Thread: First time reloading lead projectiles. Some Issues, help

Originally Posted by ZQLewis

during lock down i brought some 35 Cal 220 gr bullets, gas checked and lubed.
Aiming for a subsonic load to complement my medium load 158gr XTP pistol bullet and my heavy load GameKing 225gr.
I only loaded 15 to start with.
I feed all the brass back into the sizing/de-capping die about 2-3mm, just enough to try and open the neck to add bullet seating. Often it took a lot of force to start the bullet into the case and sometimes it would shave off some of the gas check, on a couple the bullet did not go in straight. The worst i binned, others I picked off the lead swarf from around the case neck.
Some bullets were quite loose. So I did use the crimping die to set the case into the crimp ring on the bullet.
Also had problems with the bullet grabbing in the seating die and getting pulled out of the case.
Ended up seating the bullets in 2 steps. First with the seating die wound a long way in, then winding it out and taking it down to my required OAL.
Z

You need a special die to open up the first part of the neck to seat cast lead. Also shout yourself a copy of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook. Its all in there.
Grandpamac.