I always tumble and inspect all cases before using again. Especially rifle cases which typically need more prep/attention after several uses.
Reloading with the Lee loader kits
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contender
Ruger Guru
I've known a few reloaders who don't clean their brass a lot. But I always look at it like this;
My equipment costs money.
My gun needs to be reliable.
So, my brass is always cleaned prior to starting to reload. That way,, no damage to my dies from dirty brass. And clean brass has less of a chance of not feeding properly.
In short, clean your brass.
My equipment costs money.
My gun needs to be reliable.
So, my brass is always cleaned prior to starting to reload. That way,, no damage to my dies from dirty brass. And clean brass has less of a chance of not feeding properly.
In short, clean your brass.
Drop mic......
NikA
Hunter
Should clean them, tumbler may not be necessary. When I started out, I used a 2 gallon widemouth jug with soapy water. Shake for a couple minutes, check, shake some more, drain and rinse a few times.
Tumblers are relatively inexpensive. Loading dies are relatively expensive. YMMV
GasGuzzler
Hunter
Pros and cons to all such procedural differences. A lot of precision rifle loaders want the carbon in the neck. But they're using presses and dies that cost more than many peoples' rifles. We're not talking that level here and sand in a die is no good. If you are getting used brass that was picked up off the ground, I would clean it 100%. If you shot it previously in an indoor range, likely fine to use it as is.
I have a tumbler. I rarely used it when I was doing all my prep work. I hate the dust and picking particles out of the primer pockets. Also takes a lot longer than liquid.
I switched to mostly wet tumbling. I don't use any pins or fancy chemicals and it works well. Boiling water, a drop of Dawn, and a few granules of LemiShine in a $50 Harbor Freight rock polisher for 20 minutes, a rinse, then bake in the oven at a low temp or throw them in buckets in the bed of the truck to dry.
I have a tumbler. I rarely used it when I was doing all my prep work. I hate the dust and picking particles out of the primer pockets. Also takes a lot longer than liquid.
I switched to mostly wet tumbling. I don't use any pins or fancy chemicals and it works well. Boiling water, a drop of Dawn, and a few granules of LemiShine in a $50 Harbor Freight rock polisher for 20 minutes, a rinse, then bake in the oven at a low temp or throw them in buckets in the bed of the truck to dry.
I just wipe them down to remove any possible debris. I don't care if my ammo is shiny.
contender
Ruger Guru
Wiping them down may be ok for some,, but when you have hundreds of them,, too slow. Love the tumblers.
I also prefer the wet tumbling method anymore. I use a food dehydrator to assist them in drying.
I can take range pick-up brass, that has turned a dull almost black color, and restore it to nice & shiny by tumbling. Saves good brass from the scrap/melting bins.
I also prefer the wet tumbling method anymore. I use a food dehydrator to assist them in drying.
I can take range pick-up brass, that has turned a dull almost black color, and restore it to nice & shiny by tumbling. Saves good brass from the scrap/melting bins.
Always a good conversation starter. 
When I started out I used the little Lee Loader, with all its idiosyncrasies. Was only loading for a single straight-wall revolver cartridge. Had a very limited budget. Hardly ever reloaded more than fifty rounds at one sitting as my wife-at-the-time didn't like all the pounding noise. Washed deprimed cases in hot soapy water and dried them in the oven at low temp. Learned how "low" was necessary after accidently annealing a batch of cases.
Eventually moved up to a Rock Chucker package and carbide dies, and a used Thumler tumbler. Added a cheap Lee single stage press to be used with a deprime-only die prior to tumbling the cases. Noted that when running the tumbled cases thru the resizing die the deprime pin knocked out any tumbler particles left in the primer flash holes . . . neat.
Developed a procedure that suited my need for reloading, still usually only fifty rounds at a time. Step one, deprime and tumble overnite with crushed walnut media. Step two, resize. Step three, reprime with Lee hand-held device. Step four, flare all cases. Step five, set scale to desired charge weight, adjust powder measure to match, add powder to all cases and check powder levels for uniformity. Step six, seat all bullets to length. Step seven crimp all bullets . . . yes, separately from seating. Step eight, inspect, wipe off, and box 'em up. Since I'm not in a hurry, steps one thru three might be done in separate sittings if I feel like it, but steps four thru eight are done in a single sitting for continuity.
All JMHO but it works for me.
When I started out I used the little Lee Loader, with all its idiosyncrasies. Was only loading for a single straight-wall revolver cartridge. Had a very limited budget. Hardly ever reloaded more than fifty rounds at one sitting as my wife-at-the-time didn't like all the pounding noise.
Washed deprimed cases in hot soapy water and dried them in the oven at low temp. Learned how "low" was necessary after accidently annealing a batch of cases. Eventually moved up to a Rock Chucker package and carbide dies, and a used Thumler tumbler. Added a cheap Lee single stage press to be used with a deprime-only die prior to tumbling the cases. Noted that when running the tumbled cases thru the resizing die the deprime pin knocked out any tumbler particles left in the primer flash holes . . . neat.
Developed a procedure that suited my need for reloading, still usually only fifty rounds at a time. Step one, deprime and tumble overnite with crushed walnut media. Step two, resize. Step three, reprime with Lee hand-held device. Step four, flare all cases. Step five, set scale to desired charge weight, adjust powder measure to match, add powder to all cases and check powder levels for uniformity. Step six, seat all bullets to length. Step seven crimp all bullets . . . yes, separately from seating. Step eight, inspect, wipe off, and box 'em up. Since I'm not in a hurry, steps one thru three might be done in separate sittings if I feel like it, but steps four thru eight are done in a single sitting for continuity.
All JMHO but it works for me.
GypsmJim
Blackhawk
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I used to use Bullseye for .32 up to .38, and Unique from .357 to .44 mag. Those provided optimum performance based on my own personal experiments.
Sure, you will find a specific powder that Lyman showed was "best" for each specific caliber, but do you want to (or need to) inventory a different powder for each?
Since Beye and Unq are now out of production (or are prohibitively expensive if you find some obscure dealer) I have switch ALL of my handguns over to W231 / HP 38. I have been pleasantly surprised. Lyman shows this powder to be optimum for a couple of the calibers.
Bottom line is that I will not be buying any more of the old standards and have switched permanently.
GasGuzzler
Hunter
Why would anyone stick with one source of info (like Lyman) or one brand of powder (like Alliant)? There is a better powder than Unique for every load I would use. The loads Unique is the best are not loads I would ever use for anything and usually there is still a better option even for those loads. I have loads using powder from every company as well as the typical crossover loads where two powders are basically the same. HP38, W231, H110, W296, etc.
Hate to say it but the first thing a reloader should do is buy a reloading manual to find the load data. You will be able to cross reference between your calibers and bullet weights to find powders that will work. And not knowing the specific bullets you plan to use there is no way anyone could give you decent advise as to just which powders would work in your case scenario.
I look for a powder that works with all the bullets I'll load in one particular cartridge.
With 45 Colt I use five different bullets and every bullet has load data with Accurate #5 listed. So Accurate #5 is the powder I use for 45 Colt.
For the 460 S&W Magnum there is load data for all the bullets I plan on using with Accurate #9. Whereby Accurate #9 is the powder of choice for all my 460 S&W Magnum cartridges.
When it comes to 45 Auto I do the same and look for one powder that will work with every bullet I plan to reload in them. And while Accurate #5 is include in five of the bullet's load data, CFE Pistol is listed in all six bullet's load data. So CFE Pistol is the one I pick for the 45 Auto cartridges.
To avoid any confusion when loading charges I write on each container of powder their prospective cartridge that they are to be loaded for, so when I do 45 Colt the container sitting on the bench will have 45 Colt written on it for an extra safety factor to keep me from getting confused.
Now there are some 45 Colt bullet's load data that include Accurate #9 and CFE Pistol as well, so I could end up using them at times to see if I like them better than Accurate #5 with some bullets, yet again they will not work across the board, so they are not my first choice for 45 Colt. And for the 45 Auto most of the bullets have load data for Accurate #5, yet again not all do, so CFE Pistol is my main choice of powder for 45 Auto. And while there is load data for Accurate 11FS in most 460 S&W Magnum bullets I plan to use, as well as with some 45 Colt bullets, not every 45 Colt or 460 S&W Magnum bullet can use it so it will not make the first round choice of powder for either.
There are other powders that will work for one or two bullets per cartridge between two or even the three cartridges but they will definitely not be a first round choice either. Perhaps one day I might play with them, but they are not cost effective to get used any time soon. And again, they will never be my first choice for either.
All things aside in the following post is the best advise I know to give you on this subject:
Reloading Manuals - whose and how many?
Lyman, Speer, Nosler, Sierra, Barnes, Swift, Berger, Norma, Lapua, VihtaVuori, Accurate, Western Powder, Hodgdon, or even Hornady reloading manuals are far better suited than Richard Lee's for gleaning load data from, as they all not only do their own testing but they all give the test barrel...
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In Lee's Reloading Handbook 1st edition it also warns to pick a dipper that will not measure more than 90% of a max charge, and not to ever use dippers with maximum loads but rather always but always weight all max loads, period!A warning . . . be sure not to confuse the dippers. Using the wrong dipper for any particular powder in any particular case can be another disaster.
I started out with a Classic Lee Loader. After all I was only plaining on loading one particular round at that time and figured I only need to make 100 cartridges total after testing. So The Lee Loader seemed to be the most cost effective route to go. I also did not like the idea of beating primers in with a hammer so I had planned on getting the Frankford Arsenal hand priming tool to compliment the Lee Loaders. Having attempted to make only five dumby rounds I found out that I basically had wasted money on such cheap tools. As it was hard to apply a consistent crimp, not to mention I destroy a case by overly flaring it. Then and there I decided that I would only buy quality tools from that point on. Now some $5,000 later I will be not just making the one round but all my own ammo from now on. The lesson I learned was not to be a cheap skate. I kept it as a constant reminder as I watch it rust away.I think every new reloader should start out with the "Whack-a-Mole" Lee Loader. If nothing else it will introduce the importance of patience into the process, which usually eliminates or at least greatly reduces the incidence of popped primers. I admit to popping a few before Lee introduced the little hand-priming device which has eliminated the popping altogether. I still use it even having moved to the use of a bench-mounted press setup.
The recommendation to buy and use a proper reloading manual is well made. Properly employed, these will keep ya out of trouble.
All JMHO based on sixty years of accident-free reloading, with the minor exception of those few primers popped with the Lee Loader. which I see as a rite of passage.
Oh, for sure the modern equipment is the way to go if you're serious about reloading and have the necessary discretionary funds available. Absolutely. I'll just say that I was quite able to produce acceptable reloads in short quantity with the Lee Loader. You learn pretty quickly what it takes to do so.
A hundred bucks will set you up with a Lee Loader and one of the little hand-held priming tools. Cheap education.
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I have issues swinging the hammer with the same exact force each time to be able to get a consistent crimp and also having aim issues, just ask my thumb, where I would smack the flaring tool off to one side which would destroy a case.Oh, for sure the modern equipment is the way to go if you're serious about reloading and have the necessary discretionary funds available. Absolutely. I'll just say that I was quite able to produce acceptable reloads in short quantity with the Lee Loader. You learn pretty quickly what it takes to do so.
A hundred bucks will set you up with a Lee Loader and one of the little hand-held priming tools. Cheap education.
I would think one would be far better off with Lee's single stage Reloader press and a set of Lee dies. They could also use Lee's ram priming die with it. Even get a one of Lee's factory crimp dies. This would not cost much more yet would be exponentially superior equipment. By not needing to up grade they save the $40 dollars, they would had spent on the Lee Loader, which can be applied to the cost of the better press and die set. What I consider to be an instant upgrade while saving $40 at the same time. They might as well just get started with decent stuff right off the bat. And being one needs a scale to practice how to scoop (accurately) with Lee dippers they might as well just weight out the charges with the scale.
Spending more money will usually get ya better stuff and possibly better results. I would not presume to argue with your obviously superior approach.
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