303 reloads

[Steve]

This afternoon i nipped round to gunshop to get everything for doing 303 then got stuck in a little while ago.

I settled on Alliant Reloader 10x powder in the end because you only need 34.5grns and works out to a good saving when multiplied over a few hundered rounds.Got 174grn bullets,Winchester primers and Lee deluxe dies so i only need to neck size.I now have a box of 20 shiny rounds to try out at the range sunday.


Thats the good bit...
When i was resizing and depriming the cases i didnt realise at the time that they were not being sized due to me not setting the die correctly and i primed them.It wasnt until i'd charged them with powder and putting the bullet in the neck that i realised it dropped straight in! My question is-is it possible to size the neck on these cases with the primers fitted or are they now just rubbish?
Me being a dipstick.


Thought you might like to see this-it sits on my reloading bench.It was my (departed) dads and was made by a German POW in 1945/1946.Its a Lancaster flying over his village church and dad swapped a packet of ciggies for it (he'd nicked them off his mum-he was too young to smoke!).The POW was working on the land as they often did after the war.

[Mike357]

Put your safety specs on and gently de-prime them on the press.

[Steve]

Put your safety specs on and gently de-prime them on the press.

Can you really do that???

[ovenpaa]

Or drop the decapping pin out and neck size them, again wear your specs,it will save having to put primers in again.

[Steve]

I did wonder about removing the pin,but couldnt see how it comes out.I'll have another look tomorrow morning.

[dromia]

What velocity are you expecting from that load?

[dromia]

Were you using the collet or FL die for resizing?

Did you reset the die to get bullet tension on the rest of the rounds?

[Dougan]

Good morning Steve. Good to see you cracking on with your .303s :)

It's not so hard to remove the decapping pin - just unscrew all the 'gubbins' (sorry - non tech advice from me...) at the top of the die (just remember how it all goes back together again). Then you can do the neck sizing with the primers in.

When you put the die back together - you need to have the 'sizing ball' (if that's what it's called ) just up inside the rim of the die - it needs to be far enough in, that the whole case goes into the die without the bottom of the inside of the case doesn't touch the ball (or you'll damage it)...but far enough out that it will decap with the whole case in the die.

This is where mine ended up being set:

Hope this helps.

Now you're starting doing .303 aswell, don't forget to share any tips you come up with.....some times 'beginers' (like us) notice things that the experienced take for granted

That said...if any of the 'experienced' conradict what I'm saying...take their advice .

[Alpha1]

I think I would be tempted to pull all the rounds and start again.
Make up a couple of dummy rounds with out primers or powder umtil you have the sizing and bullet seating right.
ASK QUESTIONS post pictures once you have the die set up right you can move on.
Are you neck sizing or full length sizing.

I settled on Alliant Reloader 10x powder in the end because you only need 34.5grns

34.5 grains of R10 should give you about VEL 2.324 that is the charge recomended for a 180g bullet so you may have to tweek it.

[Steve]

Right,i de-primed my goofed cases this morning and they're now resized correctly.Must admit that when i popped the first primer out i was wincing,but it didnt go bang.Was doing it through a yellow hue though because i wore my safety shooting glasses!

Im neck sizing because the brass will last a bit longer.I know im going to have to tweak loads,bullet seating depth etc until im happy and is why i only loaded one box.Im not trying to set records because to me its just a hobby and enjoy doing it.I'll see what these are like tomorrow!