Can't the manufacturers all use the same # system or at least stamp their name on them so it's easier to know whose # #@$%^&* you are looking at?


Maybe a little standardization would hurt their bottom line or something.


Mike

All such good ideas usually open the person proposing them to all sorts of abuse here at the 'fire.

Get a Dremel

Forster Co-Ax.

Lee dies come with a shellholder. Easy peasy.

Buy a shell holder for each set of dies, and keep it in the box with the dies. That’s likely some duplication, but worth the reduced hassle.

What shell holder you need, Mike?

#24

That's why I've "standardized" on the 223, Commie and 06 base diameters for all my rifles, and 9 and 45 for handguns.

If you have a turret or standard single stage press, get this:

https://leeprecision.com/universal-shell-holder-set.html

Right now, it's out of stock, but when it comes back in, get a set. Then buy only Lee dies. They're as good as any others and you'll have a shellholder for the given cartridge you're doing, with the die set and if you lose or misplace it, you've got the whole set as backup.

Which brand?

Google "shell holder cross reference" use images then print the one you like best and keep it by your dies.

I don't really need one now just pondering how I have them in a plastic organizer box and whenever loading have to play the sort through the shell holders to find the right one and then finally get close and it's like well is this the .357/.38 or .223 or .45 colt, .44 mag/spl or .41 mag??? And over the last 38 years of loading have accumulated several different brands.

I'ts not a major issue just a pet peeve.

Mike

Conformity is for Europe.

Move.

I'm not high brow enough to live among those heathens!

I got a kit like that for the Lee Auto Prime for the same reason

I don't look at numbers anymore. With case in hand for reference the shellholder box is opened. With time you will grab the correct one the first try.

Was loading something not to long ago and knew I had the fricken shell holder and couldn't find it in the storage box, went through it like 3 times, finally found it in the die box for my .270 WSM..... Who knew it was the same?? Now will have to go look at the chart and see what cross references...

Our entire way of life is under attack from enemies, foreign and domestic. Worry about that for just a bit and let this one go......

Took me 38 years of loading to finally rant/whine about it....not sure I'm trainable at this point


Mike

Rocket science, right....

I feel your pain hence the training.

For $7 a pop?

I only own four different ones... magnum, standard, small and one for the swede...

I buy two. One for the dies, the other for the hand held primer tool

Over time I'd have 7-8 of the same one that way

.243,.308,Swede, .270, .300 Sav, 7mm-08, .30-06(for a friend :D) .338-06, .35 Whelen, then there is the belted mags..

Keep schidt simple and you wont' run into problems. Why is this so hard for guys to figure out?

Truth! Happy days when I got rid of rockchucker for Co-Ax.

Then I'd be on here begging for lock rings or whatever it is you co-axers are always asking for

That's all you really need. If you have or load for an odd ball like a 7.62x39, just keep that on in your die box. KISS works best and you have it figured out.

I just keep the shell holders in the boxes with the dies. I just noticed recently that there were shell holder organizer boxes available. I thought to myself, that's just what I don't need. If I get out a die set and the needed shell holder isn't in the box with the dies, it will be in the box with one of the limited number of other die sets that use the same shell holder.

I've always been a little leery of accumulating too much high-margin convenience junk that takes up space and confuses me.

Use a variety of presses, but one favored priming tool, rcbs auto. It prefers rcbs, so one day just pitched the mismatched ones and ordered all rcbs. Then made a holder. Easy now.

Ever find the one you want, after looking for it for awhile, still in the press?

Like sunglasses on top of your head?

Ha, no my lazy bone I always check that one 1st

I know I have Lyman, Lee, Redding, Hornady and RCBS at a minimum and maybe Frankford Arsenal If they make them or that may be shoulder bump heads not even sure now,

HERE, HERE...I agree!

I have a few of a couple for like 9mm, 45/30-06/308, 38/357, 223/5.56 ... those that I originally years ago started-out factory assembly line reloading on a couple of Rock Chuckers a Partner and a Lee.

Then along came the LnL then the 550 then the 650 then and now the T7 and inevitably I've tried every flavor of shell holder known to man from plates to individual.

RCBS makes the best imho .... slickest. They used to be $4.95 each. I've not bought one in so long I don't know what they are going-for these days but I do know Reddings were twice as much and I never understood why. Never liked Hornady or Lee shellholders much. I have a couple of each but just never liked the way they fit other presses.

Redding either for that matter. Fits most pistons just fine but not all cases and rims ... too tight sometimes.

I keep all my shell holders in a tackle box like organizer that is labeled which cartridge each is for and some of them work for many of course.

Only Hornady has the little post in their boxes for shell holders right? And I don't have many Hornady die sets. Some of my boxes are already jammed tight with three die sets plus an extra Lee factory crimp die in some .... never really thought much about throwing the shell holder(s) in there with the dies. Suppose I could but I figure why change my organizational methodology at my age and stage. My system works for me and makes it easy to access and reference .... plus I rarely use a hand primer anymore. Haven't in years. Still, I use them on my various autoprime gadgets attached to the presses or standalone.

Anal retentive........you probably separate your knives, spoons, and forks too.

Keep your metric sockets separated from the SAE's? Thought so....

[quote=cra1948]I just keep the shell holders in the boxes with the dies. /quote]

Me, too. But I keep a pair of them. One for sizing, one for seating. The seaters have the top face polished so I can remember which is which....