Got my Lee Delux set up!

[mikerault]

Put the bench together and got the press mounted. Have the 9mm dies loaded and set according to the factory guide I decapped about 150 spent cases and then cleaned the primer pockets. I am going to tumble the cases and then tomorrow plan on doing some inital loading practice.

During the decap the depriming pin would "ting" once in a while, is that normal or do I need to adjust the turret? (I removed the indexing rod and used in as a stationary press for decapping.)

Mike

 

[TheBigO]

The "ting" is normal- nothing to worry about there. Its just the sound of one case being one step closer to being reloaded!

 

[mikerault]

Thanks!

 

[Jim243]

Some primers don't want to come out as easy as others, that's the ting you are hearing, perfectly normal.

Jim

 

[mikerault]

Oh, just ordered a Beta Chronograph. $108.00 with shipping and Tax (Georgia) from WalMart. Be careful, they wanted $120.00 for this or more on Ebay!

Well, back to work to pay for my new stuff!

 

[Sevens]

Here's a suggestion that might help you more NOW than LATER, but any time is good: Try not cleaning the primer pockets on 50 rounds.

Load all the same, take all the ammo to the range and shoot those 50 rounds with dirty primer pockets in the middle of your range day.

Shoot them in the middle of the range day so they aren't affected by your early "cold" shooting or your tired "been at the range too long" fall off at the end.

Compare your targets with all the others.

You may find (as I most certainly did) that cleaning primer pockets ever on handgun rounds is a ridiculous, unbelievable amount of wasted, awful time.

I love handloading... LOVE IT, maybe as much/more than shooting. I'd handload even if it cost the same as factory ammo. I truly believe this.

But... if I never clean another primer pocket, it'll be too soon.

If cleaning primer pockets gives you a better feeling about your loads, who am I to question that... but if you might ever consider skipping that evil step, you'll thank me that you did it now and not a few years from now like I did.

 

[howlnmad]

I'm with Sevens on the pistol primer pockets although I do continue to clean rifle pockets.
Now hook that indexing rod up and start cranking out rounds.

 

[mikerault]

Here is my setup, I have replaced the lamp with a flourecsent fixture under the shelf.

and some results:

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Here is my setup, I have replaced the lamp with a flourecsent fixture under the shelf.

I see you have a digital scale there.... you should do some testing to see if the presence of the fluorescent light effects the reliability or accuracy of your scale. I have heard reports that it often will. The RCBS 1500 I use seems unaffected, but you should check just in case.

 

[Vance]

Peetzakilla has something there. I had a pair of digital calipers that would not read right if it was too close to a florescent light. The numbers would jump around. As long as the scale is four feet or more away from the light, it should be fine.

That bench looks like a kit. If so who makes it and where did you buy it? That looks like it would work well for me also.

 

[Doodlebugger45]

Looks Good!!

You'll find through time that you'll eventually notice things that you wish were just a little bit wider here or taller here or deeper there and so forth. But the first bench is a bit of a shot in the dark, and often dictated by available space and perceived needs and budget at the time. But it will work no doubt!

I have also heard about the fluorescent lighting problem associated with digital scales. Also, I have heard that cordless phones, cell phones, radios, TVs, anything with an EM emission CAN affect them. Like Peetzadude though, I have an RCBS 1500 and so far I haven't found anything that affects it. But it is a real good idea to test it out before it creates any problems that count.

 

[wingman]

Purchase a good balance beam scale to double check your electronic scales,I have a Lyman and a RCB 750, also when first starting reload no more then 50rounds, many new re-loaders will load 100's and find they goofed in the beginning best to go slow as you are doing in pulling index rod.

 

[mikerault]

The kit comes with a balance beam scale and the digital scale came with calibration weights so you can check it.

 

[mikerault]

The kit was from Cabela's, it includes the braces and screws you supply a 4X8X3/4 plywood sheet cut into 3-2X4 and one 3X4 and 7-2X4s cut into 10-4 ft and 6-45 inch lengths.

Mike