Ok, I have the bullet seated and the crimp worked out I believe. On my seating/crimping die I assumed once you got the big nut locked in place where you want it, you can then tighten down the brass allen screw and have it hold the lock nut in place so it will already be set the next time you use it, but when I went to take the die out I put the wrench on the big nut and turned it a bit and it just loosened it on the die. The allen screw doesn't seem to hold it in place. Looks like I will have to set the seating and crimping up everytime unless I am mising something. I did 20 .40 S&W rounds and weighed them all on the scale by hand. I poured each one through the funnel which seemed to work ok, but some small bits of powder seems to escape on each case. I assume that the granules I see escape are no big deal.

In the Hogdon 2004 reloading manual it says for a 135 grain Nosler JHP that the low load for HS-6 is 9.0 and the high is 10.2. In the Lyman 48th Edition reloading book it says for a 135 grain Nosler JHP that the low load for HS-6 is 8.0 and the high load is 9.0. What is up with the big discrepancy there? I would lean more towards the Hogdon books being right since it is a Hogdon powder, but it sucks that they differ so much.

I am still not comfortable with setting the crimping die up especially since I can't lock it in place. The decapping die and expanding die are easy and even if I do have to reset them up everytime it will be quick. It does not seem to be the case with the seating and crimping die. The only way I can see the seating die to be easy it maybe load a fully made cartridge into the shellholder, run it to the top and put the die in place, screw it down on the cartridge until it was a little tight, then run the seating plug down till it stopped and work from there.

Thanks in advance for everyones help
Wes

Wes, see my other post to you on setting the seating die up. What kind of dies are you using? Your powder funnel hole should NOT be larger than your case mouth.
As far as manuals differing, that's why I always suggest at least (2). Everyone tests their loads in diff. manuals w/ slightly diff. components, so results will vary. I start in the middle of the recommended high/low. Don't load more than (5) of your test loads, if they don't cycle the action (too low) you'll have to take them apart. I would suggest you stay well away from the high end loads. If they cycle the action & eject properly & give you acceptable accuracy, you have been successfull!
Performance reloading is for later. If you want to talk through it, e-mail me & I'll give you my phone #.

If I might jump in here, you might consider converting your press and dies to a Honandy Lock N Load system. It will put an end to the pain of resetting dies every time you need to change them...

My RCBS die lock rings have a tiny lead pellet that crushes into the die threads when you tighten the set screw. Perhaps yours fell out?

HS-6 From 7.2 grains to 10.2 grains
Winchester WSP Primer

But you might want to try:
Longshot From 10.5 grains to 12.0 grains
Winchester WSP Primer

As for your other questions...what press, what dies and what size funnel are oyu using?

quote:

My RCBS die lock rings have a tiny lead pellet that crushes into the die threads when you tighten the set screw. Perhaps yours fell out?

Maybe it did fall out or maybe I crushed it to death when locking the hex screw in. I do not see a small piece of lead though. I took the locking nut off the decapping die and it did the same thing. It definitely doesn't seem to be locking in place.

quote:

As for your other questions...what press, what dies and what size funnel are oyu using?

The press is a rock chucker supreme, the dies are the 3-die RCBS carbide set for .40 S&W and the funnel is the one that came in my kit. The funnel hole is smaller than the case mouth, but some is getting around it still somehow.

WesN, I think the pellet is the same size as a 7 1/2 shot used by shotgunners. see if you can get one from some one and drop it in the set screw hole. I replaced the pellet in a set of my dies a few years ago and believe that was the size I used. A small piece of plastic or other soft material should work also. You just want something to prevent you from damaging the threads on the die. If you don`t have anything around the house call RCBS and I`m sure they`ll send ya dozen of them.

I got a number 6 and a 7 1/2 shot and tried it and it just doesn't hold. No matter what, the big lock nut comes loose when I take the die out.