When I started reloading a few years ago, it was with the Lee Loader (uses a mallet instead of a press). The caliber is .308 and it's been a couple of years since I have used it. I decided to give it a try again, and after resizing the cases, I remembered that the cases cannot be trimmed after sizing. The case length gauge will not go inside the case, thus the cases have to be trimmed before sizing. Is this normal with the Loader? It only neck sizes, but apparently it reduces the inside diameter of the neck more than a press and dies do. Is my case length gauge machined wrong or is that just the way it is with the Loader?
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Revisiting an old friend
- Thread starter AL45
- Start date
Blindstitch
New member
I seem to remember having similar problems but now I use a lee hand press.
There is no shortage of case trimmers around here. I do not care if the case is trimmed before and or after, even though there are claims by reloaders to having been reloading for 40 + years, their memory is less than half of that.
There was a time the pilots predetermined when the case was trimmed, as with your Lee kits, if the pilot is to fit the neck it can not fit before sizing and after sizing, it is either or.
In the old days I measured the diameter of the pilot first then decided the case had to be trimmed before sizing or after sizing. In the old days there was no way a reloader could look cool while in mortal combat with forcing a case onto the pilot and struggling to remove it after trimming, SO? If the pilot was large, I trimmed first, and if the pilot was small I trimmed after sizing.
I was in charge of adjusting the trimmer, I adjusted the amount to be trimmed.
Then there are trim/form dies. The form trim die is designed to be used for trimming, after the case is formed/trimmed it is necessary to full length size, after the case has been trimmed.
Then there is the L.E. Wilson case trimmer, it has two case holders available, one for holding a fired case and one for sized cases.
F. Guffey
There was a time the pilots predetermined when the case was trimmed, as with your Lee kits, if the pilot is to fit the neck it can not fit before sizing and after sizing, it is either or.
In the old days I measured the diameter of the pilot first then decided the case had to be trimmed before sizing or after sizing. In the old days there was no way a reloader could look cool while in mortal combat with forcing a case onto the pilot and struggling to remove it after trimming, SO? If the pilot was large, I trimmed first, and if the pilot was small I trimmed after sizing.
I was in charge of adjusting the trimmer, I adjusted the amount to be trimmed.
Then there are trim/form dies. The form trim die is designed to be used for trimming, after the case is formed/trimmed it is necessary to full length size, after the case has been trimmed.
Then there is the L.E. Wilson case trimmer, it has two case holders available, one for holding a fired case and one for sized cases.
F. Guffey
then there was the "no biggie thing" as in 'all you gotta do is chuck the pilot up in a drill and grind some off',
Then there is the 'trim to' length, again, I do not care, being able to explain 'WHY' is more important than answering 'because' when asked "WHY?" "Why do you do it that way?"
In the old days the 308 pilot fit the .311 case neck.
F. Guffey
Then there is the 'trim to' length, again, I do not care, being able to explain 'WHY' is more important than answering 'because' when asked "WHY?" "Why do you do it that way?"
In the old days the 308 pilot fit the .311 case neck.
F. Guffey