Shellholder locating tip

H

hounddawg

New member
I keep my shellholders in a small drawer in a plastic bench organizer. I have half a dozen or so in there for various calibers and got tired of digging around and looking at the numbers. The wife has about a hundred different colors of felt tip pins so I colored the base and the top of each shellholder a different color and made a small "key" with the caliber and the key and taped it on the outside of the drawer. No more digging. If it wears off there is plenty of ink in the pens or take some poly and coat the edges
 
I keep my loose shell holders on wooden 'Pegs' (dowel rod cut into sections) so I can write caliber on the edge of the shelf instead of hunting for numbers for each maker.
I may add color coding, that's a good idea!

My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and we all know those numbers 'Fade' as we get older!
When I was doing 3 or 4 calibers and only had one or two shell holders for each the little organizer worked, but when you have 40 or 50, finding what you want takes a frigging program to sort, extra lights & a magnifier to keep straight.

When I have dies set up or modified for a specific firearm, I use a specific shell holder...
Those I keep with the dies/tool head and usually metal stamp so they stay together.
Metal stamp: Read stronger light & magnifier, another line in the program chart to keep straight... :(
 
I broke down and treated myself to a brand new complete set of Lyman shell holders, it comes in a nice plastic storage box and has a listing of what each fits....for so many years I had a mish mash collection of makers and just stored all loose in a small plastic box with no list of what each holder would fit.
I would try each shell holder on a case until something sorta kinda fit , sometimes I had the right one and sometimes I didn't !
Gary
 
I keep mine with the dies, that way everything is together
Click to expand...
I do that with a few things, when that cartridge is the only time I use the shell holder. (Such as Hornady #33 for .307 Win, or H30 for .44 Mag; or a modified H16 used only for 6x45mm trimming.)

However, most shell holders get used for multiple cartridges, and I don't have enough to go around.
The majority get stored in a small metal tin in a drawer, with a quick reference taped inside the lid.

The rest will be found in the presses, slid over the exposed decapping pins of sizing dies in the turret press, or as '06 shell holders sitting in an out of the way place on the press itself.
...Sounds chaotic and disorganized, but it works well for me.
 
However, most shell holders get used for multiple cartridges, and I don't have enough to go around.
The majority get stored in a small metal tin in a drawer, with a quick reference taped inside the lid.
Click to expand...

that is pretty much what I do, except for the list and that is because I can remember numbers. However like jeephammer reading those number can be a challenge if not wearing glasses
 
I have 43 Herter shell holders, I know that sounds excessive but I also have the two ram Herter press. And then there are the RCBS shell holders: the wife went to the container store and purchased an organizer (clear plastic) with 24 compartments that hold 4 shell holders each with 2 long compartments for long die parts. The organizer is two sided; for shell holders that would not fit in the other side and for miscellaneous die and press parts. After the organizer is loaded do not trust the handle.

I also have RCBS organizers, I do not know if they still offer them. I find them handy when storing parts for powder measures and case gages; the containers get heavy in a hurry.

And then there is the red and green Lee container. Because back in the big inning no one agreed on a standard shell holder numbering system I suggest savings the paper work that comes with the shell holder/sets.

F. Guffey
 
A problem with shell holder identification is different brands use different numbering systems. Here's a chart that covers this pretty well. So if you want to keep track of which holder is for what cartridge, something like the color-coding idea is better or separating them into drawers by cartridge or keeping them with the dies makes the most sense. Indeed, I expect that's why Lee provides a shell holder with their die sets in a box that has a place for it.

I long ago found I was accumulating a number of tools for each chambering I reloaded for, so I got in the habit of picking up a shoe-sized plastic organizer box from one of the big box stores for each chambering and then stowing all tools specific to that chambering in the same box. That includes press shell holders and priming tool shell holders.
 
Shell holders live in the box with the dies.
43 of 'em I'd store on a wee wooden peg stuck in a peg board with each peg numbered.
 
Actually, I misspoke.
The latest incarnation of loading bench has brass rod sections sticking up for shell holders.
The shelf is thick enough for caliber, and maker numbering for easier ID.

While shell holders for specific dies stay with the dies, the random/extra shell holders are on the pegs.
Don't need a specific shell holder for universal decapping, bullet pulling, etc so it makes those chores faster.

After a while, I just got too many plastic boxes stacked up to sort through everytime I wanted something.
Dies are in tool heads, so they don't go back into factory boxes, and there are shelves specifically set up for those tool heads/die sets/powder throwers etc.

The brass rod sections, sticking up right next to the tool heads, allow for things like case gauges & other caliber specific tools to say right with the tool head, and be handy, right behind the press the tool heads fit into.
Working with brass (or wood) allows a no scratch surface for my tools.
It's a work bench efficiency thing, everything is within easy reach & organized.

I still like the idea of color coding, and with the correct paint it would stop or reduce some rust issues.
I'm all about reducing issues and speeding up processing!
The reason for rethinking a reloading specific bench build was efficiency & ease of use...
 
+1 for keeping them with the dies.

I also color code them to the die (FLRS vs SBRS vs NS only). Granted I don't have 42 different dies, shell holders are relatively inexpensive. This way I have all of what I need in the box for that cartridge, Cal, and OP. It keeps me from searching for parts or making mistakes. I also keep that calibers/cartridge trim mandrels (Lyman or Lee Ezee trim) and (Lee hand prime), shell holder in the die box as well. keeps it K.I.S.S. style.

My 2 cents

what is a "container store". Wish I had one.
 
Last edited:
Hu? Thanks guffey, never heard of one before. Don't tell my wife they exist, or I might have to go there. If that happens Ill spend the summer cleaning the closets, pantry, kitchen drawers, laundry room.... when will I shoot?:)
 
Last edited:
After reading this thread I feel blessed being down to actively reloading for only 2 rifle calibers and 3 pistol. 223, .260, 9mm, 38sp, and 45 ACP
 
I keep mine with the dies, that way everything is together
Click to expand...
+1. Even if I had cartridges that used the 'same', I'd still keep a set in each set of dies that I use. I have two in each case. One for the press and one for hand primer. Not that expensive.
 
There are quite a few calibers that use the same shell holders.

For instance, 243 Win, 308 Win, 7x57, 8x57, 30-06 and so on.

I have a shell holder for each of them and it stays in the die box.

If someone needs to borrow, I don't need to hunt down a shell holder as it is in the box. Also keeps me from searching thru the many that I have. I have a large medicine (pill) bottle full of Lee shell holders that I got at an estate sale some years ago along with a lot of other stuff.
 
Go to your local fishing store/department and look thru all the tackle boxes and plastic storage boxes there. There are plenty to choose from and most stack & store real well.
 
Color Coding is a good idea. People can recognize color faster than they can words, numbers or symbols, so using color provides an extra margin of confidence.

For me, shell holders live in the box with the dies. This works for me because other than my Lee Universal Decapper die, only one box of dies (along with one type primer, one type powder and/or one weight bullet) is allowed to be on the bench at any given time.
 
I don't load enough calibers for this to be an issue.

I use Lee hand primers. I have two - one configured for small; and one for large.

I'm loading either 38/357 or 45 ACP about 95+% of the time. So it's pretty obvious which shell holder is in each almost always.

I do have my ammo boxes color coded though. . .

I use the MTM brand. 38 Special is blue. 357 is green. 9mm is red. 10mm is smoke. 45 ACP is blue (obviously much larger than 38). And 44 mag/spl is blue (obviously much larger than 357).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top