Reloading - whats needed and what to avoid

[FredB]

Yup! i am a muzzle loader: I also load .43 Mauser, 577 Snider, 300 Sherwood, 310 Cadet, 44-40, 360 no5 and 8.15 x 46R. Probably a couple of others that I have forgotten about. Note that these all use lead bullets, not these new fangled condom jobs and all are home cast. I have also in the past loaded another half dozen calibres. The thought of actually buying bullets horrifies me. In the pistol shooting days, i would shoot a box of 357s just to warm up before starting some serious target shooting.
Fred

[bradaz11]

??? i've been reloading for 45 years and I don't even know what a breechlock mechanism is!
Fred

it's Lee's name for their quick change die system. works exactly the same as the mag tube on my take down 1897 shotgun's mag tube.

the press has a different, larger bore thread cut into it, into which you put inserts, the inside of which are tapped to standard die threads.

so you screw the die into the insert. the insert then has three flats machined down its thread, as does the thread in the press. so if you give it a 1/3 turn the threads line up with the flats, so you can drop it in, then turn it back 1/3 a turn to lock it again. the press then has a little detent to stop the insert turning.

meaning you then need an insert for each die, but like with the turret set up, all your dies are ready height set when you drop them in. saving time, faff and should increase batch to batch consistency.

[FredB]

Thanks Bradaz. All my frequently used dies are in Lee turrets, The single stage presses see some use, but not a lot.
Fred

[dromia]

Personally I like to reset all my dies every time I use them as I have been caught in the past with dies moving and decreasing batch consistency so in no way a faff on but an important stage in my reloading procedure.

If you find setting dies and checking them a faff on then perhaps handloading isn't for you.

Any time that these irrelevant doofurs might save is negligible over the course of a handloading session.

I have the Hornady lock and load system on my Hornady progressive and I have epoxied the bushings in place on the press so that it functions as a proper press.