Reloading .223/5.56

[junglerot]

I'm obviously new here, and haven't searched all the way back for all the info I'm looking for, but this thread is more of a learning experience/walkthrough as I get into reloading for the AR-15.
I have, I don't know exactly, maybe a couple thousand .223/5.56 cases, much of it military. I've started by getting myself a Lee universal decapper and have been diligently depriming all of my crimped primers. I have ordered a Dillon 600 Super Swage from Grafs, but they're backed up and I don't expect to get it for a few weeks (which is fine as I'll be out of town for work for most of the next 2 weeks).

Where I'm at now: case trimming. I know (I think) for all this once fired brass that I want to make sure my length is within limits and trim as necessary. My primary quandary is what do I want to trim with? I'm looking for something affordable, but easily repeatable (ie hand crank with micrometer set length?).

Next up: dies. I've heard good things about the RCBS X-die. My working plan for now is to get the X-die and resize all the brass in my single stage. The hope is that once all my prep work is done, I can rock and roll with priming, charging, bullet seating, and crimping(?) in the progressive (Hornady Lock and Load). I'll need to get the additional seat and crimp dies as well.

I'll come back to address this after I figure out the trimming step.

I appreciate any advice insight from the experienced reloaders here.

[CareyH]

WFT!!!!!!!!!!!!! really, worlds finest trimmer http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html IMO best trimmer out there..... unless you want to spend $400.

[cstone]

How much brass do you want to process at one time?

Keep a few hundred for yourself to learn how to do it but send the thousands more you will want to process to Hoser.

.223 brass prep sucks.

[paddywagon]

For a cheap case trimmer these work well. They are disposable and do not last forever. Works well with a cordless drill. When you get enough money buy a RCBS or Lyman case cutter. You will need both of these items.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/107333/lee-case-length-gage-and-shellholder-223-remington
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/476992/lee-case-trimmer-cutter-and-lock-stud

As far as a press is concerned I would stay away from a progressive until you have learned and mastered reloading with a single stage. I have had good luck with RCBS, Hornady and Dillon dies. You can use these dies on a progressive when you get to that point and then just buy yourself a crimp die. The Lee crimp dies work well as this is what I use on my Dillon RL550 for a crimp die and the resize and seating dies are RCBS for loading 5.56

[junglerot]

WFT!!!!!!!!!!!!! really, worlds finest trimmer http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html IMO best trimmer out there..... unless you want to spend $400.
That's pretty cool, really. I like that it produces repeatable case lengths. The tinkerer in me imagines picking up an old sears power drill at a garage sale and mounting the motor and chuck in a box to sit on the reloading bench to keep from having to run a hand drill.

How much brass do you want to process at one time?

Keep a few hundred for yourself to learn how to do it but send the thousands more you will want to process to Hoser.

.223 brass prep sucks.
I really don't have an accurate count, but imagine two 50 cal ammo cans almost full of brass. I'm not in a rush, and get into the routine, so I don't mind processing it all myself. I just want to figure out what will be "my system".

[junglerot]

For a cheap case trimmer these work well. They are disposable and do not last forever. Works well with a cordless drill. When you get enough money buy a RCBS or Lyman case cutter. You will need both of these items.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/107333/lee-case-length-gage-and-shellholder-223-remington
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/476992/lee-case-trimmer-cutter-and-lock-stud

As far as a press is concerned I would stay away from a progressive until you have learned and mastered reloading with a single stage. I have had good luck with RCBS, Hornady and Dillon dies. You can use these dies on a progressive when you get to that point and then just buy yourself a crimp die. The Lee crimp dies work well as this is what I use on my Dillon RL550 for a crimp die and the resize and seating dies are RCBS for loading 5.56

I guess I should have prefaced that I've reloaded several thousand rounds of 9mm with a turret press, and am setting up the LnL for 9mm as well. I had some problems with my Lee dies being too short for comfort for the LnL bushings, so I don't know if the Lee FCD is going to work for me, but I plan on doing everything up to and including resizing on the single stage and using the progressive simply for primer, powder, bullet.

[dwalker460]

I am not a fan of the crimp dies unless you are using a cannulure bullet.

I have Lee .223 dies and they work fine, BUT the best money ever spent on a die set for 223 was the RCBS "Competition" or whatever they are calling them, dies. Over $100 for the set but the bullet seating die is effin awesome and truly cuts the time when loading.

I currently have single stage- Pacific/Hornady, Turret- Lee Classic Turret, and Progressive- Lee Pro 1000, and I honestly do most .223 on the turret press. I can crank out a few hundred rounds in a couple of hours depending on case prep time, and it just does a great job.

[encorehunter]

I really don't have an accurate count, but imagine two 50 cal ammo cans almost full of brass. I'm not in a rush, and get into the routine, so I don't mind processing it all myself. I just want to figure out what will be "my system".

I got my WFT trimmer and trimmed one 50 cal ammo can in well under 2 hours. There were 1070 cases in the can. I have loaded a few hundred of them and none of them needed to be chamfered or deburred. I wish I would have found this trimmer sooner. It would have saved me a lot of hours in the past.

[paddywagon]

The only thing I run on my Dillon for 5.56 is the M855 pulled bullets which have a cannelure. Lee crimp die works well on these. Match rounds that I run on my Rock Chucker with 75 or 77's i do not even crimp.

[paddywagon]

I guess I should have prefaced that I've reloaded several thousand rounds of 9mm with a turret press, and am setting up the LnL for 9mm as well. I had some problems with my Lee dies being too short for comfort for the LnL bushings, so I don't know if the Lee FCD is going to work for me, but I plan on doing everything up to and including resizing on the single stage and using the progressive simply for primer, powder, bullet.

If you got experience on the progressive machine you ought to run the whole course on it. Just trim your cases before you start. Use a good set of dies and call it good. No reason to make work for yourself than necessary.

[junglerot]

I just thought of something, should I do my initial resizing before trimming?

[rondog]

Yes. You have to resize them FIRST! Otherwise the length will change.

[20X11]

Download the RCBS X-Die instructions from thier website before you buy them and think you want to use them. I think you will find they require regular die sizing then trimming before first use.

[junglerot]

Yes. You have to resize them FIRST! Otherwise the length will change.
That was kind of a duh epiphany on my part. Thanks for verifying.

Download the RCBS X-Die instructions from thier website before you buy them and think you want to use them. I think you will find they require regular die sizing then trimming before first use.
Very interesting, I may just look into the rcbs die set that dwalker mentioned.

[Zombie Steve]

Download the RCBS X-Die instructions from thier website before you buy them and think you want to use them. I think you will find they require regular die sizing then trimming before first use.

You can use the die as a normal sizer... just don't turn down the mandrel.

To the OP - I know it's been said, but make sure you size before taking your measurements / trimming. It's pretty important.

[junglerot]

I'm heading out of town for work tomorrow, so my progress is going to slow down. I have however placed my ordered for the Dillion swager and the WFT trimmer. Now I just need to make a decision on dies (I over-think these things to death sometimes), and maybe I can have all my hard parts ready for me by the time I'm done travelling in a couple weeks.
All the info and feedback from you guys is much appreciated and very helpful.

[Hoser]

Now I just need to make a decision on dies



What is the end use of this ammo and what is your budget?

I would hate to recommend a $150 set of dies to go plinking with when a $30 set would work just as well.

[bigmyk2k]

For a cheap case trimmer these work well. They are disposable and do not last forever. Works well with a cordless drill. When you get enough money buy a RCBS or Lyman case cutter. You will need both of these items.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/107333/lee-case-length-gage-and-shellholder-223-remington
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/476992/lee-case-trimmer-cutter-and-lock-stud

Can't quite wrap my head around this one. Does it go in a single stage press, or is it used some other way?

[Great-Kazoo]

IF you intend to get in to reloading more than a casual 20 rounds here 50 rounds there, invest in this unit.
http://www.giraudtool.com/
After doing it for a while and you decide that reloading may not be your thing, the giraud's hold their resale value very well.

[SideShow Bob]

If you got experience on the progressive machine you ought to run the whole course on it. Just trim your cases before you start. Use a good set of dies and call it good. No reason to make work for yourself than necessary.

Wrong, on a progressive you start with a de-priming/sizing die. Resizing will cause the case to Lengthen so trimming needs to be done after de-priming and sizing.
So run a single stage press to De-prime and size, trim & de-burr the cases and run the rest of the loading process on a progressive.

[rondog]

IF you intend to get in to reloading more than a casual 20 rounds here 50 rounds there, invest in this unit.
http://www.giraudtool.com/
After doing it for a while and you decide that reloading may not be your thing, the giraud's hold their resale value very well.
Oh yeah! I have a Giraud trimmer and it's the cat's ass! If you have a LOT of brass to trim, it's awesome. Ain't cheap though, so it's a serious investment, but it'll work on damn near all rifle cases with an adapter change and cutter adjustment. I don't think there's an adapter for .30 Carbine though, not sure.

[junglerot]

Shooting in the AR, plinking/defense type stuff, not precision shooting. I jumped on the Hornady die set in the flea market area.

ps Im the idiot that bought all of Erik's reloading stuff.

[Hoser]

I don't think there's an adapter for .30 Carbine though, not sure.

The Giraud needs a shoulder to index off of. It wont work with a Giraud. A Dillon trimmer is the way to go for the 30 Carbine.

[Great-Kazoo]

Shooting in the AR, plinking/defense type stuff, not precision shooting. I jumped on the Hornady die set in the flea market area.

ps Im the idiot that bought all of Erik's reloading stuff.

idiot or not, if you posted it here or CL OR Armslist, you would have it gone within a day, 2 tops depending on logistics.

FWIW: anyone in the metro to NOCo area needs to trim .223 for a good deal pm me. The giraud is at the ready;)

[rondog]

The Giraud needs a shoulder to index off of. It wont work with a Giraud. A Dillon trimmer is the way to go for the 30 Carbine.
I just figgered since the .30 carbine is a tapered case, Giraud would have a tapered shellholder for them. Once they're resized, it "should" work, but they might be just too short. Oh well, I have my Lyman lathe-type trimmer, it works well.

[junglerot]

IF you intend to get in to reloading more than a casual 20 rounds here 50 rounds there, invest in this unit.
http://www.giraudtool.com/
After doing it for a while and you decide that reloading may not be your thing, the giraud's hold their resale value very well.

I've seen that and it looks awesome, but it's way out of budget now. I figure with the WFT trimmer and and old drill, I can rig up something that will give me the same basic functionality at a fraction of the cost until such time as I can afford, or my reloading quantity warrants, getting one.

[Rhino0427]

I'm very (very) new to hand loading/reloading but am thoroughly enjoying the new hobby so far. I bought the RCBS rock chukker kit and have run my first set of test loads (Sierra MC boat tail bullets, Varget powder, 24-25.8 grain loads, 7 each) for my M4. I'm going to run them through a chronograph ASAP. However, I noticed as I seated the bullets, there was some slight peeling back of the bullet jacket. Is this normal or is it a problem? (ie-did I miss a step/screw up-entirely possible).

[silentshooter]

The peeling of the jacket normally can be fixed by chamfering the neck and adjusting your dies neck sizing.

[Danimal]

WFT!!!!!!!!!!!!! really, worlds finest trimmer http://www.littlecrowgunworks.com/wft.html IMO best trimmer out there..... unless you want to spend $400.

Nailed it. This is hands down the best way to go. You have to full length re-size before you use it because it indexes off of the shoulder, but I bet this little trimmer cut my brass process time in half or better and does a great job.

[Rhino0427]

Thanks! Any concern with shooting the rounds?

[silentshooter]

No issue shooting them if you have a little peeling. For long range accuracy you want to avoid it, but should still shoot fine

[Rhino0427]

No issue shooting them if you have a little peeling. For long range accuracy you want to avoid it, but should still shoot fine

Thanks!

[Rucker61]

idiot or not, if you posted it here or CL OR Armslist, you would have it gone within a day, 2 tops depending on logistics.

FWIW: anyone in the metro to NOCo area needs to trim .223 for a good deal pm me. The giraud is at the ready;)

I'm looking for both .308 and .223 trimming. Send me a PM.

[junglerot]

I'm sure this is going to be like starting a "which oil is best" thread on a motorcycle forum, but what lube works well for resizing 223?

[silentshooter]

On progressives I stick with the Dillon or Hornady Spray lube. With single stage I like the Imperial Case Wax

[rondog]

Best thing about the Giraud, besides the ease and speed, is the fact that it also chamfers the outside and the inside of the case mouth at the same time. Essentially three operations in one. Awesome! The two chamfering operations are otherwise a pain in the balls.

[junglerot]

On progressives I stick with the Dillon or Hornady Spray lube. With single stage I like the Imperial Case Wax

Follow up to this, what are you doing on the progressive that you need the lube for? Are you resizing 223 on the progressive after it's been processed once?

[silentshooter]

This is how I setup a 1050 or 650 for once fired brass on the progressive I will setup station 1 as a Full Length Resize & deprime, on the 1050 it swages the primer pocket, and then on the other side of the toolhead is the Dillon trimmer set to trim case (it does not require deburring or chamfering). So before loading the brass in the feeder I spray them with some lube. Once processed they go in the tumbler to get cleaned up. Then the second toolhead is setup to check neck size (no lube needed), prime the brass, powder load, set bullet and crimp. Now this is for gas guns, on bolt action loads if it was fired in the same rifle you are going to load for then other than verifying the length you could size just the neck or full length but not back to full spec, and load.