My first attempt......

[California Kowboy]

.38 special for my Blackhawk and LCR.

Already re-sized a buncha .38 special cases.

Have a plastic thing to catch the spent primers that pop off but half of them land on the floor anyway.

Got me a Hornady digital powder scale.

Got some Clays powder.

And a couple of boxes of primers.

I also got a teeny lil' box of 148 grain bevel base wadcutters. It takes two men and a boy to carry.

I just re-read the instructions before setting the expander die and figured out I was supposed to set the live primer in on the downstroke of the sizer die.

Primers in primer tray.

Re-sized shell in shell holder with empty primer plug.

Primer in primer plug.

Shell casings with live primers.

After I set primers into all the casings I had already re-sized , I tried doing it all at once. The primer fell out of the primer cup. Seems like it's easier to do it as two separate steps.

I'm guessing as how I'll try .......I dunno..... 2.8-3.0 grains of powder?

 

[Bucks Owin]

Looks like you're on your way. Welcome brother!
It appears your flare may be slightly excessive though, just flare enough to start the bullet easily into the case, no more*
Hodgdon's charge data is 2.5 grs Clays/148 gr LHBWC for 836 fps/13,200 CUP...

* You won't split as many case mouths due to overworking the brass... :wink:

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I believe those bevel-base wadcutters should load like 158gr cast LSWC.
Should be a good target load if they are not too hard. You will probably end up around 3.2gr for a mild load. Be careful because that is not very much powder. Put the powder in the cases and put the cases in a loading block and then with a small flashlight look to make sure all the cases are filled to the same level before putting the bullets on top.

158 GR. CAST LSWC Hodgdon Clays .358" 1.475" 2.8 812 12,900 CUP 3.1 871 15,100 CUP

... Jimbo

 

[flhr62]

You may want to consider getting a hand held primer, such as Lee or RCBS.

 

[GP100man]

Plus 1 for inspecting the powder charge !!!!

I use 2.5 gr. of CLAYS on a 150 wadcutter .

I also bought the Partner Press kit when it was priced for what ya pay for just the press now!!! I bought it to get the 505 scales & the little press ain`t half bad either , perfect for straight walled handgun loading !!!

I had it mounted for a few yrs. & found to catch primers I had to slide the catcher "bucket" up to where the hole was when the ram was up . & then I primed in a seperate operation , the primers were easier to get into the cup with it on a flat plain rather than tilted!!

& when ya get ready for a hand held primer tool may I recommend the Hornady tool !! also the lee autoprime II for a press mounted tool .

 

[cellar701]

I'm a fan of the hand held primer tool as well - makes it simple and consistent.

 

[California Kowboy]

I believe those bevel-base wadcutters should load like 158gr cast LSWC.
Should be a good target load if they are not too hard. You will probably end up around 3.2gr for a mild load. Be careful because that is not very much powder. Put the powder in the cases and put the cases in a loading block and then with a small flashlight look to make sure all the cases are filled to the same level before putting the bullets on top.

158 GR. CAST LSWC Hodgdon Clays .358" 1.475" 2.8 812 12,900 CUP 3.1 871 15,100 CUP

... Jimbo

You're the second guy to tell me about the trick with the penlight . The guy in the gun store that sold me the press told me the same thing.

 

[cellar701]

Yes, take the extra step to ensure you don't double charge or miss a charge - both are things to avoid, and not things to learn from experience.

 

[Pal Val]

I fumbled with the primer gadget in my Lyman loading press one time too many and went out and bought an RCBS hand primer. That was 3 years ago, and I've never gone back. Hand priming may take time, but I don't mind. It just works for me.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Random thoughts:

That's a beautiful bench/setup! Save those pictures: as you progress, it will gradually disappear and they'll provide a nice "remember when life was simple" memory!

Now, on the "inspect the powder charge" idea: agreed w/ all above on the visual inspection w/ a good light. In addition, I pull one or two from the loading block and check the weight of the charge. Not only do you want the SAME amount of powder in each case, but you want to ensure nothing's shifted w/ your powder charging system so you have the RIGHT amount.

On those little flippie-floppie aggravations press mfrs insist on including under the guise of "repriming", DO get yourself some kind of hand priming device (I use the now "older" style Lee, a buddy uses the RCBS, I see suggestions for the Hornady.) ANY of 'em will convince you to take that flippie-floppie thing clear off and put it in a drawer...

And, much as I love cats, you're gonna have some "residues" around the bench if you load a lot. Some of them may have a touch of lead in them (like spent primer dust), so you might want to keep curious animals (not just cats!) away until everything's known to be clean (a quick wipe down of the bench and floor w/ a damp cloth oughta do the trick.) Don't want 'em walking thru stuff then licking their paws, you know!

Another "cleanliness" issue affects your press. The Partner is an alloy bodied press, and all of them like to be kept spotless for longest life. Suggest a wipe down before starting a session, a droplet or two of your favorite oil on the ram, and a droplet on each pivot point (wipe off excess.) Then, after you've sized and deprimed your cases, wipe the ram clean and put another droplet or two of oil on it. Sounds like a bit of work, but after a couple of sessions, it'll become second nature, and extend the life of your press a LONG time!

Rick C

 

[Lost Sheep]

.38 special for my Blackhawk and LCR.

Welcome to the wonderful world of handloading. Thanks for the pictures.

Have a plastic thing to catch the spent primers that pop off but half of them land on the floor anyway.

Neither of my RCBS primer catching cups work any better. Spread a dropcloth out on your floor and just pick them all up at once at the end of the loading session. Cloth works better than plastic because it is quieter and drapes better. Primers will also bounce less on cloth, which will attract less attention from your cat.

I just re-read the instructions before setting the expander die and figured out I was supposed to set the live primer in on the downstroke of the sizer die.

After I set primers into all the casings I had already re-sized , I tried doing it all at once. The primer fell out of the primer cup. Seems like it's easier to do it as two separate steps.

Primers falling out of the cup is not normal. (I am uncertain if you mean the primer cup/pocket in the base of the cartridge or the primer cup in the priming arm on the press). So, I have to ask, did you have the sizing die still in place when you did that and inadvertently deprime the live primers?

If you re-shoot the out of focus pictures, you could make your post a VERY nice how-to guide for new handloaders. It would make a nice addition to the "sticky" thread at the top of this forum "Interested in reloading", http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=13543


Self-aggrandizing plug: On page two of that thread, see my post "10 Advices for new or aspiring handloaders.

Always wear eye protection, especially when working with primers and don't pinch your fingers in your press.

Lost Sheep

 

[Ia.redneck]

You're getting lots of good advice here like usual, this a great place to hang out. I've been reloading and casting for 35yrs and you're starting in on a great hobby Good shootin!!!

 

[DeletedMember275]

Hi,

Random thoughts:

And, much as I love cats, you're gonna have some "residues" around the bench if you load a lot. Some of them may have a touch of lead in them (like spent primer dust), so you might want to keep curious animals (not just cats!) away until everything's known to be clean (a quick wipe down of the bench and floor w/ a damp cloth oughta do the trick.) Don't want 'em walking thru stuff then licking their paws, you know!

Rick C

Or urinating in/on things that you value. Cats and reloading/gun rooms don't mix very well, IMHO.

 

[California Kowboy]

I meant the little cup in the priming arm of the press. The farther up the ram goes the sharper the angle the arm is at. With the ram halfway down it seats in the slot in the ram so it's at a 45 degree angle and the primer won't fall out of the cup.

 

[California Kowboy]

Cats and reloading/gun rooms don't mix very well, IMHO.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Nice to see your cat has a well rounded interest in everything firearms related.

...Jimbo