Lee Progressive Help

04 February 2003, 02:20

<bigcountry>

Well, a friend just up and gave me a Pro1000 Progressive reloader since he never used it once and had it for years. Since I do my fair shair of pistol shooting in the winter, I said what the hey. But I have been reloading with single stage for years. Well this has a Deluxe Auto Powder deal with it. To measure the powder, it comes with all these disks with different size cavities. But the instructions are less than helpful. I mean if I want 10gr of Unique for 44Mag, how do I get that with VMD=.1092. The chart on there website shows VMD in one column, with the powder and a number on the top which I guess represents the powder disks. That number is 1.09. Any help would be appreciated. And if they give me the cavity to use on the disk, why do I need this VMD? Also, how accurate can I expect this thing to throw charges with powders like Unique? I know with my RCBS powder throwers, its not that accurate unless throwing H110 loads or ball powders.

Another thing, I suppose they expect you to trim before resizing with this setup? Right, because it sizes and deprimes in one cycle, primes in another, flares and charges in another, and seates and crimpes in another. I have just always sized then trimmed my cases before.

Lastly, I plan to start loading .45ACP. My Colt really dents the crap out of these cases. Do I need to staighten out with plyers before this opration? Or will this press only be good for wheelguns or new brass?

Thanks for any help. I still feel much more comfortable with my singlestage, but hey, if it speeds me up faster than 100 44mag rounds to 3 or 4 hours work, then I will take it. Price was right.

[ 02-03-2003, 17:22: Message edited by: bigcountry ]

04 February 2003, 19:31

JerryO

quote:
Originally posted by bigcountry:
Well, a friend just up and gave me a Pro1000 Progressive reloader since he never used it once and had it for years.

First, since you have already been reloading, I expect you know the answers to most of your questions.

Such as, the 1.09 cc disk should be checked with a scale to be sure it throws 10.0 grains of unique from your lot of powder. As to it being consistant, I'm satisfied with mine as long as I don't throw less than 4.5 grains of flake powder. When I first started, I loaded 2.8 grains of bullseye in .38spec and had 5 loads without powder in 50 rounds. I didn't check the powder levels as I had no way to. Tapping the base of the powder measure 3 times with the handle of a screw driver can be used to simulate banging the handle of you single stage powder measure. I don't, except once (for 1,000 rounds) when I wanted to load 3.0 grains of bullseye for my .380acp.

As to fixing dented cases, how do you do it now? Perhaps a little action work on that gun will eliminate the mashed brass. Anyway, I have used the inside sizer to reshape the mouth in my single stage press. Brass prep?

As to trimming, I have never found 9mm or 45 acp to need trimming. Some suggest that head spaceing on the mouth tends to shorten these cases, so shoot them until they are to short, then throw them away. Trim the revolver rounds as you do now.

It sounds like you expect more from the little lee than I do.

I believe in KISS.

So I sometimes do my brass prep just as I did with my single stage. That is clean, resize&deprime (on the single stage), and maybe prime the cases (with my hand primer) before loading them. I have read of several people with different brands of progressive reloaders do this. Primers tend to be messy and very light, so they sometimes have a mind of their own as to where they go (witness deprimeing on my RCBS press).

I also leave the case feeder off and just set the empty brass in front of the case slider as I pump the handle with my other hand.

I leave the case eject wire off as my loaded rounds don't slide down the chute anyway. I just pick the loaded rounds out of the shellholder as it comes around (and box them on the spot). This let's me change the shellholder by lifting the turret off the top, turning the index rod backward with a 1/4 inch wrench (while blocking the shellholder from turning backward with a philips screwdriver in the deprime hole). The shell holder then lifts out with a little wiggleing.

If you decide to prime on the press (and it works good for me), you must keep all oil away from the primer trough (lube the shellplate with only a slight bit of grease). Further, you must have a routine so that you keep the primer trough full. I fill the trough, then load 100 primers in the tray and get two boxes of empty cases. As I get more cases (2 boxes), I fill the primer tray. I also formed a support to hold the primer tray forward. I drilled a hole in the shell carrier and formed the support out of 1/16 inch music wire bought at a hobby shop. A hook on the music wire catches the primer trough next to the tray. I also drilled a 1/16 inch hole at the exit of the primer tray (through the tray, lid and trough) so I could put a pin through it and handle the tray without pouring the primers out. I slotted the trough so the primer tray slips on and off with the pin in place. Don't forget to grease the post where the shaker wire slides on the post (this is what keeps the primers feeding from the tray to the trough).

And I now believe in checking the powder level. I can do this on 9mm and 45acp with a good light overhead and looking at the case as I set the bullet on the case mouth.

JerryO

PS. do you have the pull back chain for the powder disk, or do you have the old spring loaded version. The spring loaded version could give over charges if you backed the ram back slightly from the top, then went back up.

04 February 2003, 19:53

JerryO

quote:
Originally posted by bigcountry:
But the instructions are less than helpful. I mean if I want 10gr of Unique for 44Mag, how do I get that with VMD=.1092. The chart on there website shows VMD in one column, with the powder and a number on the top which I guess represents the powder disks. That number is 1.09. Any help would be appreciated. And if they give me the cavity to use on the disk, why do I need this VMD? .

To quote lee: "The VMD number is the grains per cubic centimeter. Multiply your charge in grains by the VMD to find the cubic centimeters of your charge. Use this to set your Lee perfect powder measure. You may also use the closest smaller cavity Auto-Disk or lee dipper."

From memory, Lee also suggested determineing the VMD if you decide to use a powder not on their list. Once the VMD is determined, you can determine the cc's as stated above.

Note that Lee got the definition upside down.

That is the VMD is really cc's per grain. Multiply cc's/grain times grains and you have cc's needed. Oh well, such is the way lee stuff is.

JerryO

05 February 2003, 03:58

<bigcountry>

Thanks guys, I am kinda dense yesterday. Just really wasn't thinking. You know how excited you get when a friend gives you an entire progressive press.

As far as how I deal with dented cases. Well, I only been loading wheelguns. .357mag and 44mag. I tried sizing the 9mm, but it didn't work out well, so I figured wasn't worth my time. But now that I am shooting my 45 regularly, I figured its time to start. I was playing around last night and it seems it throws H110 very accurately. Good thing, I don't like messing up H110 loads. But what disapointed me was trying to throw 10gr of Unique for my 44Mag. Which is my favorite target load. I would get loads from 9gr to 11gr, which is in pressure limits but I am afraid accuracy will suffer.

The measuurer is the spring loaded. I will keep in mind. I am a very careful reloader. Maybe too careful. But mostly do rifle ammo at least 95% of the time. I guess you can't take the same approach to pistols.

Anyway, thats for all the replys. Very helpful.