Finally set up my home reloading station, have some questions.

OP
E

Eastern Elk Pursuit

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Messages
115
Location
Northern New Jersey
Ok another question. I checked the headspace on Hornady once fired brass with a headspace comparator gauge. It measures 1.745. I full length resized with a Lee press and the measurement was 1.747. What am I doing wrong?
 

TaperPin

WKR
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
3,158
Ok another question. I checked the headspace on Hornady once fired brass with a headspace comparator gauge. It measures 1.745. I full length resized with a Lee press and the measurement was 1.747. What am I doing wrong?
Resizing the walls of a case can squish the shoulder forward a bit. Different sizing dies will vary slightly in dimensions, both diameter and shoulder angle. You’ve discovered the main reason I don’t use a comparator. There’s nothing wrong with it, but the results require a bit of interpretation for each rifle/die. Regardless of the gauge reading, the case still needs to chamber correctly.
 

SDHNTR

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
7,038
Ok another question. I checked the headspace on Hornady once fired brass with a headspace comparator gauge. It measures 1.745. I full length resized with a Lee press and the measurement was 1.747. What am I doing wrong?
Nothing. That’s normal. You just need to keep turning the die down until it measures about 1.743 with your same set up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HGL

sndmn11

"DADDY"
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
10,233
Location
Morrison, Colorado
Ok another question. I checked the headspace on Hornady once fired brass with a headspace comparator gauge. It measures 1.745. I full length resized with a Lee press and the measurement was 1.747. What am I doing wrong?

Before changing that dimension, see if they will chamber.

I also use the tub of unique for lube. I lightly rub some on my left hand and roll the case around in my fingers as I'm putting it in the press. It doesn't take much at all. When I feel drag on extraction, I run a finger across the case mouth on the next case and that lubes the ball up for the next 5-20 cases.
 
OP
E

Eastern Elk Pursuit

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Messages
115
Location
Northern New Jersey
So I checked and it won’t chamber so I will have to bump the shoulders back some. Thanks again to everyone. Hopefully I can get to do some reloading this weekend and come back with some more questions I’m sure.
 

TaperPin

WKR
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
3,158
So I checked and it won’t chamber so I will have to bump the shoulders back some. Thanks again to everyone. Hopefully I can get to do some reloading this weekend and come back with some more questions I’m sure.
It can be tedious to set dies a few thou this way or that way. If the lock ring is knurled, there is a chance the number of grooves in the knurling is not random, but intended to aid in setting the die. This knurled ring is Lyman, but others might be similar. 7/8-14 threads of a seating die give .071” of adjustment per revolution - this lock ring has 70 groves in the knurling, so each one is very close to .001”. Pretty cool - took me 30 years to notice it. Lol

B5BC526F-95D7-49A0-91E3-3818B3B959D6.jpeg
 
Last edited:

TaperPin

WKR
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
3,158
@TaperPin that is a nugget of pure gold, thanks for posting the above on adjustment per revolution, I didn’t know that (among many other things🤣)
Ooops I goofed a little. 1” Divided by 14 is .071” per revolution. Each groove in the knurling is more like .001” rather than .002”. Lol

I changed it in my previous post. :)
 
Top