and check to ensure the round feeds into the gun.
Additionally, Lee Precision has many instructional
videos that help out and are easier to understand than the instructions.
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