There's tons of stuff you can get to reload rifle cases, like 308 and others. In addition to the die set you have, suggest use of a headspace gauge to assure your sizing die is set properly to properly set the shoulder (headspace), trim tools of your choice, and calipers to check the trim...
I shoot a lot of 38 SPL in 357 mag framed wheel guns. So, I also like the stoutest 38 SPL loads. These tend to be the "+P" loads. They are listed on the Hagdgon website for the various powders and weight bullets:
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com
Since I have a lot of 700-X powder, I load...
Yes, handloading is not only addictive, it is therapeutic. A little time at the bench does wonders for the outlook/disposition.
And yes, I use a case gauge for each necked rifle bullet and each auto-loading pistol bullet as a final quality control ammo check.
My personal preference is brass with a "jewelry" finish. Recipe: Thumlers high speed, SS pins, auto wash and wax, 1/4 TSP of Lemi-Shine.
Pics of brass:
I have a Forster hand crank trimmer. Works fine. But I also use the Lee hand held cutter and simply chuck the case in a drill. Also works fine, and a bit quicker than the hand crankers.
Just curious - what is the make and model number of the motor on that Ballistic Bill's tumbler? Is the motor the same as that used on the Thumlers model B high-speed?
That is my personal experience as well.....But I don't find the larger pins to be any slower than the smaller pins. About the same tumbling time in my experience.
To cut tumbling time, I pre-soak the brasses overnight in detergent and water. This cuts my tumbling time in about half. My...
I've got a set of 30-30 dies from the mid 70's. The seater die does have a crimp ring in it. However, I no longer use any seater die to apply a crimp. I've had much for success and uniformity using a Lee Factory Crimp Die for each separate caliber. This die will never cause a neck bulge even...
I use the Lee Hand Press as an adjunct to my bench press. It's really well suited for functions that don't require too much force, like decapping, for example. Decapping from the couch is nice...
Question for wet tumblers -
When I was a kid building engines for weekend destruction, I used to clean greasy engines by wetting them down, sprinkling Tide laundry detergent on them, letting them set for a couple of hours and then re-hosing them. The Tide cut through tough engine grease like...